Young Riders meet the Challenge
Sunday, 26 February 2017
Former Oceania team member Abigail Long, Levin, riding Enzo, has won the NZ Young Rider Eventing Championship at Hunua over the weekend, leading home the field in a strong 2* class which included a number of senior 3* riders. In doing so she has rocketed to the top of the Mitavite Young Rider series, and staked a strong claim to be included in this year’s NZ Young Rider team.
Long moved up from eighth place after the dressage to lie second overnight after a clear showjumping round, and took the lead after jumping clear and inside the time over Tich Massey’s challenging cross-country course. This is the biggest win of her career, although she was a well performed Junior Rider with BMW Advokaat while a pupil at Nga Tawa School near Marton.
Young Riders also filled second and third place in the Troy Wheeler Contracting sponsored class, with Talent ID squad member Renee Faulkner and Rubinstar HH second, and Jeffrey Amon on My Silver Lining third. All three finished on their dressage scores, having added no jumping or time penalties in either jumping phases.
The Junior Rider championship went to Kate Herdson riding Eon, improving from second after the dressage and showjumping phases in the 1* class to take the title with a clear cross-country round incurring 3.6 time penalties. The win moves her into second place in the PGG Wrightson Junior Rider series, behind South Islander Lucy Turner and Carbon.
Alindi Jordaan was second on the experienced Eskimo Joe, improving from eighth place after the dressage with no further penalties added from either jumping phase. Beth Wilson on Alto et Audax, Fenella Carter on Absolou, and Amalia Rowley on Mexico II were the other Junior Riders to place in this class.
