<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><strong style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; background-color: white; ">Logan Massie pulled off
a pearler of a day at the 2012 New Zealand Horse of the Year Show in Hastings
today.<br></strong></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; ">The 18-year-old from
Dannevirke won the Young Rider of the Year aboard Kiwi Ludo (owned by Annette
Scott and Massie) and was fourth in the Junior Rider of the Year aboard Double
J Cloud Nine, after pulling a rail in the jump-off.<br><br></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white">“<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; ">I always back myself but
this was a big step up for Ludo,” he said.<br><br></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; ">Massie, who last year
won both the Junior Rider and Pony of the Year crowns, headed off a 26-strong
talent-stacked class.<br><br></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white">“<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; ">There were a lot of good
combinations in there, and lots of good mates too!”<br><br></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; ">The first round saw
plenty of rails fall, with just four going clear and inside time. Massie, Tegan
Fitzsimon (Christchurch) on Alacazam MH, Tim Myers (Taranaki) on Pick Me NZPH
and Jake Lambert (Cambridge) on Quality NZPH all came back for a second round.<br><br></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; ">From that, Fitzsimon,
Massie and Myers were all still tied on zero faults.<br><br></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; ">The jump-off was a
superb display of the depth of New Zealand's rising talent.<br><br></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; ">Fitzsimon was first out
on her lovely black horse Alcazam and despite a little heart-stopping moment at
the second-to-last, they finished clear in 34.96 seconds.<br><br></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; ">Next was Massie who also
had a hair-raising moment at the same fence but everything stayed up and they
stopped the clock at 33.68.<br><br></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; ">Myers took a couple of
rails and finished with eight faults and a time fault, but was by far the
fastest time of the round.<br><br></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white">“<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; ">Tim was always going to
be the danger man,” says Massie, who is trained by Oliver Edgecombe and Lisa
Coupe.<br><br></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white">“<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; ">Everything just went to
plan for us today.... well, except when I dropped the reins coming into the
second to last and even though we lost all momentum, Ludo save me! Leopoldo
(Palacios) built a very technical course out there that really gave the
spectators something to watch.”<br><br></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; ">Massie, who rides and
works on the 1200-hectare family farm, is heading to Ireland for the New
Zealand winter, where he will compete in showjumping.<br><br></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; "><strong>Dressage</strong><br><br>The elite of New
Zealand’s dressage came out to play at today’s show, the crowds significantly
swelling as fans gathered to watch Louisa Hill (Clevedon); the sole Kiwi
dressage rider to have qualified so far for the London Olympics. <br><br></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><a name="_GoBack1"></a><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; ">Displaying their trademark elegance, Hill and Bates Antonello did
not disappoint, winning by a clear margin on 68.68%, followed by the next
cluster of riders separated by less than a couple of percent; Bill Noble
(Hamilton) and Airthrey Highlander (63.36%), Nicky Pope (Whitford) and
Fabarchie (62.55%), Hannah Appleton (Nelson) and Fiber Fresh Zactac (62.36%)
and Kieryn Walton (Taumaranui) and Saraceni (61.60%).<br><br></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; ">The young riders' class
however did not fare so well; caught in a sudden shower of rain and with the
atmosphere proving too much for a couple of top-ranked competitors. Current
national Young Rider champion Kate Welten (Cambridge) and Amajah took the win
with ease on 65.73%, followed by Caitlin Benzie (Auckland) and Greendowns
Laredo (62.28%) and Anya Noble (Hamilton) and Microchip in third place on
61.81%.<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 culminates on Sunday with the Bell Tea Olympic Cup.</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, Young Rider
of the Year: Logan Massie (Dannevirke) Kiwi Ludo (owned by Massie and Annette
Scott) 1, Tegan Fitzsimon (Christchurch) Alacazam MH 2, Timothy Myers
(Taranaki) Pick Me NZPH 3, Jake Lambert (Cambridge) Quality NZPH 4, Joshua
Barker (Blenheim) Anabertha 5, Rachael Bentall (Hastings) Kiwi Brave 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; ">Junior Rider of the
Year: Lily Tootill (Papakura) Ngahiwi Cruise 1, Rebekah van Tiel (Karaka)
Leeston Eagle 2, Melanie Weal (Te Awamutu) Cross Your Heart 3, Logan Massie
(Dannevirke) Double J Cloud 9 4, Jane Warren (Featherston) Darkages 5, Will
Moffett (Hawke's Bay) Dark Vader 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; ">Graeme Hansen Memorial
Saba Sam Shield: Canterbury (Olivia Robertson, Lucinda Askin, Jaimee Bird,
Becky Harkers) 1, Northland (Nakeysha Lammers, Tegan Newman, Olivia Harding,
Anna Cooper) 2, Central and Southern Hawke's Bay (Emily Fraser, Morgan Percy, Zoe
Strawbridge, Hillary Rowland) 3.</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; ">Dressage, Level 5 Horse
of the Year: Susan Tomlin (Palmerston North), Giusto. Reserve: Jutta Rosenblatt
(Whanganui), Vollrath Lessing. Level 4 Horse of the Year: Laura Mead (Te
Aroha), Geishaan. Reserve: Penny Castle (Ashhurst), Magnus Spero. Level 3 Horse
of the Year: Anna McIntyre (Tauranga), Cavort. Reserve: Gillian Edgar
(Mosgiel), Cordacious. Level 3 Pony of the Year: Mihi Shepherd (Whangarei),
Ngahere Romeo. Reserve: Jordan Giltrap (New Plymouth), Celtic Limelight. Level
2 Horse of the Year: Kieryn Walton (Taumaranui), Silver Reef RD<br><br><br></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; ">Reserve: Nicola Smith
(Hamilton), Fraggle Rock RE. Level 2 Pony of the Year: Caitlin Lally
(Kaukapakapa), Prima Bella. Reserve: Shannon Brien (Christchurch), Classic
Charm. <br><br></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; ">Level 1 Horse of the
Year: Karen Anderson (Whakatane), Don Qudos. Reserve: Roseanne Rix (Whitemans
Valley), Lindisfarne Laureate. Level 1 Pony of the Year: Chelsea Sinnamon
(Taumaranui), Kirkwood Appeal. Reserve: Sophie Alexander (Kumeu), Picture Me
Painted.<br><br></span><o:p></o:p></p>
