<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; "><strong>A big rattle at the last
fence didn't stop Katie McVean winning her third Lady Rider of the Year title
at the 2012 New Zealand Horse of the Year Show in Hastings today (Thursday).</strong><br><br></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; ">The 25-year-old Olympian
had two horses through to the seven-strong jump-off. It was a classy 43
combinations that rode the first round but very few managed to go inside a
tight time over the Leopoldo Palacios (Venezuela) designed course.<br><br></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; ">Clear rounds were scant,
so those through to the jump-off deserved the honour.<br><br></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; ">McVean and her imported
chestnut mare Zimorena were first out and simply flew around. A big gallop into
the last was beautifully judged and while the fence took a bit of a whack, it
stayed in place, with the combination stopping the clock at a speedy 42.54.<br><br></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; ">Next out was Rosie
Commons (Auckland) and her pretty grey Glenara Chandon who shifted up a gear
mid way through the course and came home in 43.84.<br><br></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; ">Australian visitor Evie
Buller and Yalambi's Landor were also clear in a steady looking 45.25 round,
with Claire Wilson (Waipukurau) and Tipsey throwing everything at it only to
take the last fence and finish on four faults in 42.66.<br><br></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; ">Carissa McGregor (Christchurch)
and Chatterton had some big air over most of the jumps but came unstuck at a
chequered upright leaving them with four faults in 47.44. Kim Best (Otane) and
Giggles looked on track for a good time until that same chequered fence, which
put them off stride for the next jump leaving them on eight faults in 47.86.<br><br></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; ">Last to go was McVean
and the lovely grey Dunstan Zasjany D who left everything up in 47.08 to claim
fourth spot.<br><br></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white">“<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; ">I thought if I tried to
go flat out I would do something stupid,”said McVean, who previous won the
title in 2007 with Dunstan Hairy McClairy and 2010 with Dunstan Daffodil.<br><br></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; ">Both Zasjany and
Zimorena are co-owned by McVean with Theo Griffin and Henk Smit, and were
imported from Holland.<br><br></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; ">Zimorena was a late
starter in the world of showjumping, having been broken in as a five-year-old
on her arrival in New Zealand.<br><br></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white">“<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; ">She's good if I can keep
her rolling on but she is green at this level,”she said. <br><br></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; ">McVean says she expected
the Palacios course to be tight on time.<br><br></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white">“<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; ">I have ridden his
courses here and at Spruce Meadows (in Canada) so am used to them. He makes us
turn tighter, which is good for us to be challenged like that.”<br><br></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; ">McVean says her heart
stopped when the last fence rattled and had to turn and check it had stayed in
place.<br><br></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white">“<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; ">I love riding her,” she
says of Zimorena. “She's a really funny redhead!”<br><br></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; ">The eight-year-olds have
now finished the main of their show, leaving the 'big' stuff up to Daffodil,
who will start in the $50,000 Silver Fern Stakes and the $200,000 Olympic Cup..<br><br></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white">“<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; ">It's all up to her now!”<br><br></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; ">The Horse of the Year
Show continues through to Sunday when the Olympic Cup will be presented to the
showjumper of the year. Australia and New Zealand go head to head on Friday
night in the second of a two test Trans Tasman Series.<br><br></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; ">Results- </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; ">Showjumping, Lady Rider
of the Year: Katie McVean (Mystery Creek) Dunstan Zimorena G 1, Rosie Commons
(Auckland) Glenara Chandon 2, Evie Buller (Australia) Yalambi's Landor 3, Katie
McVean (Mystery Creek) Dunstan Zasjany D 4, Claire Wilson (Waipukurau) Tipsey
5, Carissa McGregor (Christchurch) Chatterton 6.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; ">Horse 1.4m: Daniel Meech
(Taupo/Hawke's Bay) Argento (owned by Robert and Angi Bruce) 1, Maurice Beatson
(Dannevirke) Conyers 2, Katie McVean (Mystery Creek) Dunstan Springfield 3,
Katie McVean (Mystery Creek) Dunstan Delilah 4, Phillip Steiner (Tauranga) On
The Point 5, Claudia Hay (Mosgiel) Euro Sport Heartbreaker 6.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; ">Showing, Gee Whizz
Memorial: Dorothy Lennard (Te Aroha) Glen Tullock 1, Allie Harper (Winton)
Dream Girl MH 2, Susan Reynolds (Hastings) Mancini 3, Alannah Flannagan
(Auckland) Black Jack 4, Anne Hjorth (Cambridge) Acquisition 5, Anne Watts
(Papakura) BJK Cashmir 6.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; ">Lead Rein Rider of the
Year: Lucia Beckett (Albany) Gunda Gai Nadrill 1, Ryan Teece (Nelson) Merivale
Park Serenade Rose 2, Brooke Cadwallader (Auckland) Nanteos Autumn Guardsman 3,
Maia Amos (Ashhurst) Sherwoods Royal Emblem 4, Trey Cadwallader (Auckland)
Cedar Lakes Angus 5, Kasey McKenna (Papakura) Lakevale Puss n Boots 6.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; ">First Ridden Rider of
the Year: Paris Masterson (Papakura) Leeara Park First Edition 1, Lily Webber
(Franklin District) Jubilee Final Impression 2, Meg Fleming (Christchurch)
Silver Shadow 3, Alyssa Fox (Carterton) Fortification 'Scuse Me 4, Zoe Booth
(Pukekohe) Lakevale Puss n Boots 5, Nikita Lamb (Carterton) Amerberley Falkor
6.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; ">First Ridden Pony of the
Year: Paris Masterson (Papakura) Leeara Park First Edition 1, Natasha Forsythe
(Paeroa) Greenlee Aristocrat 2, Molly Pike (Cambridge) Uptown Isaac 3, Alyssa
Fox (Carterton) Fortification 'Scuse Me 4, Nicole Weatherley (Matamata)
Windvale Classic Time 5, Lily Webber (Franklin) Jubilee Final Impression 6.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
