Australia has the upper hand over the New Zealanders after the cross country phase in the Senior Oceania Challenge at the NRM National 3 Day Event in Taupo but it was better news for the kiwis in the Young Rider teams challenge. They put on a superb cross country demonstration and have taken out a substantial lead of 87.2 points.
In the main class, the NRM CCI3*, Australian Shane Rose on CP Qualified kept his overnight lead, with a clear jumping round and just 1.6 time faults. Balmoral Sensation and Matangi’s Clarke Johnstone scorched around the John Nicholson designed track under the time and is just 2.8 points behind the leader. Another Matangi rider, Diane Gilder also put in a brilliant performance with Your Attorney, notching up the only other clear round under time. Abby Lawrence, one of the NZ team riders, also jumped clear on Pseudonym with six time faults, and is in fourth place. The other two NZ team members both had falls and are therefore out of the competition. This effectively renders the NZ team with little or no chance of catching the Australians who still have three riders in the competition. One of their riders, Isabel English, had a fall, and the other two, Katja Weimann and Jessica Manson incurred jumping and time faults.
Shane Rose was all smiles on finishing the course. “He was super, he’s great. He is fitter and faster than ever before. We lost a bit of time at the water, and didn’t quite manage to catch up but he had heaps of jump in him at the end.”
There was a sad end to the class when Clarke Johnstone’s other horse, Orient Express, was fatally injured on the cross country. There is a separate statement on this on our webpage. www.nzequestrian.org.nz/12971.aspx
Samantha Felton on Henton After Dark kept their lead gained in the dressage in the Bates CCI2* Championships but is only 3.5 faults ahead of Bonnie Farrant on Kaipara Dior who positively flew around the course. Northland’s Megan Finlayson is in third place with Greensleeves after a solid performance with both Sophie Abbott (Time to Tango Too) and Christen Lane (Thunder Cat) moving up the leaderboard with lovely clear rounds under time.
On finishing her round, Samantha Felton was full of praise for her horse. “He was super. I really wanted to give him a nice confident ride as it was a really tough track.”
All four members of the kiwi Young Rider team jumped clear around what many described as the “toughest course they have ever ridden.” Three of them were also under time, with only Sarah Young having just 6.4 time faults which leaves her in fifth equal place in the class. Isabelle Bowditch-McIntyre on Grandios was the only Australian rider jumping with a clear round and 17.2 time faults, with two of the other riders, Kenya Wilson and Shenae Lowings having jumping and faults. Teegan Ashby had a fall in the cross country.
Bonnie Farrant was piled praise on her horse, describing her as “wicked. She was tired towards the end but kept going. It was an amazing ride over a really long course.”
Team coach, Jock Paget, had a big grin on his face. “They were awesome, I am so very proud of the way they rode. They kept their heads, they were calm, quick and economical. They had decided on brave lines and they pulled them off. All I did was help them with their plan, and it was them that went out and did it.”
Tomorrow morning the horses must pass a veterinary inspection before they go into the final showjumping phase.
The championship winners will be known by tomorrow afternoon.
Results
Oceania Senior Teams Competion
Australia, 211.4
Katja Weimann, BP Cosmopolitan, 85.5
Shane Rose, CP Qualified, 36.6
Jessica Manson, Legal Star, 89.3
Isabel English, Feldale Mouse, E (1,000)
New Zealand, 1,097.9
Abby Lawrence, Pseudonym, 58.5
Clarke Johnstone, Balmoral Sensation, 39.4 Jessica Woods, Defies Logic, E (1,000) Samantha Felton, Ricker Ridge Escada, E (1,000)
Oceania Young Rider Team Competition
New Zealand: 166.8
Bonnie Farrant, Kaipara Dior, 53.6
Sarah Young, SS Galaxy, 55.1
Tayla Mason, Lucy with Diamonds, 58.1
Abigail Long, Enzo, 60.8
Australia: 254
Isabelle Bowditch-McIntyre, 68.3
Kenya Wilson, Winifred Fair, 105.4
Shenae Lowings, Venture Sky High, 80.3
Teegan Ashby, Waitangi Password, E (1,000)
NRM CCI3* Open National Championship
Shane Rose, CP Qualified, Australia, 36.6, 1
Clarke Johnstone, Balmoral Sensation, Waikato, 39.4, 2
Diane Gilder, Your Attorney, Waikato, 54.5, 3
Abbey Lawrence, Pseudonym, Waikato, 58.5
Bates CCI2* Championship
Samantha Felton, Henton After Dark, Waikato, 50.1, 1st
Bonnie Farrant, Kaipara Dior, Canterbury, 53.6, 2
Megan Finlayson, Greensleeves, Northland, 53.9, 3
Sophie Abbott, Time to Tango Too, Canterbury, 54.5, 4
Fiber Fresh CCI1* Championship
Larissa Srhoy, Rockquest, (Canterbury), 43, 1
Emily Cammock, Ngahiwi Frostie, (Canterbury) 44.8, 2
Sim Kann, Balmoral Henton, (Te Kauwhata), 46.4, 3
Emily Cammock, Beaumont Boy, (Canterbury) 46.5, 4
AMS Saddlery, CCI1* Open
Sarah Young, Leo Degas, Waikato, 47.2, 1
Sophie Wilkinson, Hurlingham Lansong, Kaukapakapa, 48.4, 2
Fraser King, Nadal KSNZ, Waikato, 51, 3
Lucy Turner, Carbon, Canterbury, 52.8, 4
