Kiwis Equestrians Shine in Both Hemispheres

New Zealand’s top eventers, showjumpers and dressage riders have all featured on podiums overnight.

At the Australian Dressage Championships in Sydney Julie Brougham and Vom Feinsten placed second with 67.882% behind the very in-form Brett Parbery (AUS) aboard DP Weltmieser in the FEI Grand Prix Special CDN. Parbery scored 69.784% in the 15-strong class.

It meant Brougham just missed out on that magic 68% which would have been her second mark towards the necessary four for Rio qualification. However, her second, third and fifth results over the champs are arguably the best from and Kiwi combination in recent years.

Brougham was third in the FEI Grand Prix CDI-W Freestyle in a star-stacked field with 72.1% and fifth in the FEI Grand Prix CDI-W with 67.32%.
Eventer Tim Price and Wesko have continued their solid form of the season with a third place in the CCI4* at Les 4 Etoiles de Pau in France.

The combination were fifth after the dressage, and held on to that following the cross country. Class leader Michael Jung (GER), who had both first and second spots going into the showjumping, withdrew one horse and had a rail in the showjumping with the other, which saw him slip to second, giving an historic win to Astier Nicolas (FRA) and Piaf de B’Neville who moved up from third place going into the showjumping.

It was Astier’s first-ever four star win and he is the youngest CCI4* victor of the season.

Price was rapt with his own third place efforts.

“He tries so hard and is such a good little jumper,” he said of the Dutch-bred Wesko. “He is pure class. He was quite tired today, which is surprising but a lot of the horses were. However, he just digs deeper, finds a way and keeps trying to the end.”

Price said the showjumping course had been a demanding one, with a difficult treble to a Liverpool to finish.

“We were very focussed on a top performance here. He is my star horse and hasn’t been out to a four star since Kentucky (in April) where we narrowly missed a win. I am a bit disappointed I didn’t do a better job on the flat (the dressage) but I am definitely not going to complain about a third place in such a strong four star field.”

Sir Mark Todd was the next best of the Kiwis in 10th place with NZB Campino with Jock Paget and Clifton Signature 14th and Blyth Tait on Bear Necessity V 15th. In the CIC2*, Lucy Jackson and Mercury Bay were 16th.

Price now has his first points on the board for the 2015-2016 FEI Classics, sitting in third spot on 10 points behind leader Astier Nicolas (FRA) on 15 and Michael Jung (GER) on 12. Sir Mark Todd is in ninth with a single point.
The next event on the series is the Adelaide International Three Day Event in Australia later next month, with the Northern Hemisphere hosting the Rolex Kentucky Three Day Event in April.

In Poland Bruce Goodin and Freestyle 39 were second in the CSI3*-W going double clear in the 54-strong field. Thomas Holz (GER) and Adilot won, stopping the clock at 29.57 seconds in the jump-off to Goodin’s 30.55.

Seven combinations came through to the jump-off, with 14 retiring during the class, with one eliminated.

Goodin was really happy with the horse over the weekend.

“He was also placed in the world cup qualifier – which is part of the Central European League,” said Goodin. “He was clear and one down in the jump-off to finish sixth and I was the only rider to be in both those jump-offs. It has been a good consistent weekend for Freestyle.”

Freestyle will next compete at a four show in Belgium.

The horses, riders and owners -
Lucy Jackson and Bosun (owned by BGV Syndicate), Jock Paget and Clifton Signature (owned by Frances Stead), Tim Price and Lord of the Owls (owned by Brian and Vicky Tew and Susie Hawkins), Tim Price and Wesko (owned by Christina Knudsen and the Wesko Syndicate), Blyth Tait and Bear Necessity V (owned by Ronnie Bartlett), Sir Mark Todd and NZB Campino (owned by New Zealand Bloodstock and Todd), Lucy Jackson and Mercury Bay (owned by Maureen Wicks) Julie Brougham and Vom Feinsten (owned by Julie and David Brougham) and Bruce Goodin on Freestyle 39 (owned by Stall Kochs).

ENDS

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