<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; "><strong>New Zealand eventing selectors
know the team they name on Thursday will need to be at its very best to beat a
strong Australian side in the Senior Trans Tasman Teams Competition at the 2012
Kihikihi International Horse Trial this weekend.</strong><br><br></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; ">Head of selectors Andrew
Scott plans to name that team after the trot-up on Thursday afternoon.<br><br></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white">“<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; ">We’re definitely in the
rebuilding phase with some of our top rising stars of recent years now based in
the UK,” says Scott. “I tend to not worry about the opposition though,
preferring to focus on getting our best team out there, which is going to be
challenging given a few injuries and absences.”<br><br></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; ">Clarke Johnstone and
Jonathan Paget are both tilting towards the London Olympics, while Lizzie Brown
is also in the UK and competing strongly. Johnstone, who won Kihikihi last
year, will be making a fleeting trip home for the event but is expected to
compete in the pre-novice section rather than the illustrious three star.<br><br></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; ">The weather may play
into the hands of the Kiwi team though, who have won 10 of the last 13 clashes.<br><br></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white">“<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; ">This is a great
opportunity for some of our young riders to put their hands up and a chance for
us to see how they operate in a team situation, so it is exciting times.”<br><br></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; ">The Trans Tasman
Competition will run as part of the Waipa Home of Champions CIC three star
class, which has attracted a good field of New Zealand’s rising stars,
including Annabel Wigley (Amberley), fresh from victory in the eventer of the
year class at the New Zealand Horse of the Year Show, has two horses entered –
NRM Frog Rock and NRM Enzo, who were first and sixth respectively at HOY.<br><br></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; ">There are a raft of
others though who could lay claim to the Kihikihi crown, including Bell Tea
Super League Series leader Christen Hayde (Pukekohe), Donna Smith (Te
Kauwhata), Simon Gordon (Papakura), Brent Jury (Rangiora), and the Australian
based Kiwi Joseph Waldron.<br><br></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; ">And let’s not forget
that strong Aussie line-up of Shane Rose, Natalie Blundell, Christine Bates and
Katja Weimann, who are bringing some serious horse power with established form
at this level.<br><br></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; ">The Bayleys CIC two star
field is more than double the size, with 30-plus entries, many with two rides,
making picking favourites a challenge.<br><br></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; ">Entries are just short
of the 300-plus record.<br><br></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; ">Course designer
extraordinaire John Nicholson has again created 36 jumps that will keep horse
and rider on their toes from go to whoa.<br><br></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white">“<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; ">Every single fence out
there needs respect,” says Nicholson. “I tried a few things at the Horse of the
Year Show and was pleased with the way they worked so we’re upping the ante
here.”<br><br></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; ">But caution is the key
also.<br><br></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white">“<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; ">There are a lot of young
horses and it’s important to push them but to be fair,” he says, “and I have
changed most of the combinations to be fair to both the Kiwis and the Aussies
in the trans Tasman.”<br><br></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; ">There’s a strong retro
feel to the course. Nicholson is re-introducing a style of fences that has been
by-passed by many in recent years. And he’s also called on a master Maori
carver to inject a real Kiwi feel to a few fences.<br><br></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; ">Kihikihi has long been considered
a rider’s favourite, despite the huge challenge it often presents, and they
make no secret of their love of the event.<br><br></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; ">Te Kauwhata’s Donna
Smith, who has ridden for New Zealand at World Champs, says Nicholson’s courses
are “bold and challenging, but very rewarding”.<br><br></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; ">That’s reiterated by
Aussie Shane Rose, who has twice ridden at Kihikihi and is using this year as
part of his build-up to the London Olympics.<br><br></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; ">Entry to the Kihikihi
Domain is free, although there will be a gold coin collection at the gate.<br><br></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; ">Saturday’s cross country
will be “the” day for those keen to catch the excitement of the event. Although
the three star class will run through the middle of the day, with six different
classes, there will be competitions on the course from 8.30am through to late
afternoon. Spectator Hill offers the best vantage point of the water jumps.<br><br></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; ">Those keen to be a
little more involved can take part in Sunday’s (April 8) 4km Newstalk ZB Fools
and Horses Fun Run which rolls over the actual cross country course. <br><br></span><o:p></o:p></p>
