Sam Felton and Ricker Ridge Divine Right
Last year Emily Cammock won the CCI1* at Puhinui International Horse Trials on Impeccable, a horse now in Australia who will be campaigned by Megan Jones when she returns to competition after having her baby, and Emily is once again on track for a win, leading after both the dressage and cross country phases of the Veterinary Associates CCI1* at Puhinui on her dressage score of 29.8
Emily Cammock and Antara
Emily and her fairly new four-legged partner in this class, Antara, who she told us more about yesterday, made easy work of the cross country phase today, finishing with a double clear around a new course which the riders seemed to find fairly easy. Most combinations completed the course under the time or with single digit time penalties with only two picking up jump penalties and two eliminations. One of those eliminated also happened to be Emily, who took a ducking when her first horse CCI1* ride, DSE Southern Halo, jumped into the water complex with a mighty leap, a not dissimilar occurrence to last year!
Amanda Pottinger and Good Timing
In second place in the CCI1* is Amanda (Muzi) Pottinger riding Good Timing on a score of 30.2 and we caught up with both Muzi and Emily for a chat about their current placings in the 1*, plus sixth place currently for Amanda and The Comedian in the Auckland Council CCI2* and third place for Emily in the Honda NZ CCI3*
At the time of this interview, Maddy Crowe was leading the CCI3* with Emily in second place but, once the results were finalised, Sam Felton had moved into the lead riding Ricker Ridge Divine Right thanks to the only double clear round of the day, finishing on their dressage score of 34.9. Emily and Shaw Lee were the second fastest with nine time penalties, currently in third place on 41.2 and Maddy Crowe is now in second place, having added 10.8 time penalties to finish on 40.7
As you can hear in the interview below, luckily the riders knew what was going on as Debbie didn't!
Sam Felton and Ricker Ridge Riley
Like Emily, Sam Felton took a ducking earlier in the day, this time in the CCI2*. Sam was in first and second places in this class after the dressage but second placed Ricker Ridge Sooty GNZ had a little whoopsie at the water requiring a change of clothes for Sam before re-mounting her next horse, Ricker Ridge Riley, who is now in second place (33.9)
Sam Felton
Abby Lawrence and Anonymous
It is Abby Lawrence who now leads the CCI2* riding the 11-year-old chestnut gelding Anonymous, one of just six combinations to produce a double clear cross country round, finishing the day on their dressage score of 32.3.
Monica Oakley and Man Of Honour
In third place in the CCI2* is Monica Oakley on Man of Honour (34.2), a horse previously campaigned by Ginny Thompson before she headed to the UK, and now with Monica thanks to the ‘wonderful owners’ Chris and Tina Barlow
Monica was very consistent today, holding third and fifth places in the CCI2* on Man of Honour and Acrobat as well as third and fifth in the CCI1* on Festival and Artist, two talented seven year olds who are quite different in size and character
Sadly, tomorrow will not see the famed Puhinui ‘Tip, Strip and Out’ jumping take place (if you want to find out more about the last time Tim and Jonelle Price were here and took part, watch this) due to the condition of the main arena. As the riders have mentioned, this is still a part of the venue affected by boggy conditions, so it is being preserved for the 2* and 3* show jumping, depending on the Ground Jury decisions overnight
Either way, it is going to be a close contest for the CCI1* and CCI2* riders while Sam Felton has the luxury of 5.8 penalties in the CCI3*. Could Sam win multiple titles at Puhinui tomorrow? We’ll have to wait and see …….
Maddy Crowe and Waitangi Pinterest flying the 3* course
