<div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%;background:white"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%;background:white"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; ">Australia have dominated day one (Friday) of the Kihikihi
International Horse Trial, leading both the Senior Trans Tasman Competition and
the Waipa Home of Champions CIC*** class.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%;background:white"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%;background:white"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; ">Olympian Shane Rose aboard the stylish bay Taurus leads the field
with 47.6 penalty points after a polished 68.27% dressage test.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%;background:white"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%;background:white"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; ">The Aussies dominated the class, with all of the four-strong team
finishing in the top seven.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%;background:white"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%;background:white"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; ">Rose, who is striving to earn a spot in the Australian team for
the London Olympics, says he had hoped for a higher mark, but given the horse
had been unsettled in his warm-up by a near-by rugby league match, he was happy
with the result.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%;background:white"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%;background:white">“<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; ">This is a three phase competition but it is nice to start tomorrow
in the lead,” he says. “The course has certainly got plenty of tough fences,
but it's fair. I just need to do a good job!”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%;background:white"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%;background:white"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; ">Australia based Kiwi Joseph Waldron and his stunning Springvale
All Black is the best placed of the team in sixth equal, while the best
performed of the New Zealand riders was Shelley Ross (Woodhill Sands) aboard
Alberta Tomba who sits in fourth place on 57.8 penalty points but is riding as
an individual and not in the Kiwi team.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%;background:white"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; ">New Zealand coach and advisor Tinks Pottinger is looking forward
to the cross country phase tomorrow (Saturday).<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%;background:white"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%;background:white">“<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; ">Kihikihi is never considered to be a dressage competition. John
Nicholson has produced one of the biggest and best cross country courses in the
country and requires good positive riding, and we picked the team on the
strength of their cross country riding,” she said.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%;background:white"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%;background:white"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; ">She says that while her crew is rather inexperienced, she's
confident they would make teams for the likes of the 2014 World Equestrian
Games and 2016 Olympics.<br><br></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%;background:white"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; ">In the Bayleys CIC** Campbell Draper (Putaruru) on Kahurangi Manu
leads the field.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<pre style="line-height:150%;background:white"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; ">
The Kihikihi International Horse Trial is one of the nation's premier events, and has attracted nearly 300 entries across six grades.<o:p></o:p></span></pre><pre style="line-height:150%;background:white"><o:p>
</o:p><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; background-color: white; line-height: 150%; ">Entry to the Kihikihi Domain is free, although there will be a
gold coin collection at the gate.</span></pre>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%;background:white"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%;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. The three star class will run through the middle
of the day, but there will be competitors on the course from 8.30am through to
late afternoon. Spectator Hill offers the best vantage point of the water
jumps.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%;background:white"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%;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. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%;background:white"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%;background:white"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%;background:white"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; ">Results - </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%;background:white"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; ">Waipa Home of Champions CIC*** - incorporating the Senior Trans
Tasman Competition (after the dressage phase): Shane Rose (Australia) Taurus
68.27%, 47.6 penalty points, 1; Christine Bates (Australia) Delago 67.33%, 49,
2; Natalie Blundell (Australia) Algebra 64%, 54, 3; Shelley Ross (Woodhill
Sands) Alberta Tomba 61.47%, 57.8, 4; Annabel Wigley (Amberley) NRM Frog Rock
59.87%, 60.2. 5; Katja Weinmann (Australia) BP Gallantry ) Kahurangi 58.8%,
61.8 and Joseph Waldron (New Zealand) Springvale All Black 58.8%, 61.8 =6.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%;background:white"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%;background:white"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%;background:white"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; ">Senior Trans Tasman Competition: Australia – Shane Rose, Taurus
68.27%, 47.6; Christine Bates, Delago 67.33%, 49; Katja Weimann, BP Gallantry
58.8%, 61.8; Natalia Blundell, Algebra 64%, 54. Best three 150.6, 1. New Zealand
– Annabel Wigley (Amberley) BRM Enzo 57.73%, 63.4; Joseph Waldron, Springvale
All Black 58.8%, 61.8; Simon Gordon, Simply Mitch 56.49%, 65.4; Christen Hayde,
Tandarra Sweet As 53.87%, 69.2. Best three 190.6, 2. </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%;background:white"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%;background:white"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%;background:white"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; ">Bayleys CIC**: Campbell Draper (Putaruru) Kahurangi Manu 65.93%,
51.1, 1; Andrea Kersten (Te Kauwhata) An Act 65%, 52.5, 2; Jessica Woods
(Ohaupo) Too Predictable 64.81%, 52.8, 3; Samantha Felton (Matangi) Ricker
Ridge Pico Boo 64.26%, 53.6, 4; Virginia Thompson (Henderson) Ashbury Pee Cee
63.52%, 54.7, 5; Angela Lloyd (Hunua) Song 63.33%, 55, 6.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
