The Canterbury A & P Show is a wonderful event held over three days – the last day on the Canterbury public holiday, when the crowds flock in to get up close with the animals, take the rides, do the shopping in the hundreds of trade stands, and watch the horses perform.
There was certainly a great display of equestrian sport on at the show, with such a wide variety of classes, from stock horses, to western riding, to show jumping and the usual big array of showing horses.
At the end of the show, just before the Grand Parade, the champions in each animal category were judged to find the winner of the Supreme Champion Animal. The Cattle section champion won: a Charolais cow and calf. The judge called five animals out as outstanding, including the Alpaca and the Merino ram, and also the In-hand Horse Champion (Tracy Crossen’s Trevalda Mountain Storm) and the Ridden Horse Champion (Isabella Kloogh’s First Edition, ridden by Jade Farrant).
First Edition, who won the Supreme Champion Animal last year, also won every class entered this year, was the Park Hark Champion and then went on to win the Ridden Champion. ‘Alex’ (a 10-year-old) is certainly a beautiful horse. The Farrant family, who live in West Melton, have leased him from the Klooghs for the last 12 months. Jade, who competes her other horses mainly in dressage, has been riding Alex for “a few years” and might ride him in the winter dressage series.
The Park Hack judge was Jo Jefferson from the UK. She loved First Edition: “Beautifully put together, a proper park hack type. A lovely mover and manners to burn.”
Tracy Crossen’s three-year-old gelding Trevalda Mountain Storm impressed everyone. This was his first-ever show! Tracy bred him herself, and he is by her Irish stallion, Ballineen Blue Mountain (also known as Brian!). Tracy hadn’t expected to win; she’d expected to just compete on Wednesday and then go home, which meant that alternative arrangements had to be made for her champion horse to return and take part in the Champion Animal class. Tracy had commitments on the farm and with her family, so Grace Thomson stepped in and did a good job of showing ‘Zac’ off in the class.
How the judges decide between a chook, a donkey, a llama and all the other animals, we don’t know – but well done to all those who were involved.
Sarah Wadworth is another who had a good show, with her lovely horse Faemoss BW. She won a lot of the saddle hunter classes, and went on to take out the Champion Saddle Hunter and win the NZ Horse & Pony magazine subscription as well as the R M D Morten Memorial Gold Cup. Sarah, from Blenheim, is another who does a lot of dressage, competing up to Level 7. The Wadworth family bred Faemoss BW, which Sarah is very proud of. “I have ridden her since she was old enough and I also rode her mother, Grey Hawke,” she says.
The Ballantyne Canterbury Cup for Open Pony Hunter was fiercely contested by a big field, but the testing course was too much for quite a few riders. It was one stop/run out and out, and while some exited before completing, there were plenty who produced some fine rounds. Sophie Townsend and Tallyho Neptune took the win. Madeleine Haugh, who is just 11, won the Margaret Millear Cup and Shahzar Sash for Best Rider in the Canterbury Cup (open pony hunters). This was Madeleine’s first time competing at the Canterbury Show and her mum Sheree had to eat her words – she had told her daughter to be prepared not to win any ribbons. Maddy was also reserve working hunter and second in the pony jump on Wednesday!
Champion Pony Hunter was won by Grace Manera on Rednalhgih Cowan, with Gretchen Anderson reserve on Tallyho the Joker.
The Elite Floats Open Hunter was next up in the main arena, and again the course was challenging, especially the beautiful last fence, the wine barrels. Maddy Thompson on Shades of Grey won the class. Peter Pankhurst won the Gentleman Rider.
One of the most entertaining events of the show was the Shetland Pony Grand National, which was well received by the big crowd who had gathered to watch it. The ponies paraded with their covers on, with all jockeys dressed in their silks. The start was a bit of a lottery, then they were off on four laps of the arena. There was a bit of corner cutting, one jockey was unseated, and the winner came from behind right at the finishing posts to pip the one who had led all the way. Johanna Wylaars was the winner – we are used to seeing her doing well at eventing and pony club events, so she certainly is gaining a wide range of experience!
The full results are not yet up on the show’s website, but we are expecting to see those be posted in due course. Here’s the link to the site.
