EVENTING News


Age and Experience versus Youth and Exuberance
Monday, 30 April 2018


The current crop of future eventing internationals more than held their own at the 2018 National Young Rider and Junior Rider Eventing Championships hosted by the Central Districts Horse Trials on the McKelvie family property, Pukemarama, near Foxton, over the weekend.

The Norwood Farm Machinery sponsored titles were run in conjunction with the open classes, with 16 year old Jasmyne Speake, Cambridge, winning the CIC1* class on DSE Beyond Compare to take the Hoffman Trophy for the Junior Rider, and 18 year old Beth Wilson, Papakura, placing second in the CIC2* class on Alto et Audax to win the coveted Charisma Trophy.

Former international Bryce Newman, now training racehorses at Bulls, won the 2* class on Bates Game Keeper, finishing on his dressage score of 30.6 penalties. Wilson was third after the dressage phase and had a showjumping rail down, but also completed John Holmes’ cross-country course inside the time allowed. This good performance will see her move into second place in the Mitavite Young Rider series.

Runner up to Wilson was Elise Power, Takapuna, on Arctic Cielo, who also had a showjumping rail down and a fault free cross-country, to finish fourth in the class behind the consistent King Country competitor Louise Mulholland on Mr McTaggart, who will have extended their lead in the Equissage Pro-Am Rider series.

Another former international, Taranaki dairy farmer Matthew Grayling was fifth and sixth on NRM Trudeau and NRM Valiance respectively, with Young Rider Abbey Thompson, Te Kauwhata, seventh on Rockin It. It is worth noting that all three of these well performed Young Riders have spent time with Tim and Jonelle Price in England during the New Zealand off season.

In winning the CIC1* class, Speake and DSE Beyond Compare were the only combination to finish on their dressage score, improving from third after that phase to take the title and the win on 32.6 penalties. Georgie Dickson and Tigerherz, who led after the dressage, were runners up for the title, but two showjumping rails down relegated them to third place in the class.

Massey University student and former NZ Young Rider team member Tayla Mason, was second on Centennial, and fourth on The Inn Keeper, ahead of Mitavite Young Rider series leader Jeffrey Amon on JA Take A Shot.

Results:
Norwood CIC2* incorporating NZ Young Rider Championship: Bryce Newman, Bates Game Keeper, 30.6, 1; Beth Wilson (YR), Alto et Audax, 36.7, 2; Louise Mulholland, MrMcTaggert, 39.3, 3; Elise Power (YR), Arctic Cielo, 39.9, 4; Matthew Grayling, NRM Trudeau, 40.5, 5.

Norwood CIC1* incorporating NZ Junior Rider Championship: Jasmyne Speake (JR), DSE Beyond Compare, 32.6, 1; Tayla Mason, Centennial, 35, 2; Georgie Dickson (JR), Tigerherz, 36.7, 3; Tayla Mason, The Inn Keeper, 39, 4; Jeffrey Amon, JA Take A Shot, 39.7, 5.