On a tough cross-country day in Hastings, the chances of New Zealand’s senior team recapturing the Oceania Championship looks to have slipped away.
With just one of the Kiwi senior team riders jumping clear over Chris Ross’ challenging tumble-drier of a course at the Land Rover Horse of the Year Show, and all four toting up double-digit time penalties as well, the Australian team has shot to a commanding lead of 66 penalties with just the show jumping to go.
Australian riders are now sitting from first to fifth place individually, with the top three spots held by riders who were not part of the team competition – Equestrian Australia having selected less-experienced combinations to give them exposure to riding in a championship environment.
Showing all their experience, Shane Rose and 19-year-old Virgil are first on 30.8 while Olivia Barton is second with Hollander HG on 33.9, the only two pairs to come home on their dressage scores.
Andrew Cooper and Sharvalley Thunder are third on 34.2, having added 3.6 time faults, and he is followed by the best two of the Australian team riders, Oliver Barrett with Sandhills Special (clear with 7.2 time for a score of 35.2), and Kenya Wilson with Sandros Salute MW (clear with 3.6 time for a score of 37.4).
Dressage leader Andrew Barnett had a stop at the C-element of the water complex with Go Tosca but came home with a relatively quick time, adding 8.8 penalties, to drop down to seventh place on a total of 56.4.
Of the New Zealand team riders, Maddy Seivwright and her vastly experienced Waitangi Pinterest looked like they were well on form for a clear, starting out fast and confident.
But unfortunately, the mare ground to a stop at the C-element of the influential water complex, the very same fate that befell their team mates Christen Lane with Bellhaven Cumbria, and Charlotte Penny with Festival – who’d already had a run-out earlier on course. Donna Edwards-Smith was clear but relatively slow with Henton For Glory, adding 24.4 time faults to sit in 12th place overnight.
Maddy ended up with the best score of the Kiwis, adding 12.4 time plus the 20 penalties for the stop, with a total of 61.1 penalties for ninth place.
Christen and Bellhaven Cumbria added 16.4 time as well as the 20 jumping penalties, and are now 13th overnight on a score of 67.5.
Diane Gilder is the best-placed New Zealand rider, sixth with her wonderful 19-year-old Your Attorney, having jumped clear with 11.2 time faults to sit on 43.4 penalties. Charlotte Edwards and Just de Manzana are eighth, clear with 22.8 for a score of 57.7.
Three-star
New Zealand’s Young Rider team were simply outstanding at Hastings, with all four clear on the cross-country, two of them coming home on their dressage scores and taking the top two places as a result.
This gave their Australian counterparts no chance to overtake them, with New Zealand increasing its lead to 9.5 penalties and thus two rails in hand going into show jumping tomorrow, with a best of three total of 108.7.
Bridie Quigley is now in pole position with Oranoa Greyson on 33.4 penalties, with her team mate Mia Gilbert a close second on Schnapps MH on 34, both young women coming home under the optimal time.
Scout Lodder, who was the pathfinder for the team, was clear with 4.4 time on Overnight Success to sit in sixth place on 41.3, while Mackenzie Marlo and CHS Diplomat are just a fraction behind them on 41.4, having added 7.6 time faults.
For Australia, the big shock was dressage leader Olivia Shore, who looked to be having a super ride on Dreamcatcher, having a stop at a relatively simply drop fence; they also added 10.4 time faults to slide right out of contention.
The best of the Aussies is Molly Lines with Tadpole, who added nothing to their dressage score to sit fourth, while Bethany Hirst and Sandhills Bliss are close behind in fifth.
