EVENTING News


Angela hits the Big Time
Sunday, 3 November 2013


Angela Lloyd and her thoroughbred mare Song go to number one in the ESNZ Eventing Super League after their top performance at McLeans Island, Christchurch, over the weekend.

The only North Islander to make the journey south for the RD1 National One-day Eventing Championships, Lloyd was rewarded with the Forest Gate Trophy for the CIC3* title and leapt onto the Super League table as joint leader. She is a former Christchurch resident, now living in Auckland, who sold her previous top horse, Gandalf, to Mark Todd prior to the Beijing Olympics.

Scratchings reduced the 3* class to three starters sadly, with Lloyd taking the lead after the dressage on a score of 56.4 penalties, ahead of Swannanoa veterinarian Sam Taylor and Leo Degas on 58.4. Lloyd had a rail down in the showjumping but Taylor had three down to drop below Cust farrier Brent Jury and SE Big, who added four penalties for one rail down to a 62.8 dressage score.

Jury was re-united with his huge thoroughbred SE Big, on whom he won the title in the Waikato in 2010, after current rider Sophie Wigley broke her leg a week before the event. Both Lloyd and Jury went clear across country, with 10.8 and 10.4 time penalties respectively, while Taylor was eliminated after refusals at the water complex.

The next event in the Super League is at Woodhill Sands, Helensville, on 16/17 Novmeber, followed by the Puhinui Three-day Event on 6-8 December, which marks the halfway stage in the series.

ESNZ EVENTING SUPER LEAGUE
Standings after four events:
Angela Lloyd, Auckland, Song, 69 pts; Bryce Newman, Bulls, Bates Trademark, 69 pts; Dannie Lodder, Auckland, Moochi, 61 pts; Matthew Grayling, New Plymouth, NRM Lowenburg, 46 pts; Sam Taylor, Swannanoa, Leo Degas, 46 pts; Abby Lawrence, Te Puke, Pseudonym, 41 pts; Jessica Woods, Hamilton, Defies Logic, 36 pts.

Virginia Caro