The result could hardly be better for New Zealand in the senior Oceania Championship, held at the Melbourne 3DE, with Kiwi team riders holding the first three places in the CCI3* after cross-country.
With Jock Paget first on Angus Blue, Virginia Thompson second on Star Nouveau, and Samantha Felton third on Ricker Ridge Pico Boo, the team penalties total 143.2, to Australia’s 161.4, giving our riders a healthy margin of 18.2 penalties – four rails at least – going into tomorrow’s show jumping.
Trailblazers Ginny and Star Nouveau scorched round Ewan Kellett’s 5850-metre course inside the time to set the standard, and hold the lead right until the end of the class, when she was overtaken by Jock and Angus Blue. Ginny said: “It was a great trailblazing round, from start to finish. She was a bit keen to start with, but once I got into a rhythm she was very good, and we‘re under time!”
Sam and Pico Boo looked classy coming home with four time penalties to relinquish their dressage lead but hold third place. “He felt really good, the combinations went well, and he saved my life on a few of the galloping fences,” Sam said. “It was a bit gnarly here and there, and we finished a bit over the time, but he felt great.”
Jock produced the round we all hoped for, his horse delivering despite the limited preparation, and his greeting to coach Penny Castle when he finished was classic: “Coach happy? Students all did good, eh!”
Unfortunately New Zealand’s fourth team member, Andy Daines, had a glance-off early on course with Spring Panorama, and also incurred 24 time penalties, to slide down from ninth after dressage to sit in 20th place.
The Aussies had three horses home clear and inside the time, but their top-placed rider , last year’s Adelaide CCI4* winner, Hazel Shannon and Clifford, had a fall early on the course, and were eliminated.
However, the hosts have control of the Young Rider Championships, with all four team members in the CCI2* class completing without any penalties to remain on their dressage total of 145.2 penalties.
Sadly for the New Zealand team, Renee Faulkner withdrew Rubinstar HH before cross-country, as the horse is unwell. It’s certainly been a character-building season for Renee, who was eliminated for missing a compulsory passage at Kihikihi, so has been unable to really show her horse’s true ability.
Abigail Long and Enzo delivered the ideal trailblazing round, saying afterwards, “That was super-fast, 10 seconds under. Everything came up short! We were 20 seconds under at the six-minute marker, so I slowed a bit.”
Abby and Enzo have risen from eighth to sixth in the individual standings as a result, sitting on their dressage score of 48.10.
Australia’s Andrew Barnett is first in the class, riding Bradgate Park Fonzie, on 41.9, and YR team members are second and third; Gemma Tinney on Annapurna, with a score of 45.7, followed by Shanae Lowings and Venture Sky High, on 47.6.
Next to go for New Zealand, Vicky Browne-Cole and Eli looked good, but had the misfortune for a frangible clip to release as Eli slipped his hind legs over a rail before dropping down to a ditch. “I heard the frangible pin go, but I didn’t feel it. We were a bit over the time, but I’m really happy with him,” Vicky said.
Team manager Eliza Riedel managed to get the 11 penalty points removed after video footage was viewed, together with reports from the officials on the spot. The fence had been hit hard by several horses prior to Eli, one of whom decanted the rider into the ditch.
But 4.8 time penalties have relegated Vicky and Eli from fourth after dressage to eighth place, on a score of 51.8.
And unfortunately, the final YR team member Jackson Bovill did not have such a happy time with Visionnaire, feeling the pressure of needing to complete to post a team score. He was super-careful, but it did not work for the mare, who needed a punchier ride. They were tentative for the first few, then landed and trotted in the first water, resulting in a run-off the brush exit.
He rode to get home after that, saying, “She was honest and jumped well, but I had to change my plan a couple of times. It was pressure I don’t normally have.” Jock’s remark was, “That’s the sport, mate!” So it was a steep learning curve for Jackson, but that is what Young Rider teams are all about. He finished with 20 jump and 31.6 time, to sit in 28th place on 102.30 penalties.
The Young Rider team score is now 202.2 penalties, compared to Australia’s 145.2, going into tomorrow’s show jumping; it would take something of a disaster for Australia to relinquish the title from this position.
The NZ senior Oceania team is sponsored by Equestrian Entries, and the NZ Young Rider team is sponsored by Bomber Bits NZ and Hidez, and we are sure that the generous support is hugely appreciated.
