Balmoral Sensation, aka Ritchie, looked like he loved every minute of his outing at the Horse of the Year Show today. The three-star cross-country presented absolutely no difficulties for him or his rider Clarke Johnstone, and they finished full of running and enthusiasm. They did pick up 8.8 time faults but that was the fastest round of the day.
“I went as fast as I could,” says Clarke. “He was super, and really great to ride. He felt like he had a good time, and finds it all pretty easy, so it was nice!”
Their score going into the show jumping tomorrow morning is 40.5, some 6.7 penalties in front of Amanda Pottinger on Just Kidding, who is in second place on 47.2 after going clear across country but adding 13.6 time faults.
“I am so happy with him,” says Amanda. “He was so good into the water, straight in, but I did have a life at the corner; he added a stride that I didn’t think was there, but he is so genuine.”
Clarke also did a great round on his less experienced horse, Wolf Whistle II, and slotted into third with another fast round, incurring 12.8 time faults, for a score of 48.1.
Abby Lawrence and Charlton Yamani are fourth, adding 11.6 time faults. “He was a little bit keen, but awesome. As he pulled a bit, I did waste a bit of time setting him up for the fences, but he was great.”
Nick Brooks won the prize for the biggest smile when he pulled up after going through the finish flags, clearly delighted with his beautiful horse, For Fame. “He’s just an amazing horse, and it is just such an adrenaline rush riding him!”
Ashleigh McKinstry is a speed queen at the best of times and finished with the second-fastest round of the day on Pioneer Brass Monkey. “I wheeled [measured] the course this morning and knew it would be tight. The crowd didn’t bother her; in fact, she was probably quieter here than at some other events!”
Jessica Woods has a super horse in her Australian mare Just de Manzana and she too was buzzing after the cross-country. “She was amazing, she was just so cool! She didn’t care about the crowd, but because it was a bit slippery and tight corners, I had to ride to the conditions.”
Maddy Crowe slipped down the leaderboard with 18.4 time faults but was excited about how well her mare went, especially as she does not have much experience at this level. “I could have gone a little faster in places, but she is so cool. I feel like I am just starting to tap in to what she can do.”
The skies opened just as Samantha Felton started on Ricker Ridge Escada, but this didn’t hinder the pair, who incurred 17.2 time faults and jumped clear. “I was very, very happy,” says Sam. “He was amazing, we had the worst of the weather. He was just super.”
Brooke Campbell and Freddie Dash had a bit of a gear failure on course. “My martingale broke by fence three,” Brooke reports. “I was thinking it felt funny! He’s a trier though, and sometimes I add a few too many strides.”
Abigail Long incurred 50 penalties for jumping outside a flag on the course, and has elected to withdraw from the rest of the competition, saving her 15-year-old Enzo for another day.
CIC3* Leaderboard after cross-country
| Dressage Score | XC Time Faults | Score after XC | |||
| 1 | Clarke Johnstone | Balmoral Sensation | 31.7 | 8.8 | 40.5 |
| 2 | Amanda Pottinger | Just Kidding | 33.6 | 13.6 | 47.2 |
| 3 | Clarke Johnstone | Wolf Whistle II | 35.3 | 12.8 | 48.1 |
| 4 | Abby Lawrence | Charlton Yamani | 37.2 | 11.6 | 48.8 |
| 5 | Nick Brooks | For Fame | 35.7 | 13.2 | 48.9 |
| 6 | Ashleigh Mckinstry | Pioneer Brass Monkey | 37.9 | 11.2 | 49.1 |
| 7 | Jessica Woods | Just de Manzana | 37.4 | 13.6 | 51 |
| 8 | Donna Edwards-Smith | DSE Cluny | 39.9 | 12 | 51.9 |
| 9 | Madison Crowe | Waitangi Pinterest | 34 | 18.4 | 52.4 |
| 10 | Samantha Felton | Ricker Ridge Escada | 37.2 | 17.2 | 54.4 |
| 10 | Renee Faulkner | Rubinstar HH | 39.2 | 15.2 | 54.4 |
| 12 | Danielle Wheeler | One Cool Dude | 43.1 | 11.6 | 54.7 |
| 13 | Brooke Campbell | Freddy Dash | 39.2 | 17.2 | 56.4 |
| 14 | Donna Edwards-Smith | DSE Tangolooma | 39 | 18.4 | 57.4 |
| 15 | Jackson Bovill | Visionnaire | 39.7 | 18.4 | 58.1 |
| 16 | Sarah Young | Leo Degas | 33.7 | 25.6 | 59.3 |
| 17 | Virginia Thompson | Star Nouveau | 39.6 | 20.8 | 60.4 |
| 18 | Samantha Felton | Ricker Ridge Rui | 44.3 | 19.2 | 63.5 |
| 19 | Bundy Philpott | Tresca NZPH | 39.4 | 28 | 67.4 |
CIC2* Competition
Abby Lawrence moved up into first place in the two-star after the cross-country, thanks to the fastest round of the day. She really rates her horse Anonymous, and was delighted with him after today’s performance.
Fleur Rohleder and The Alchemist shot up to second from tenth after the dressage, with the second-fastest round of the day.
Leader after dressage, Samantha Felton on Ricker Ridge Sooty GNZ, incurred 19.6 time faults which slipped her down to third, but still thinks her horse was super. “The ground was much more slippery than I anticipated, and he is also very new to two-star – this was only his second one. I wanted to give him confidence and take the time he needed, and he was really, really good,” says Sam.
Chanel Griffiths and Astek Guardsman were a casualty of the conditions after light rain this morning made the dry ground very slippery. They took a tumble on a turn between fences, which ruled them out of any further participation. And, Jake Barham will be kicking himself all night after missing the flags for a compulsory passage and being eliminated.
| Dressage Score | XC Time Pen | Score after XC | |||
| 1 | Abby Lawrence | Anonymous | 27 | 7.2 | 34.2 |
| 2 | Fleur Rohleder | The Alchemist | 34.8 | 9.2 | 44 |
| 3 | Samantha Felton | Ricker Ridge Sooty GNZ | 26.7 | 19.6 | 46.3 |
| 4 | Sophie Alexander | World Famous | 30 | 18.8 | 48.8 |
| 5 | Rebel Morrow (AUS) | Balmoral Henton | 40.1 | 10 | 50.1 |
| 6 | Isaac Twigg | The Juggler | 37 | 13.6 | 50.6 |
| 7 | Elise Power | Arctic Cielo | 37.6 | 13.2 | 50.8 |
| 8 | Donna Edwards-Smith | DSE Mendoza | 35.8 | 15.6 | 51.4 |
| 9 | Kimberley Rear | Delta Legacy | 33.7 | 20 | 53.7 |
| 10 | Greer Caddigan | Mr Mancini | 34.3 | 25.2 | 59.5 |
