<p style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; "><strong>It's likely to be the battle of the team-mates once again
in the second round of the New Zealand Bomac World Cup series at Kihikihi on
Sunday afternoon.<br><br></strong></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span style="font-family:
"Arial","sans-serif"">World Championship team-mates Maurice Beatson
(Dannevirke) and Katie McVean (Mystery Creek) – who have both also ridden for
New Zealand at a World Cup final – head a 15-strong field at the Waikato
Showjumping Championships which gets underway tomorrow (Friday).<br><br></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span style="font-family:
"Arial","sans-serif"">The annual event has attracted more than 500 entries from
all over the country, who will compete in three arenas over three days.<br><br></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span style="font-family:
"Arial","sans-serif"">Beatson has been in flying form aboard his home-bred
horse My Gollywog, winning the opening round of the World Cup in Hawke's Bay
and featuring in all of his grand prix starts this season.<br><br></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span style="font-family:
"Arial","sans-serif"">And it seems the secret to his success may be found out
on the farm.<br><br></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span style="font-family:
"Arial","sans-serif"">Beatson and 16-year-old Gollywog have been doing far more
farm work this season, which could be making the difference.... but of course
Beatson isn't giving anything away. <br><br></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span style="font-family:
"Arial","sans-serif"">Defending series champion McVean will start two horses in
the World Cup – Dunstan Daffodil and Dunstan Zasjany D.<br><br></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span style="font-family:
"Arial","sans-serif"">Daffodil, half sister to Dunstan Delphi, was a star in
last season's World Cup series and more than capable of heading any class home,
while the pretty little grey Dutch mare Zasjany placed fourth in her first
World Cup start in Hawke's Bay so is certainly one to watch out for.<br><br></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span style="font-family:
"Arial","sans-serif"">But there's also a run of other top combinations to worry
about who will revel in the challenge set by course designer Gerrit Beker
(Tauranga).<br><br></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span style="font-family:
"Arial","sans-serif"">Phillip Steiner (Tauranga) and Annandale Online NZPH won
the class at Kihikihi last year, and both he and his wife Sally, aboard
Annandale Wickliffe Brannigan are entered. Former series winner Simon Wilson
(Waipukurau) and Swinger are also in the mix, as is young gun Tess Williams
(Gisborne) and Alltech Craighaven Nitro who finished third in Hawke's Bay.<br><br></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span style="font-family:
"Arial","sans-serif"">Catherine Cameron (Cambridge) and Kahurangi Tardak are
always there or there-abouts, as is Robert Steele (Hawera) on Gospel, and there
will be plenty of interest in South Islander Ross Smith aboard his stunning
imported stallion Quite Cassini.<br><br></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span style="font-family:
"Arial","sans-serif"">Samantha McIntosh (Cambridge) and Witheze are a new
combination to look out for, while Lisa Coupe (Kumeu) on both her mounts Bates
Amaretto MVNZ and My Ocean Wave, Bernard Denton (Gisborne) on Suzuki and Lucy
Akers (Palmerston North) on Cortaflex Tinapai can't be discounted.<br><br></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span style="font-family:
"Arial","sans-serif"">Show organisers are expecting a few late entries in the
prestigious class, so time will tell who steps up.<br><br></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span style="font-family:
"Arial","sans-serif"">Committee member Vicki McVean says the grounds at the
Kihikihi Domain are looking magnificent.<br><br></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt">“<span style="font-family:
"Arial","sans-serif"">These will be the best grounds they'll jump on anywhere,”
she says. “They look perfect and are second to none.”<br><br></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; ">The New Zealand World Cup series runs over
seven rounds with the best five counting. The victor has the opportunity to
represent New Zealand at the prestigious world cup final to be held in
s-Hertongenbosch in the Netherlands in April.<br><br></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span style="font-family:
"Arial","sans-serif"">Bomac World Cup points (after one round): Maurice Beatson
(Dannevirke) 12 points, Simon Wilson (Waipukurau) 10, Tess Williams (Gisborne)
8. </span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><o:p> <br>- Diana Dobson</o:p></p>
