All eyes were on the hack ring at the Land Rover Horse of the Year Show when the first of the main titles were decided in the showing section on Thursday.
Greeted with cooler conditions, the park hacks were the first into the ring with local Waipukurau rider Amanda Gray scoring an emotional victory in the Park Hack of the Year aboard her nine-year-old son of Radway Talk of the Town, Phoenician Rock the Town.
Winner of the Rising Star and runner-up in the title class last year, the stunning bay put his best foot forwards after giving Amanda a less-than ideal ride the previous day in the Senior Rider of the Year. “I would have liked his workout to be a little bit better, but I was over the moon,” says Amanda. She had previously won the title on his full brother Skibbereen Mannequin back in 2012.
Ashburton’s Natasha Waddell made the long trip north worthwhile with an unexpected win in the Paced & Mannered Park Hack of the Year title with the former pony, Uptown Charlie Brown. Reserve in both the title and paced & mannered classes went to Cambridge’s Chloe Roach and the nine-year-old riding pony Brookfields Von Strauss.
Natasha’s older sister Charlotte took out the Rising Star Park Hack of the Year on Ashton Estee Lauder, ahead of Julie Wylie Parkinson and Skibbereen Volante.
Next, it was the turn of the riding horses with Rotorua’s Mary Sheely producing a foot-perfect workout to seal the honours in the Riding Horse of the Year aboard the 12-year-old Volksraad gelding, To The Max. The horse was the winner of the Paced & Mannered Riding Horse of the Year title in both 2018 and 2019 with Mary’s daughter Kelly Sheely in the saddle. Mary only decided to take up showing last season after a lifetime involved with thoroughbreds as an owner/trainer. “It’s just amazing; I’m so elated,” she says. Last year’s winners, Natacha Otto and Normandy, were reserve.
The Paced & Mannered Riding Horse of the Year also yielded a fairytale result, with Cambridge’s Peter Hill notching up his first-ever HOY title taking the honours aboard High Command. The thoroughbred gelding was originally to be ridden at the show by Peter’s partner Anne Hjorth, who was unfortunately injured in a serious fall off a young horse on the grounds on Monday, and it was a fitting way for him to bow out after a successful career. “I rode it like I stole it. I had nothing left to lose, and it paid off,” says a visibly emotional Peter. “It took a lot of hard work to get him here. It has been a tough few days.”
Earlier, the Rising Star Riding Horse of the Year went to local Kate D’Acre and Royalton Front & Centre, with Toni Louisson and Impresario MCW, reserve.
In ring two, the ponies’ rising star and paced and mannered titles were decided.
Christchurch’s Paige Fitzgerald (11) took out the small Rising Star Show Pony of the Year with KS Helter Skelter ahead Gaylene Williams’ Mr Postman in the hands of 15-year-old Ella Rankin. The large Rising Star Show Pony of the Year was won by South Auckland’s Noah Murphy riding Linden Master Class, with Jorja Paton and Windemere Gems Twist reserve.
It was a southern double in the Small Rising Star Saddle Hunter with Kaiapoi’s Millie Harris (16) and Bellagio KV taking the title, with Cheviot’s Kate Stackhouse reserve on Willow Spring Tailor Made. The Large Rising Star Saddle Hunter went to Lucy Curtis on Jubilee Strephon with Tamsin Lockie and Arosa Summer Holiday, reserve.
The Cadwallader family of Coatesville has been a dominant force in the showing section at HOY for the past few seasons and this time it was the turn of youngest member Mia Cadwallader (11) to shine, winning the Small Paced & Mannered Show Pony of the Year aboard Leeara Park First Edition with Little River’s Harriet Laing riding Sarah Cronin’s Chelton Fairy Lights, reserve.
The Large Paced & Mannered Show Pony of the Year went to 11-year-old Lillie Wallace of Otaki and the ever-consistent Woodlands Park Light O Day with Cambridge’s Mikayla Rogers (12) and Monstevos Just In Pretoria, reserve.
In the saddle hunters, Ruby Norton-Collins took out the Small Paced & Mannered Saddle of the Year with Ashbrooke Bracken, with Mia Cadwallader having to settle for reserve with Nanteos Autumn Guardsman.
Backing up from winning the Wonder Memorial Junior Equestrian Turnout yesterday, Christchurch’s Lucy Cochrane continued her success taking out the Large Paced & Mannered Saddle of the Year aboard Dani Simpson’s Greenmoor Euphoria. Reserve went to Brooke Bennett and Tirohanga Touch Wood.
