Sunday Final for NZ’s Top Jumping Series
Wednesday, 13 January 2016

The six round series culminates at the Continental Cars Audi World Cup
Festival at Woodhill Sands in Auckland.

Leading the charge are former series winner Katie Laurie (Mystery Creek)
and Brit import Helen McNaught-McFarlane (Taupo) who have gone neck and
neck all season. Close behind them though is young gun Sam Morrison
(Tauranga).

Four time series winner – and defending champ – Laurie has two on
the card. Dunstan Breeze and Dunstan On the Point Eve. Breeze has two
seconds and two firsts to her credit from five starts, while Eve picked
up a third and a fifth in her two starts.

“Breeze has all of a sudden just clicked to the bigger heights and is
jumping really well,” says Laurie, who is looking forward to course
being designed by one of New Zealand’s highest ranked designers,
Gerrit Beker.

“He normally makes it a tough one for the last. Tough and technical
but not to trick you out.”

She won it in a heart-stopping final last year and went to the final in
Las Vegas but says she wouldn’t be heading to this year’s final in
Sweden if she topped the series again.

“Last year was such a fairytale finish – I still remember jumping
the last fence and knowing it meant we were going to Vegas . . . it was
amazing.”

Laurie is also New Zealand’s best performed World Cup finalist,
finishing sixth equal in 2011 aboard Dunstan Delphi.

McNaught-McFarlane has her quirky but very showy grey Polish import
Carnutelabryere entered. The ever-consistent horse has three seconds, a
third and a sixth to his record for his five starts.

“I’m really looking forward to another good final,” she said.

“Brian (Carnutelabryere) is jumping better than ever but I don’t
think I would take him to the final even if we won the series.”
And she ranks the Waitemata-hosted show very highly.

“It was a lovely show last year – they really did a brilliant job
and is one that has a real international feel to it.”

The winner of the New Zealand series has the opportunity to represent
the country at the Longines FEI World Cup Jumping 2015/2016 Final which
is being held in Gothenburg, Sweden from March 23-28, 2016.

However, it is a tough ask for Kiwi showjumpers to excel at the world
final which is held indoors and calls for quite a different style of
jumping than riders here are used to.

Also entered for the final on Sunday is Morrison on Biarritz, South
Island’s Olivia Robertson with her two DHS Ceniki and Ngahiwi Cisco,
Lucy Akers (Opiki) aboard Tinapai, the Wilson sisters Amanda and Vicki
(Hikurangi) with Showtym Cassanova, Showtym Cadet MVNZ and Ngahiwi
Showtym Premier, and Natasha Brooks (Cambridge) and Kapattack, who won
the latest round in Dannevirke, among others.

The series has been run over six rounds with just the best four to count
and points-and-a-half on offer for Sunday’s final. However, there is
an appeal under way making it unlikely the series winner will be
announced this weekend.

The class is expected to start at around midday, and will be followed by
some of New Zealand’s top pony riders who will compete in their grand
prix following the class. There is entertainment from 11am, including a
dog agility display, the Wilson sisters of Keeping Up With the
Kaimanawas fame and a dressage performance.

Organisers are expecting hundreds of spectators to make the most of the
chance to see former Olympians and top-ranked jumpers competing for one
of the most prestigious series in New Zealand. Designers from both sides
of the Tasman have been busy creating jumps for the show that promise to
bring a slice of Europe and beyond to Auckland.

Entry is free.

WHAT: Continental Cars Audi World Cup Festival
WHEN: January 15-17, 2016
WHERE: Woodhill Sands, Helensville – free entry
WHO: The very best showjumpers in New Zealand
WHAT: Final of the Ultra•Mox FEI World Cup New Zealand series.