<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; "><strong>Katie McVean and Dunstan
Daffodil pulled off the double tonight (Friday), in winning the $50,000 Silver
Fern Stakes at the 2012 New Zealand Horse of the Year Show in Hastings, but it
wasn't enough to give New Zealand victory over the Aussies in the Trans Tasman
Test</strong>..<br><br></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; ">Before a packed
grandstand, McVean and Daffodil, who won the same class last year, rode a
brilliant double clear to take the honours.<br><br></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; ">New Zealand went into
the second test one up on the visitors after victory at Hawera earlier in the
month, but this time a single time fault proved the difference at the end of
the class.<br><br></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; ">Australia led New
Zealand by just a point after the first round in the Trans Tasman Test, and it
proved too big a chasm for the Kiwis to pull back, despite some great rounds
from the team.<br><br></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; ">Kiwi chef d'equipe
Richard Sunderland was “gutted”.<br><br></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white">“<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; ">I was very impressed
with out team but gutted to lose by a point, especially after such a convincing
win at Hawera,” he said. <br><br></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; ">Captain McVean was
pleased with the efforts of her team – albeit disappointed.<br><br></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white">“<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; ">Daffodil was pretty
fiery out there though,” said the 25-year-old from Mystery Creek who had saved
her star horse for this class and Sunday's Olympic Cup.<br><br></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; ">Daffodil is a bit of a
quirky mare who while adores showjumping, simply hates going for a ride, so
McVean trots her beside a motorbike.<br><br></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white">“<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; ">She adores it! It keeps
her happy and settles her down. So while she was a bit wild out there, that's
usually when she jumps great.”<br><br></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; ">It was a tight tussle in
the Ponies! Six Bar competition, with Georgie Urquhart and My Dreamworks
winning the day after clearing 1.45m.<br><br></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; ">The country’s elite
eventing combinations were challenged by the electric atmosphere in the premier
dressage arena at the show as they did the dressage phase of the CIC3*. While
the combinations rode their tests, thousands were entertained by the Equestrian
Extravaganza in the adjacent arena. Special dispensation was made to allow the
horses in the class to wear ear muffs, which is not normally permitted.<br><br></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; ">The last combination
into the arena, Donna Smith (Te Kauwhata) on her third ride, Balmoral
Sensation, took a clear lead on 46.9 penalties, despite the horse’s
inexperience.<br><br></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white">“<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; ">He’s really amazing,”
said Smith. “He loves the atmosphere. He’s a beautiful horse.” <br><br></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; ">They have had one
previous advanced start, at Puhinui a fortnight ago, so Smith will nurse him
around the cross country, but has a cushion of six points over the field.<br><br></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; ">Annabel Wigley
(Amberley) is second on NRM Frog Rock on 53.3 penalties, with Smith third on
Sarah Varley’s Just Chocolate on 53.9. The scores are close, with less than 20
penalties, the cost of a cross-country jumping error, covering the entire field
of seventeen starters.<br><br></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; ">John Nicholson’s cross
country track at the Hawke's Bay Equestrian Park on Saturday is sure to alter
the scoreboard, with the national selectors watching this final selection trial
before naming the New Zealand Trans Tasman team to compete against the
Australians at Kihikihi at Easter weekend.</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"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; ">CRT Silver Fern Stakes:
Katie McVean (Mystery Creek) Dunstan Daffodil 1, Brook Dobbin (Australia)
Advisor 2, Evie Buller (Australia) Yalambi's Landor, Tim Clarke (Australia)
Caltango, Maurice Beatson (Dannevirke) My Gollywog =3, Simon Wilson
(Waipukurau) Swinger 6, Brett Warren (Australia) Cheezy Z 7.</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; ">Mitavite Trans Tasman
Test: Australia (Brett Warren, Brook Dobbin, Evie Buller and Tim Clarke) 20
faults 1, New Zealand (Katie McVean, Simon Wilson, Lisa Coupe and Bernard
Denton) 21 faults 2. </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; ">Ponies! Six Bar: Georgie
Urquhart (Fairlie) My Dreamworks 1, Hannah Bodle (Morrinsville) Mister Brumby
and Briar Burnett-Grant (Taupo) Kabo Silver =2, Anna Cooper (Kamo) Howzat
Cracka Jack 4, Lucy McLean (Marton) Little MacIntosh and Caroline Kennedy
(Cambridge) The Pony Express =5.</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; ">Eventing, Rush Munro
CIC3*: Donna Smith (Te Kauwhata) Balmoral Sensation, 46.9, 1; Annabel Wigley
(Amberley) NRM Frog Rock, 53.3, 2; Donna Smith (Te Kauwhata) Just Chocolate,
53.9, 3; Shelley Ross (Helensville) Alberta Tomba, 55.2, 4; Simon Gordon
(Papakura) Fletch.com, 55.4, 5; Abby Lawrence (Te Puke) Pseudonym, 56, 6.<br><br></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; ">Show Circuit CIC2*:
Samantha Felton (Hamilton) Ricker Ridge Pico Boo, 49.4, 1; Virginia Thompson
(Auckland) Ashbury Pee Cee, 49.9, 2; Sophie Wilkinson (Helensville) Turbulence,
50.9, 3; Angela Lloyd (Papakura) Song, 53, 4; Jessica Woods (Ohaupo) Too
Predictable, 53.8, 5; Nicole Lansdown (Dannevirke) Royalty, and Campbell Draper
(Putaruru) Kahurangi Manu, 54.3, =6.<br><br></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; ">PGG Wrightson Novice:
Sarah Dalziell (Masterton) Benrose Super Star, 29..8, 1; Natasha Edwards
(Featherston) Runner Bean, 30.9, 2; Campbell Draper (Putaruru), Mr Mancini,
31.7, 3; Nick Brooks (Cambridge) Thriller II, 33.3, 4; Kate Wood (Whangarei)
Drakkar, 333.9, 5; Chloe Davidson (Papakura) One Cool Dude, 36.5, 6.<br><br></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; ">Fiber Fresh Young Rider:
Sarah Young (Tokoroa) Oakley Visions, 35, 1; Samantha Felton (Hamilton) Ricker
Ridge Escada, 37, 2; Georgia Dufty (Rotorua) Charlton Tabloid, 37.2, 3; Jessica
Woods (Ohaupo) Art Master, 39.6, 4; Tayla Mason (Waikanae) Just Joop, 39.8, 5;
Stephanie Brasell (Auckland) Pokuru, 40, 6.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
