It’s the return of the mankini-wearing equestrian star – but there’s a twist.

And if that sounds painful, allow us to explain: The event that turned Australian rider Shane Rose into an international phenomenon is back this weekend, only with a different Olympian set to don the skimpy swimwear made famous by Borat.

Last year’s “mankini-gate” scandal piqued the interest of global media when Rose, a three-time Olympic medallist, was briefly stood down by Equestrian Australia after wearing the outfit during a fancy dress event at the annual Wallaby Hill extravaganza in the Southern Highlands.

Rose was suspended pending an EA disciplinary process after a complaint was made regarding the revealing garment. There were fears a suspension would wreck his chances of qualifying for the 2024 Games, but the veteran was found not guilty of breaching the sport’s code of conduct and given the all clear to return to the saddle, before going on to compete in Paris.

Rose will miss this year’s Wallaby Hill event, to be held on Sunday at the property near Robertson, due to a scheduling clash – but the mankini baton will be passed on to 2024 Olympic silver medallist Chris Burton, who Rose endorsed as an “adequate replacement”.

“I’m well and truly over that,” Rose said of last year’s saga. “Unfortunately something else clashes with it [this year], unfortunately I miss out on a bit of fun this year. Maybe next year.”

Event organiser and Wallaby Hill owner Alex Townsend has taken the opportunity to leverage the publicity, leaning into mankini-themed merchandise including calendars, tea towels and kitchen aprons to raise money for Movember, a charity that focuses on men’s mental health, testicular and prostate cancer.

“We’re running the same event this year that we did last year,” Townsend said. “It’s always a lead-up event for the season, so it’s not very serious; hence there’s a dress-up class. The reason we run the event is to mainly bring spectators to the sport and make it a fun day.