Aussies Bag Trans-Tasman Victory
Sunday, 29 January 2023

Australia have marched off with the win in the Trans-Tasman Young Rider test at the Larsen Sawmilling 32nd Equestrian Championships in Gisborne, heading home the Kiwis by just three points.

It’s the first time since 2017 the Australians have hoisted the trophy. Gisborne produced nearly perfect conditions for the final day of competition, which saw the Australians start with a slender single point lead after the first two days going to one apiece to each team.

Aboard borrowed horses, the riders faced another two challenging rounds over the John Vallance-designed course. Aussie Clem Hughes was the only rider to bag a clear round today, and fittingly it was aboard Jeremy Clarke’s Dynavyte Cancion HSH, who won the Angela Miller-sponsored prize for the best performed horse over the three days of competition.

Australian chef d’equipe Todd Hinde was rapt with the win, and had plenty of praise for the competition, show and hospitality the team had received. “The Kiwis rode superbly all weekend and got us up on our toes for today,” he said. “All the pressure was on Clem for a clear. I am very pleased.”

Kiwi chef d’equipe John Cottle congratulated the winners but said he was also very proud of his charges. “We could all see by the second round that everyone had more of a handle on their horses,” he said. “I have been involved with this competition for many years – riding in this environment aboard borrowed horses, and a different horse every day is an amazing experience and one that brings many benefits.

“We weren’t too far behind in the end but all up it was certainly a good competition.”

Both chefs thanked those who had kindly lent horses for the competition.

Results –
Australia: Charlie Richardson, Hayden Parker, Clem Hughes and Anneliese Wansey 14 points 1; New Zealand: Tyla Hackett (Cambridge), Sam Carrington (Takapau), Rylee Sheehan (Te Aroha) and Georgia Bouzaid (Cambridge) 11 points 2.

The horses: Pilot (owned by Monica Spencer), Chevel du Fond (owned by Belinda Buchanan), Aorangi Legato (owned by the Ahlborn family), Double Shot (owned by Izzy Saxton), Dynavyte Cancion HSH (owned by Jeremy Clarke), Castako Xtreme (owned by Rylee Sheehan), Arlo (owned by Fraser Tombleson), and Chelsea CSNZ (owned by the Borthwick family).