This weekend all eventing attention here in New Zealand will be turned towards Auckland for the Puhinui International Three-day Event, run by Eventing Auckland. This competition has been going for many years and the names of some great horses and riders are on its honours board in the main class, the CCI3*.
Tinks Pottinger won in 1998 on Good Fun. Her daughter Amanda will be there this year on Just Kidding, and hoping to follow in her mother’s footsteps, just as she did earlier this year at the Taupo 3-Day.
Vaughn Jefferis and Bounce won the 1999 event, and were victorious again in 2000. They’re the only horse and rider who’ve ever won twice, and the 2000 event was a particularly special occasion: the last competition of Bounce’s long, brilliant career. He was 18 at the time. Vaughn regularly attends the event now, but as a spectator, sometimes doing a bit of coaching for his various pupils.
Kate Lambie and Alibi were the winners in 2001, and in 2002 it was Tim Price’s turn on Desamoray. Tim and Jonelle came back to Puhinui in 2014 as guests of the event, doing course walks and competing in the Tip, Strip & Out competition.
Tim was definitely a crowd-pleaser but caused mayhem at the last press conference.
Olivia Bunn came over from Australia in 2003 and won on GV Danzar. Annabel Wigley, from Canterbury, came up and won on Black Drum in 2004, a horse she later took to Europe and competed on successfully at Burghley and Badminton. Black Drum has only recently passed away. Helen Tompkins was the winner in 2005 on everyone’s favourite eventer, Glengarrick, who was 19 years old at the time.
The competition skipped a year in 2006; Bryce Newman took the 2007 win on Bates Our Questionnaire. Bryce is back again this year with Bates Game Keeper and Bates Our Entourage in the one-star class and is always competitive!
Two CCI3*s were held in 2008, with the first in March, replacing the normal CIC event. Mark Todd won this on NZB Gandalf. Toddy was on his come-back trail at the time, and the win helped him qualify for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. The traditional December event (actually run in November that year!) was won by Clarke Johnstone on Orient Express.
Stuart Tinney from Australia was the winner in 2009, riding Watermark Grayson. There hasn’t been an Australian winner since, and it is not often the Australians come over for it, as it competes on the calendar with Adelaide 4* event, which is usually just before Puhinui.
In 2010, Lizzie Brown won on Henton Attorney General before she headed off to Europe with this lovely horse, winning the big international three-star event at Boekelo in 2013. “Frank” is now competing in the UK with Rosa Onslow, a young rider Scottish rider, and enjoying life at the lower levels.
In 2011 it was Christen Hayde and Tandarra Sweet As who nabbed the honours. Christen, now married and known as Christen Lane, has four horses in this year’s event, including Kinnordy Rhani and Cobra de Capello in the Veterinary Associates CCI1*. It is going to be a busy weekend for the Lanes, as Christen’s husband Tom is riding Stationmaster in the one-star as well.
Ashleigh McKinstry came out of the King Country to win in 2012 on Pioneer Makokomiko. This year she has Pioneer Brass Monkey in the iSpy Horses CCI2* class and Pioneer Techtonic Shuffle in the Veterinary Associates CCI*.
Another Henton horse, Henton Executive (pictured below), won in 2013 ridden by Matthew Grayling. The horse is now retired, and is being utilised by the huntsman at the Taupo Hunt. Matthew, however, is far from retirement and will be riding NRM Trudeau in the Veterinary Associates CCI* this year.
Clarke Johnstone had his second win of the class in 2014 on Balmoral Sensation. He isn’t competing this year: Balmoral Sensation is having a well deserved rest after his wonderful performance at the Rio Olympics, and Clarke is recovering from broken bones after a fall.
Last year the winner was Virginia Thompson on Star Nouveau and these two are back this year to defend the title.
So, who will win? You can check out the entries in the various classes, including NZ Horse & Pony magazine’s sponsored class, the CCI105 on Equestrian Entries.
