<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; background-color: white; "><strong>The year is turning into
a hat-trick special for Olympian Katie McVean.</strong><br></span></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; ">Aboard her stunning bay
mare Dunstan Daffodil, McVean won her fourth Olympic Cup at the 2012 New
Zealand Horse of the Year Show in Hastings today (Sunday) – the third
consecutive showjumper of the year title for the 25-year-old from Mystery
Creek.<br><br></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; ">The feat topped off a
superb show, which also saw her win the Lady Rider of the Year, the Silver Fern
Stakes and the five and seven-year-old titles.<br><br></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; ">But she was quick to
credit Daffodil with today's heart-stopping victory which saw her sweep aside
24 other top combinations from both sides of the Tasman.<br><br></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; ">McVean was the only one
to go clear in the first round over the challenging 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; ">Twelve came back for
round two, with all but McVean carrying faults. It wasn't until the final two
that there came another clear round –this time from Australian Brook Dobbin
aboard the lovely big grey Advisor.<br><br></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; ">It was down to McVean –
if she dropped a rail, she'd force a jump-off.<br><br></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; ">The thousands in the
stand rode every jump with the champion, gasping as she rattled the odd jump
and barely able to contain themselves as they headed to the final jump.<br><br></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white">“<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; ">She just tried her
little heart out,” said McVean of 11-year-old Daffodil, who is a half-sister to
superstar Dunstan Delphi, on whom she won the Olympic Cup in 2010.<br><br></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white">“<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; ">It sucks to have a
sister like Delphi – this is Daffodil's time to shine! It's been the most
amazing week – the best ever.”<br><br></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; ">The Aussie visitors took
more than their fair share of the top prize money, with Dobbin second, Evie
Buller on Yalambi's Landor third and Paula Hamood and Nero GHP fifth equal.<br><br></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; ">Kiwi Olympians Maurice
Beatson (Dannevirke) on the perennial My Gollywog was fourth with Daniel Meech
(Taupo) and Carlotta fifth equal.<br><br></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; ">McVean and Daffodil,
along with Dunstan Zimoreana G will head to Australia in just over a week to
compete at the Sydney Royal and a couple of World Cup shows.<br><br></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; ">There was barely a dry
eye in the house when McVean steered Dunstan Kiwi Iron Mark (owned by June
Berrington) to victory in the Seven Year Old of the Year class. Iron Mark was
owned by the late Melanie Purcell, who at just 24 years old died of cancer.
McVean is riding the horse for Purcell's mother June Berrington.<br><br></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; ">DRESSAGE<br><br>It’s official – Louisa Hill
(Clevedon) is the best dressage rider in New Zealand.<br><br></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; ">Her triple win at the
show cements her place as New Zealand’s best Olympic hopeful.<br><br></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; ">Hill and her
super-talented Bates Antonello are the sole New Zealand dressage combination to
have qualified for a spot at the London Olympic Games. Vanessa Way (Taranaki)
and Jody Hartstone (Raglan) are currently based in Europe attempting to meet
the New Zealand qualifying criteria.<br><br></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; ">Hot on the heels of
Hill’s win at the recent New Zealand Dressage Championships, expectations were
high – and she delivered. Few NZ dressage riders break the elusive 66% barrier,
but Hill racked up scores of 68.68%, 68.62% and a massive 71.05% in today’s
musical freestyle test.<br><br></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; ">Best of all is the news
that there’s plenty more to come. <br><br></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white">“<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; ">AJ was definitely a bit
tired today which is quite unlike him, but he had a sleepless night with kids
running around letting ponies out which freaked him out. He ended up with a
swollen eye and bashed shoulder which wasn’t ideal.”<br><br></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; ">Hill heads to Europe in
April in the next step of her Olympic campaign.<br><br><br>EVENTING<br><br></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; ">Annabel Wigley was a
comfortable winner of the Eventer of the Year aboard NRM Frog Rock with a
beautifully ridden showjumping round to finish 6.4 points ahead of the
second-placed Donna Smith (Te Kauwhata) on Henton Executive.<br><br></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; ">A revised squad of seven
combinations was named following the presentation, with the team of four to
contest the Trans Tasman Trophy at Kihikihi at Easter weekend named immediately
prior to the competition. </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, Olympic
Cup: Katie McVean (Mystery Creek) Dunstan Daffodil 1, Brook Dobbin (Australia)
Advisor 2, Evie Buller (Australia) Yalambi's Landor 3, Maurice Beatson
(Dannevirke) My Gollywog 4, Daniel Meech (Taupo) Carlotta (owned by the
Burnett-Grant family) and Paula Hamood (Australia) Nero GHP =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; ">NZ Speed Horse of the
Year: Megan Stacey (Te Puke) Shimmer Man 1, Megan Webb (Hunterville) Abernaki
Chief 2, Katie McVean (Mystery Creek) Dunstan Zasjany D 3, Anna Stephen
(Martinborough) Constantine 4, Vicki Wilson (Kerikeri) Showtym Girl 5, Amanda
Wilson (Whangarei) Showtym Viking 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; ">Seven Year Old of the
Year: Katie McVean (Mystery Creek) Dunstan Kiwi Iron Mark (owned by June
Berrington 1, Kim Best (Otane) Giggles 2, Katie McVean (Mystery Creek) Dunstan
Springfield 3, Daniel Meech (Taupo) Branson MVNZ (owned by Garry Hogg) 4,
Phillip Steiner (Tauranga) Annandale Renaissance NZPH 5, Oliver Edgecombe
(Waipukurau) Cortaflex Burttorio 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; ">Eventing, CIC***:
Annabel Wigley (Amberley) NRM Frog Rock 1, Donna Smith (Te Kauwhata) Henton
Executive 2, Abby Lawrence (Te Puke) Pseudonym 3, Donna Smith (Te Kauwhata)
Balmoral Sensation 4, Juliet Wood (Whangarei) Bold Trader 5, Annabel Wigley
(Amberley) NRM Enzo 6.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; ">Trans Tasman Squad:
Simon Gordon (Auckland), Fletch.com and Simply Mitch; Christen Hayde
(Pukekohe), Tandarra Sweet As; Brent Jury (Rangiora), SE Big; Abby Lawrence (Te
Puke), Pseudonym; Donna Smith (Te Kauwhata), Henton Executive; Joe Waldron
(Australia), Springvale All Black; Annabel Wigley (Amberley), NRM Enzo and NRM
Frog Rock.</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, Horse of the
Year: Louisa Hill (Clevedon), Bates Antonello 1, Nicky Pope (Whitford),
Fabarchie 2, Hannah Appleton (Nelson) Fiber Fresh Zactac Graceful 3, Bill Noble
(Hamilton), Airthrey Highlander 4, Kieryn Walton (Taumaranui) Saraceni 5, Christine
Weal (Te Awamutu), Spielzeit 6.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
