Horse of the Year - Eventing Results

Land Rover 4* Eventing
Today’s eventing show jumping phase had its wicked way with the leader-board in the Land Rover 4* Eventing class. The new leader is Waikato’s Madison Crowe on the super mare Waitangi Pinterest, and the leader after dressage, Amanda Pottinger (Hawkes Bay) with Just Kidding has slipped to second place after having one rail down.

Maddy said that she is now “way more nervous” now she is in the lead. “I would have been happy to be in second place still to be honest! I will have to deal with my nerves, but it is not easy!”

The cross country, which starts tomorrow afternoon, looks really good, according to Maddy. “There are a lot more testing jumps than last year, but I really like it. The Burghley replica idea is amazing, and it looks really great.”

Tim Price also had a rail down with Ricker Ridge Escada which “wasn’t the plan” for the number three ranked rider in the world. He sits in fourth place now, going into the cross country.

“I haven’t got the true feel of the course yet,” he said as the cross country course has yet to be fully set as it winds through the busy trade stands and the other arenas currently being used in various competitions.

“I’m getting to know my horse better every day. He is genuine and I just have to do the right thing and put him in the right place.”

Blyth Tait produced a lovely clear on Cor Jet to move into sixth place. He was full of praise for the horse and the way the horse’s owner, Chloe Phillips-Harris, had trained him.

“Chloe has done an amazing job to produce a horse so well that someone like me can just jump on and ride around clear!”

As to the cross country phase ahead, after that good round Blyth was quietly optimistic - “especially if he goes like that!”

Jonelle also had a rail down on her borrowed horse, Ricker Ridge Divine Right but was still very happy with the performance and currently sits in 15th place.

“It was a shame she had that one down in the treble, as she jumped a good round.”

Jonelle thinks there are a couple of key areas to look out for on the cross country tomorrow.

“The combinations, firstly the angle brushes at 9 and then the one towards the end will require control.”

In the Land Rover 3* eventing class, Blyth Tait on Havana produced yet another a lovely clear show jumping round earlier in the day. He therefore goes into tomorrow’s cross country retaining the lead he had after the dressage phase.

“It wasn’t the best ride,” said Blyth afterwards. “I must have been still asleep as I nearly couldn’t find the tenth jump!”

Blyth had a good night out last night as he was one of the stars inducted into the ESNZ’s Hall of Fame, along with Sir Mark Todd, Vaughn Jefferis and Andrew Nicholson.

Blyth’s lovely mare Havana has only been in work for a few weeks after making the trip from England to NZ.

“She needs to have this run at this level as it is six months since she has been out at an event. I would have liked to have run her in the 4* but I have to be patient.”

The cross country starts with the Land Rover 3* class at 1pm followed by the 4* class, and goes through to approximately 4.45pm.

4* Results
1. Madison Crowe, Waitangi Pinterest, 28.1
2. Amanda Pottinger, Just Kidding, 32
3. Jackson Bovill, Visionnaire, 33
4. Tim Price, Ricker Ridge Escada, 33.4
5. Donna Edwards-Smith, DSE Cluny, 34
6. Blyth Tait, Cor Jet, 36
15th, Jonelle Price, Ricker Ridge Divine Right, 43.8

3* Results
1. Blyth Tait, Havanna, 26.9
2. Samantha Lissington, Ricker Ridge Sooty GNZ, 27.2
3. Louise Mulholland, Mr McTaggart, 31
4. Monica Oakley, Festival, 31.5
5. Christen Lane, Henton Armada, 32.4

A Future Superstar?

Whangarei’s Samantha Peters and her beautiful bay horse Cadillac NZPH wowed everyone with their performance when they won the Seven Year Old Show Jumping Horse of the Year. If the horse didn’t already have enough fans, he will certainly have more now, as he jumped spectacularly.

“He’s an absolute superstar,” said Samantha afterwards. “We just carved it up.” Samantha had been targeting this class, after having a very successful season to date. “This was my goal, my highlight class.”

Samantha has big plans for the big horse that she has had owned he was a four-year old, after getting a recommendation from some friends including Tui Teka, a well-known horseman. She thinks Cadillac NZPH could be an international horse.

“I just want to see how far we can go, and I would so love to represent my country.”

Her immediate goals are to stay in New Zealand until she and her young horse are ready to launch their international career.

There were ten combinations who came back for the challenging jump-off and for a while it looked like the class was going to be won with a round of four faults. In the end there were two clears, with Samantha being over nine seconds faster than Oliver Edgecombe on Carnival NZPH who produced the first clear round. Amanda Pottinger and Good Timing were third, with Clarke Johnstone and Watermill Hadley fourth.

Land Rover Horse of the Year runs from March 12-17 at the Hawke’s Bay A&P Showgrounds.

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