Brian bags the win at Waikato World Cup Show Jumping

The second round of the World Cup (NZ) series enjoyed an impressive entry, and a terrific win went to one of the firm favourites

APL Show JUmping Waikato Festival Class 28 APL FEI World Cup Photo by Christine Cornege/ Cornege Photography www.cornegephotography.com
Helen McNaught-McFarlane and Carnutelabryere on their way to World Cup victory at Mystery Creek (Image: Cornege Photography)

Helen McNaught-McFarlane and the big grey best known as Brian were in a class of their own today in the second round of the Country TV FEI World Cup (NZ) series, which was the climax of the APL Show Jumping Waikato Festival at Mystery Creek.

The Taupo-based Brit and her Polish import, who has the formal name Carnutelabryere, were the only combination among the 19 starters to finish the two-round competition on zero faults. Helen was full of praise for both the competition and the course designer Gerrit Beker.

“It was a magnificent course. That was a proper track out there and one that really challenged us,” she says. “Gerrit is a very clever builder. We need to have more tracks like that because it raises the whole standard.”

Twelve combinations with eight faults or less came back for the second round. Helen and Brian, Mathew Dickey aboard Quango, and Katie Laurie on Dunstan On The Point Eve all had clean slates.

Clears in the second went to Helen, Lucy Fell on Tinapai and Katie aboard Dunstan Breeze, but with faults accumulating over the two rounds, there was just one clear winner.

Helen says Brian had been hard work in the opening round, but the second saw him focused and firing. “It is great to see a line-up of 19 in the class, and no-one disgraced themselves. There was a bit of bad luck for some, but also some great efforts.”

The winner of the New Zealand World Cup league has the opportunity to represent the country at the Longines FEI World Cup Jumping 2015-2016 Final which is being held in Omaha, Nebraska, in the United States, from March 29-April 1 next year.

In the Equissage Pony Grand Prix today, Aucklander Olivia Dalton had the odds stacked in her favour for the jump-off with both Simply Samantha HH and Hopeful Illusion, but Emma Watson and Fun House came through to take the win.

APL Show JUmping Waikato Festival Class 27 St Kilda Cambridge Pony Grand Prix Series Photo by Christine Cornege/ Cornege Photography www.cornegephotography.com
Emma Watson and Fun House chalk up another pony Grand Prix win (Image: Cornege Photography)

Emma and ‘Pink’ were double clear in 39.03 seconds, with Olivia leaving everything up aboard Simply Samantha HH but stopping the clock a fraction short, in 40.37. Hopeful Illusion had a rail to slot into third, and Olivia was also fourth in the class, on Just Nuts. 

There were record entries at Waikato Show Jumping’s big weekend, and riders enjoyed beautifully prepared courses and wonderful surfaces at Mystery Creek over the three days – and even the weather played ball, with a few showers but nothing too dramatic.

The FMG Young Rider class was won by Nakeysha Lammers and Waldorf, from Lily Tootill and Ulysses NZPH. Brayden Aarts was third in this class on Binverter, but won the Lincoln University Junior Rider on Puma des Hayettes, with Sharnaye Lammers finishing second on Romeo NZPH.

waldorf-nakeysha-lammers-copy
Nakeysha Lammers and Waldorf won the Young Rider class (Image: Cornege Photography)
APL Show JUmping Waikato Festival Class 25 Harcourts Junior Rider Series Photo by Christine Cornege/ Cornege Photography www.cornegephotography.com
Brayden Aarts and Puma des Hayettes won the Junior Rider (Image: Cornege Photography)

The Let’s Bale Pro-Am was won by Cambridge local Jeremy Whale and Aldivo, while the Amateur Rider class was a great win for Savannah Larsen-Church and Sole Low 1.

In the age-group classes, the Cortaflex 7YO was another good win for Leeshelle Small and AMS Ajaccio NZPH, the Mitavite 6YO was a shared win for Vicki Prendergast on Sangster and Daniel Blundell and Be Mine NZPH, and the honours in the East Coast Performance Horses 5YO were shared by Helen Kippen on Carnival NZPH, Amanda Wilson on Showtym Burrow, Rachel Malcolm on Monte Carlo MVNZ, and Tors Rattray on Lara CSNZ.

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