McVean the Star - Horse of the Year 2011

Katie
McVean provided the fairy tale finish at the 2011 NZ Horse of the Year Show in
Hastings today (Sunday) when she won the $200,000 Bell Tea Olympic Cup beating
Australian Jamie Kermond in a nail-biting jump-off.
 
McVean, the defending champ, rode the 11-year-old
imported NRM Seremonie VDL – owned by Mount View Sport Horses Wendy and Richard
Keddell – and flew in from Europe just for the show.
 
It
was her third Olympic Cup victory, and within an hour of hoisting the trophy,
she was back on a plane to prepare for a World Cup show in Holland later in the
week.
 
Eighteen started the class, with just 11 with 12 faults
or less coming back for the second.
 
As
the faults mounted for the Kiwi riders it started to look increasingly like the
Showjumper of the Year title, and the $40,000 winners cheque would be crossing
the Tasman with any on of the eight Australian combinations.
 
Last
to go was Australian 21-year-old Danielle Butcher aboard Twins Big Higgs, who
produced the only clear of the round, but picked up three time faults for her
caution.
 
Best
performed of the Kiwis in the first round was McVean on Seremonie, sitting on
eight faults. Ahead of her were Australians Butcher on three faults, Billy
Raymont on Stardom and Jamie Kermond on Colthaga with four apiece, and Julia
Hargreaves aboard Vedor on five.
 
The
second round saw McVean go clear with just a single time fault, as did Raymont
on the NZ-owned Nicalette NZP. Butcher, in her first season in the big time, had
three rails down and picked up four time faults knocking her out of
contention.
 
When
all faults were tallied Kermond on his lovely grey Colthaga and McVean aboard
the grey mare Seremonie were tied on nine faults forcing a jump-off.
 
McVean was out first and looked to be on track until
three from home when she took a rail. Kermond watched her go and came out with a
steady clear in mind – it looked for all money like the cup was trans Tasman
bound....until the last fence.
 
McVean says she couldn't believe she'd won. Seremonie's
owner Wendy Keddell and the horse's usual rider Ike Unsworth, who broke his hand
three weeks ago, were overwhelmed.
 
The
Olympian only found out she was riding the horse on her return to New Zealand on
the first day of the show.
 
“She's quite a different ride to my horses,” she said..
“She's a lot more European and it's taken a couple of days to adjust as she's
quite strong.”
 
But
adjust she did and for the second consecutive year, won the most prestigious
showjumping trophy in New Zealand.
 
Dad
Jeff McVean says he picked it would be Seremonie rather than Dunstan Daffodil
who would shine on the final day of the show.
 
McVean had 16 faults in the first round on Daffodil,
but won the Silver Fern Stakes on her earlier in the show.
 
“She
tried hard but she was tired,” he said of Daffodil. 
 
The
second-placed Kermond was philosophical about the rail, taking full blame for
it.
 
“It's
heartbreak not to win but fantastic considering where we have come from over the
last few months.”
 
Nine-year-old Colthaga had had a small injury which had
limited her build-up competition before the Horse of the Year Show – which had
been in the planning for the past six months.
 
Earlier in the day, Brad Cunningham's trip from way
down south paid dividends with a nippy 77.12 second round giving him the NZ
Speed Horse of the Year title. Second-placed Tess Williams (Gisborne) Alltech
Walnut Brown will be ruing a dropped rail that saw them slip into second slot –
rails are turned into time and even with that she finished less than three
seconds behind Cunningham.
 
In
eventing Lizzie Brown (Hamilton) and Henton Attorney General rode a beautifully
judged clear round in the showjumping phase to give her the win in the three
star, nudging out World Equestrian Games team bronze medallist Clarke Johnstone
(Cambridge) and Orient Express. 
 
Overnight leader Johnstone, who followed Brown into the
arena, had no room for error, with just 1.2 faults in hand. Two fences down saw
him slip into second place, with Alice Montgomery (Christchurch) and Gordon in
third.
 
In
dressage Vanessa Way (Taranaki) won the Grand Prix Horse of the Year title with
KH Arvan, with former Olympian Louisa Hill (Auckland) reserve on Bates
Antonello. Kelly Van Dyk (Putaruru) won the young rider title aboard Wolhkahn
with Kate Welten (Cambridge) reserve on Amajah.
 
Results - 
 
Bell
Tea Olympic Cup NZ Showjumper of the Year: Katie McVean (Mystery Creek) NRM
Seremonie VDL (owned by Mount View Sport Horses Wendy and Richard Keddell) 1,
Jamie Kermond (Australia) Colthaga 2, Julia Hargreaves (Australia) Vedor 3,
Billy Raymont (Australia/Ocean Beach) Nicalette NZPH and Raymont
(Australia/Ocean Beach) Stardom =4, Phillip Steiner (Tauranga) Annandale Online
NZPH 6.
 
Showjumping, NZ Speed Horse of the Year: Brad
Cunningham (Christchurch) Cheltenham 77.12 seconds 1, Tess Williams (Gisborne)
Alltech Walnut Brown 80.72 2, Kirsten McLeod (Gisborne) NZ Joseph 80.99 3,
Daniel Meech (Europe/Hawke's Bay) Winston Darco V 81.29 4, Vicki Wilson
(Northland) Showtym Girl 83.41 5, Vicki Wilson (Northland) Wurlitzer 83.93
6.

Posted by:
Anne Vallance

Horse of the Year 2011

McVean the Star Sunday, 20 March 2011

Share this page!

McVean the Star
Sunday, 20 March 2011