<p style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span style="font-family:
"Arial","sans-serif""><strong>Lily Tootill has earned herself a silver fern after
qualifying for the World FEI Children's Classic Challenge in Hong Kong in the
new year.</strong><br><br></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span style="font-family:
"Arial","sans-serif"">The 14-year-old from Auckland will compete against
another top 15 riders from around the globe who have qualified from their
various regions.<br><br></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span style="font-family:
"Arial","sans-serif"">Tootill has already ridden for New Zealand a number of
times, including winning both individual and team gold at the FEI Children's
Challenge in Noumea in 2009.<br><br></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span style="font-family:
"Arial","sans-serif"">She is over the moon to have made the final, but knows it
is going to be a big ask at the international event.<br><br></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span style="font-family:
"Arial","sans-serif"">In qualifying, Tootill and her lovely grey Millbrook
almost finished the four full round challenge with a clean slate... but took
the last rail of the last fence in the final round over a tough Irish-designed
course at the Wellington Horowhenua Championships in February.<br><br></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span style="font-family:
"Arial","sans-serif"">Children 12 to 14 years from all over the world jump
exactly the same course, with the results collated to find the top 16 to
compete against each other at the final where they will all ride borrowed
horses. The event runs from January 10-15, 2012.<br><br></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span style="font-family:
"Arial","sans-serif"">New Zealand is the first country in the world to hold its
Children's FEI challenge. Historically Kiwis have done well at the prestigious
event, with Katie McVean winning it many years ago, and strong representation
from siblings Luke and Mick Dee, and Jake and Meg Lambert.<br><br></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span style="font-family:
"Arial","sans-serif"">Tootill's effort comes on the back of some solid results
– she was runner-up in the 2011 Pony of the Year and won the 1.25m championship
at the 2011 New Zealand Horse of the Year Show.<br><br></span></p>
