Donna Smith and Just Chocolate Photo: Barbara Thomson
The first Bell Tea Super League of the autumn season takes place at Puhinui this weekend, with a strong class of thirteen entries in the Advanced class vying for points in the year long series, which culminates at the NRM National Three-day Event at Taupo in May.
Current leaders Donna Smith, Te Kauwhata, and Sarah Varley’s Just Chocolate, will be striving to extend that lead, while second placed Ashleigh McKinstry, Taumarunui, will be resting Pioneer Makokomiko after contesting the NZ Young Rider title at Rotorua last weekend.
This will give third placed Simon Gordon, Auckland, and Fletch.com the opportunity to close the gap a little, while Monica Oakley, Waipukurau, on Fontain and Dannie Lodder, Auckland, on Petra Eatson’s Moochi, sixth and seventh respectively, will be hoping to leap frog up the order.
Oakley has started the season well with a win on Fontain in the Advanced/Intermediate class at Rotorua last weekend, and all have been squad training at Taupo since, so should be primed for top performances, before heading to the Horse of the Year Show in Hastings where the CIC3* eventing class, run under FEI (international) rules, earns extra points.
This short format 3* class, on Friday and Saturday 15/16 March, is also the final selection trial for the NZ Trans-Tasman team to go to the Sydney CCI3* Three-day Event on 26-28 April.
Virginia Caro
