NZ EQUESTRIAN News


Claire Tips the Scales
Saturday, 19 October 2013



Husband and wife team Simon and Claire Wilson turned the Poverty Bay A and P Show horse grand prix on its head in Gisborne today.

As the only clear in the opening round, Claire and Tipsey took the honours, with Simon third on Midway Smooth Dude and fifth on Clearmont MVNZ, and Claire sixth on Alaric II.

While the two are hugely supportive of each other, there is plenty of banter when one gets the upper hand . . . and it would have been a long trip back to Waipukurau for Simon this afternoon.

Claire was rapt with their victory. She was first out, and laid the challenge for the seven other combinations who followed her.

Simon and Smooth Dude were next and took the last fence of the round to finish on four faults, followed by eventual second-placer Luke Dee (Ocean Beach) and Ombudsman who bagged four faults when they knocked a brick off the wall.

Hannah Burnett-Grant (Taupo) and Carlotta retired early in the piece, with Catherine Cameron (Cambridge) and Campione GNZ finishing with eight faults.

Erin Clarke (Opotiki) and Reflector had a forgetable round, while Claire Wilson came back out with Alaric II to finish with 12 faults. It was up to Simon and Clearmont MVNZ to leave everything up and force a jump-off.

But it wasn’t to be.

Claire said she had been just happy to get through the first round unscathed.
“I thought it was quite big . . . I am just so stoked with her.”

The victory came on the back of two 1.4m victories earlier in the show.

“She really has been amazing,” she said of her home-bred 12-year-old mare who is by Voltaire.

“She’s a little small but has a heart of gold and has been pretty consistent over the past couple of years.”

Claire was full of praise for those behind the scenes of the Gisborne Show, which this year clashed with Equidays and meant a few of the top riders were missing.

“This is a great show,” she said. “It always has such awesome hospitality and it’s neat to see so many volunteers who help out here.”

Earlier in the day local hope Lucy McHugh headed off a small but quality field to win her first pony grand prix aboard Hawaki Haka.

She and Bryony Smith (Muriwai) on Homeland Hero were the only two through to the jump-off. McHugh was out first and took two rails.

“I was happy with second,” said the 15-year-old. “Bryony is usually very clean, so I thought she would take it.”

Instead McHugh got an early birthday present – her 16th birthday is on Monday – and the cricket and hockey rep and her spirited chestnut came home as the fastest combination.

The two classes marked the end of a fantastic three days of equestrian in Gisborne.

- Diana Dobson
ESNZ Media Liaison


Caledonian Amateur Rider Series: Rebecca McPhail (Gis) Whistler II 1, Molly Bennett (Wairoa) Landsman GNZ 2, Merran Hain (Gis) Untouchable 3, Sofie Dever (Wairoa) Two Face 4, Joanne Mackie (Gis) X Factor MVNZ 5, Rachel Martin (Wairoa) Kaha 6.

NZ Seven Year Old Series: James Cole (Auckland) Blue Lagoon 1, Catharina Persson (Clevedon) LC Tango 2, Karen Riddle (Morrinsville) Loretta WS 3, Catharina Persson (Clevedon) LC Talent 4, Karen Riddle (Morrinsville) Wickcliffe Vinnington 5, Trudi Mitchell (Wairoa) Vuvuzela 6.

STH/LG Forge Pro Am Series: Danielle Maurer (Auckland) Henton Faberge 1, Trudi Mitchell (Wairoa) Sentawish 2, Tess Williams (Gis) Astek Ooh La La 3, Karen Riddle (Morrinsville) HR Forever 4.

Telford Young Rider Series: Luke Dee (Ocean Beach) Ombudsman 1, Melanie Weal (Te Awamutu) Appleton 2, Lily Tootill (Karaka) Ngahiwi Cruise 3, Claudia Porter (Hawke’s Bay) Joia Hara 4, Hannah Burnett-Grant (Taupo) BG Conny 5, Jake Lambert (Cambridge) Centrefold I I 6.

KiwiSpan Junior Rider Series (two star): Rebecca Porter (Hawke’s Bay) Mr Harrison 1, Melanie Weal (Te Awamutu) Cross Your Heart 2, Caroline Kennedy (Cambridge) Classic Arrow 3, Lily Tootill (Karaka) Yum Yum 4, Larina Dolman (Gis) Kiwi Lansing 5, Lucy Allen (Morrionsville) Delta Pierre 6.

Country TV Pony Grand Prix Series (two star): Lucy McHugh (Gis) Hawai Haka 1, Bryony Smith (Muriwai) Homeland Hero 2, Briar Burnett-Grant (Taupo) Mighty Maximus 3, Melanie Weal (Te Awamutu) Hopeful Illusion 4, Oliver Croucher (Rotorua) The Smartest Cookie 5, Briar Burnett-Grant (Taupo) Kabo Silver 6.

Horse Grand Prix Series: Claire Wilson (Waipukurau) Tipsey 1, Luke Dee (Ocean Beach) Ombudsman 2, Simon Wilson (Waipukurau) Midway Smooth Dude 3, Catherine Cameron (Cambridge) Campione GNZ 4, Simon Wilson (Waipukurau) Clearmont MVNZ 5, Claire Wilson (Waipukurau) Alaric II 6.

Canterbury Equestrian Five Year Old Series: Luke Dee (Ocean Beach) Validate NZPH 1.

Mitavite Munga Six Year Old Series: Larina Dolman (Gis) Kiwi Lansing and Luke Dee (Ocean Beach) Unlimited NZPH =1.