NZ EQUESTRIAN News


NZ Take Young Rider Crown at Champs
Sunday, 14 December 2014


New Zealand has won the Trans Tasman young rider clash at the Xtreme Performance Stallions National Young Horse Jumping Championships in Hastings today.

The class was one of the highlights of the three day show, which also saw the honours for age group titles pretty evenly spread across the North Island. Those title were hard-earned by all, with horses qualifying over the first two days of the show to make today’s final rounds.

New mum Lisa Cubitt (Cambridge) steered Unlimited NZPH to a win in the Goldengrove Stud Seven Year Old Championship, heading home the 22-strong field with a super fast jump-off time.

Katie Laurie (Mystery Creek) and her showy grey Dunstan Casebrooke Lomond were the victors in the Mitavite Six Year Old Championship, which also attracted 22 entries.

Oliver Edgecombe (Waipukurau) and Double J Escape won the East Coast Performance Horses Five Year Old Championship ahead of 24 other combinations, with John MacLennan (Waipukurau) and his Gisborne bred horse Ngahiwi Para won the Kells Wool Four Year Old Championship.

In the Trans Tasman Young Rider clash, the Kiwis – Melanie Weal (Te Awamutu),
Emily Fraser (Feilding), Olivia Robertson (Christchurch) and Melody Matheson (Hastings) – had to dig deep to come back on the second day to draw even with the Australian visitors.

Today’s opening round saw Australia post 16 faults from their best three, with the Kiwis on eight. The second saw the visitors only slight improve their score, leaving them on 28 penalties. The New Zealand team didn’t even need to send out their last combination, and they finished on 16 for the second round, with a total of 24.

The only double clear of the day came from Matheson aboard Outward Bound, with Fraser also notching a clear on Kiwi Sunray. Mykaela Briggs on Bridgemere Havana posted the only clear for the Australians. All were riding borrowed mounts.

Chef d’equipe Richard Sunderland was over the moon with their efforts.

“It’s so exciting,” he said. “All four were fantastic and riding in events like this is so good for them – they learn about riding as a team. All of them had their ups and downs over the three days, but they all got back up and got on with the job.”

Sunderland said it all came down to the riding, as the horse pool was very even.
Australian chef d’equipe Guy Creighton is as keen as Sunderland to see the next test series on the other side of the Tasman.

Results -

Kells Wool Four Year Old Championship: John MacLennan (Waipukurau) Ngahiwi Para 1, Julie Davey (Hastings) Ngahiwi Stone 2, Vicki Prendergast (Te Aroha) Sangster 3, Julie Davey (Hastings) JD Ruby, Noni Morgan (Hastings) Mustang’s Blueprint, Ash Hart (Hastings) Kiwi King, Katie Hercock (Matamata) Thela, Katie Laurie (Mystery Creek) Dunstan Dandelion and Kalah McKay (Levin) Iceni =4.

East Coast Performance Horses Five Year Old Championship: Oliver Edgecombe (Waipukurau) Double J Escape 1, Lucy Olphert (Tauranga) Scotch and Soda 2, Noni Morgan (Hastings) Kiwi Ridge 3, Jasmine Sketchley (Whangarei) Bravado Ego Z, Kim Best (Hastings) Popeye, Hannah Bodle (Morrinsville) Whakanui De L Amore and Kim Best (Hastings) Duke =4.

Mitavite Six Year Old Championship: Katie Laurie (Mystery Creek) Dunstan Casebrooke Lomond 1, Molly Bennett (Wairoa) Athena GNZ 2, Julie Davey (Hastings) CentaRoc, Carissa McCall (Auckland) Vera Caruso, Tim Pearce (Marton) Oracle WT =3, William Willis (Auckland) Dollar Roll MS, Lisa Cubitt (Cambridge) Velvet NZPH and Maurice Beatson (Dannevirke) Radiant =6.

Goldengrove Stud Seven Year Old Championship: Lisa Cubitt (Cambridge) Unlimited NZPH 1, Maurice Beatson (Dannevirke) Mandalay Cove 2, Bridget Hansen (Ocean Beach) Ulysses NZPH 3, Oliver Edgecombe (Waipukurau) Ultra Blue NZPH 4, Claire Wilson (Waipukurau) McMillan’s Fredrika RE 5, Lucy Olphert (Tauranga) Connoisseur and Larina Dolman (Gisborne) Kiwi Lansing =6.

Telford Junior Rider Series: Rebecca Porter (Hawke’s Bay) Mr Harrison 1, Hannah Bodle (Morrinsville) Shiraz NZPH 2, Emily Hayward-Morgan (Te Awamutu) Yandoo Lady Gold 3, Freya Gordon (Hawke’s Bay) The Big Apple 4, Rose Alfeld (Christchurch) Mr Gregory 5, Emily Fraser (Feilding) Horsesports Voila 6.

Caldeonian Amateur Rider Series: Megan Lindermann-Cohen (Clevedon) Lesbos D’Quilly 1, Graeme Isaacson (Waipukurau) Lykon 2, Kaylene Dudding (Napier) Hugo III 3, Sofie Dever (Kotemaori) Two Face 4, Dana Sutton (Eketahuna) Down Wind 5, Carol Stewart (Tokoroa) Hit Parade 6.

Pro Amateur Rider Series: Megan-Lindemann-Cohen (Clevedon) LC Sissi Imperatrice 1, Trudi Mitchell (Wairoa) LC Talent 2, Sarah Dalziell (Masterton) Benrose Super Star 3, Danielle Maurer (Auckland) Supernova NZPH 4, Caitlin Pemberton (Palmerston North) Popoloca 5, Dean Morgan (Te Awamutu) FIS Outrageous 6.

Canterbury Equestrian Young Rider Series: Lily Tootill (Karaka) Ngahiwi Cruise 1, Melanie Weal (Te Awamutu) Appleton 2, Rose Alfeld (Christchurch) My Super Nova 3, Emily Hayward-Morgan (Te Awamutu) AP Ninja 4, Sophie Burling (Kerikeri) LR Ruegar MSH 5, Rose Alfeld (Christchurch) Capprera 6.