After yesterday’s focus on rising stars in the Land Rover Horse of the Year Show’s show rings, today small fields of hacks lined up to battle it out for paced and mannered supremacy in ring 1, while in ring 2 all eyes were on the youngest competitors in the lead-rein section.
Greg Smith continued his domination in the Paced & Mannered Saddle Hunter of the Year with his beloved 18-year-old Avante Guarde (‘Breeze’), making it three wins on the trot in three consecutive years. Greg, who runs GC Equestrian, a livery and training facility at Drury, with Corey Miln, was thrilled with the win, taking the honours over Vanessa Pickens and Rubinseque.
Having taken over the ride from her mother, Rotorua’s Kelly Sheely won the Paced & Mannered Riding Horse of the Year on To The Max, ahead of Jayna Dinneen on Sansibar, while Julie Wylie Parkinson and the striking black warmblood gelding, Sparkling Galaxy, proved too strong in the Paced & Mannered Hack of the Year. Jayna again had to settle for reserve on Sansibar.
But perhaps the most impressive performance came from Leeston’s Courtney Walker, who guided Stephanie Wendelken’s lovely seven-year-old mare, Bewitched of Flaxmill, to victory in the Paced & Mannered Park Hack of the Year, following on from consecutive wins in the lead-up classes in the morning.
Bewitched was bred by Ben Thomson, of TC Equestrian, and Courtney took over the ride in October. The win was her first title at HOY, though she has picked up reserve previously, and it left them both over the moon. They now have high hopes going into Saturday’s Park Hack of the Year title class. Reserve went to fellow Cantabrian Nicola Lancaster and Cahoncho.
In the lead rein, Te Awamutu’s Sophie Chipperfield and her lovely five-year-old pony KS B-Witched were in a league of their own, winning both the Paced & Mannered Lead Rein Pony of the Year and Lead Rein Pony of the Year classes, taking home the time-honoured Aranui Chablais Cup.
It is just Sophie’s second year in the lead-rein section. KS B-Witched will also be in action tomorrow in First Ridden Pony of the Year with Sophie’s older sister Chloe in the saddle.
The Lead Rein Pony Rider of the Year was won by Eva Norton-Collins and Aintree Thumbelina.
Yesterday in the rising star hacks, Ben Thomson and RP Ricochet backed up from the Led Adult Horse of the Year title class on the opening day of the show to win the Rising Star Hack of the Year, while the Rising Star Park Hack of the Year was won by Kerry Shearer on Cardonald Deliver. The Rising Star Riding Horse was won by Rochelle Spiers and Furstin Feliciana, with Grace Thomson and Trevalda Mountain Storm victorious in the Rising Star Saddle Hunter of the Year.
Today’s results
Paced & Mannered Riding Horse of the Year
Kelly Sheely, To The Max, 1; Jayna Dinneen, Sansibar, 2; Natalie Short, Atmospheric, 3; Karen McKechnie, Damascus Steel, 4; Tyler McKee, Rosari Ringo Star, 5; Amelia Houston, Sisters II Elfie, 6.
Paced & Mannered Park Hack of the Year
Courtney Walker, Bewitched of Flaxmill, 1; Nicola Lancaster, Cahoncho, 2; Cindy Pended, Sherwood Outspoken, 3; Bronwyn Woodhead, Woodhill Gone Dance, 4; Laura McNab, Sir Duke, 5; Kim Coghlan, Luminate SH, 6.
Paced & Mannered Saddle Hunter of the Year
Greg Smith, Avante Guard, 1; Vanessa Pickens, Rubinseque, 2; Rebecca Aplin, Sherlock, 3; Nicole Roberts, Vanillees Bling Bling, 4; Claire Goddard, River Run Will He, 5; Allie Harper, Guess MH, 6.
Paced & Mannered Hack of the Year
Julie Wylie Parkinson, Sparkling Galaxy, 1; Jayna Dinneen, JS Leonardo, 2; Anne Hjorth, High Command, 3; Rebecca Rowlands, Citizen, 4; Shenae Mackenzie, Debford Rhapsody, 5; Sarah Roughton, Zorros Unforgettable, 6.
Lead Rein Pony of the Year
Sophie Chipperfield, KS B-Witched, 1; Haiden Rankin, KS Touch of Romance, 2; Alexia Thomas, Springdale Bee Mine Tonight, 3; Charli Sabine, Windermere Tiara, 4; Zaria Johnston Langtree, Just Say So, 5; Eva Norton-Collins, Sanlirra Pretty Polly, 6.
Lead Rein Paced & Mannered Pony of the Year
Sophie Chipperfield, KS B-Witched, 1; Eva Norton Collins, Aintree Thumberlina, 2; Haiden Rankin, KS Touch of Romance, 3; Charli Sabine, Windermere Tiara, 4; Molly Allen, Riverwood Total Eclipse, 5; Lucy Jackson, Ridgevale Oyster bay, 6.
Lead Rein Pony Rider of the Year
Eva Norton-Collins, Aintree Thumbelina, 1; Isla Bowley, Pied Piper Top Shelf, 2; Annabel Dampier-Crossley, Greenwood Magnum Opus, 3; Haiden Rankin, KS Touch of Romance, 4; Sophie Chipperfield, KS B-Witched, 5; Lucy Jackson, Ridgevale Oyster Bay, 6.
