South Islanders win the Young & Junior Rider

Two South Islanders have captured two National titles for three day eventing. Lucy Turner (Lincoln) won the Young Rider title riding Carbon and Jordan Shrimpton (Christchurch) won the Junior rider title on Ka Pai Kiwi.

There was glory for the North Island contingent at the South Island Three Day Event however when Te Kauwhata’s Donna Edwards-Smith took out the main class after a beautiful clear show jumping round in the CCI3* on DSE Cluny. Gaye McClunie, the owner of the horse, was here to watch her 11-year-old horse win his first major three day event title. “How good was this to come down here and win, I love him,” she said afterwards.

Donna had bought a big team down with her, nine horses and four riders in total. The team had its ups and downs but were well pleased with their results overall. “Everyone down here has been amazing,” Donna said. “The hospitality has been wonderful, and thanks for the snow, hail, rain and sunshine!”

Cluny’s next major event may well be the Adelaide 4* in November, although it seemed Gaye and Donna hadn’t yet made a final decision.

Kirsty Sharapoff from Christchurch, who is the Chair of Eventing Canterbury was second in the class on Shoot the Breeze, with West Melton’s Emily Cammock and Shaw Lee third. Emily is another planning to go to the Adelaide event later this year.

Lucy Turner had aimed all season to win the Young Rider title, which she has won before two years ago when it was held in Auckland. “But winning the two-star class overall has really topped it off,” said Lucy who is hoping to return to Puhinui in December to compete.  Lucy was also fourth in the one-star class on her young horse, Astek Victor so she certainly had a good weekend but she is heading back to university where she is studying Sports Management. The talented sportswoman also plays representative hockey and she enjoys her studies, mainly as it seems she can fit in university life as well as all her sporting activities!

Carbon and Lucy have been together for four years, she originally purchased the horse off Chanel Hargrave.  “He was my first hack, and he has the biggest heart. He will jump anything!” Lucy also won the New Zealand Pony Club Association’s prize for the best performed pony club rider.

Jordan Shrimpton, aged 17, didn’t seem to believe that she had actually won the national junior rider title straight after her show jumping round. “I’ve never had a clear show jumping round at one-star level,” she said afterwards. The Papanui High School student has been riding for about five or six years. She initially got interested in horses when she heard her friend was going to a camp to brush ponies, as her family had no involvement with horses. “It wasn’t the riding that sold it, I wanted to brush a pony!” She now far prefers riding them, and she has also got her two younger sisters involved, and they were also competing this weekend, both being placed in the lower classes.

Eve Hawes from the West Coast won the Bates Saddles CCI1* on nine-year-old Spookee Possum, a thoroughbred horse she has had six years, purchasing from Event Stars. “I didn’t think he would do the 95cm classes, but he just kept stepping up and this season he decided that he would be very styley,” she said.

Otago’s Lauren Enright won the NZCT CCN105 class on six-year-old Tygra, also a thoroughbred horse and also sourced from Event Stars. “I might keep this one,” she said afterwards. “Hopefully I can get back up the grades as it has been a while.”

The prize for the best style over cross country went to Alice Jones.

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