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The Stars at their breakfast
It may have been an early start at Puhinui for the Thompson Electrical Breakfast with the Stars but it was well worthwhile with the small group that attended enjoying a fun and interesting question and answer session with the visiting ‘Stars’ Tim and Jonelle Price, Blyth Tait and Nick Gauntlett. As always, when you get a group of eventers together, there are quite a few laughs with Blyth Tait admitting that people often say “Oh, you’re smaller than I expected” when they first meet him plus some interesting discussions around the ages of top horses, indoor eventing, plans for next year and lots more. We’ll bring you our video of the Breakfast with the Stars session, hosted by Equestrian Sports New Zealand’s new CEO Vicki Glynn, soon.
By the time that was over and the volunteers/jump judges all fed by a huge barbeque breakfast, it was time for the real play of the day starting with the Veterinary Associates CCI1*cross country. There were only minor movements across the board in this class and 20 combinations made it around the course without jump or time penalties. The overnight leader Aleisha Collett riding Mi Focus maintained her lead, adding nothing to her dressage score of 53.40.
Aleisha Collett
Ashleigh Mckinstry and Ngahiwi Makem
Ashleigh Mckinstry also kept her second place on Ngahiwi Makem (53.70), keeping the pressure on Aleisha, and fourth on Pioneer Brass Monkey (54.70). Ashleigh is a former winner of the CCI3* here on a home bred horse Pioneer Makokomiko and it looks as if she has some more talented young ones coming up
Donna Smith is still in third place on SE Godswalk (54.4) starting her cross country day well with a double clear round. Even though Donna withdrew Cluny from the CCI2* she still had a busy day with a ride in the CCI3* and the CCN105 on Henton First Edition as well jumping the highest fences she has ever jumped in the entertaining Eventers vs Showjumpers High Jump.
Whereas there was little movement in the CCI1* there were considerable changes in the Cato Packaging CCI2* class with three retirements and two eliminations including the third placed Christen Hayde on Kinnordy Gallilee due to a fall at Fence 8, which caused problems for many. The leader after dressage, Amanda Pottinger had a problem here and also picked up 20 penalties at Fence 24, another jump which caught a few out. With 40 penalties and time faults Amanda dropped down the leader board, as did Blyth Tait who also had a problem at Fence 24, moving him and Leo Distinction from second to 10th.
There were only three clear rounds without time penalties from Diane Gilder riding Your Attorney (55.4), Virginia Thompson riding Star Nouveau (56.7) and Emily Cammock riding Lewis (66.9) moving them up to equal first, third and eighth respectively. Diane is tied in first place with Katharine Van Tuyl riding Double J Sunshine who moved up from ninth place with only 0.4 time penalties.
Katharine Van Tuyl riding Double J Sunshine
Katharine has a good reputation for developing young horses and boasts Zara Phillips as a client, who bought Black Tuxedo from her in 2011. While Katharine is hoping to hold onto this promising young horse she admits that at the end of the day, he may have to be sold but she was very happy with the seven year old chestnut gelding today
“I was hoping to move up a fair bit but I’m pretty surprised to be in first place. He was amazing everywhere and we had a really great ride. I was feeling a little bit nervous as he’s only done a couple of Intermediate events and he’s probably the youngest horse in the field so it was quite a big ask of him”
In the Devi Heating Systems CCI1* Junior Rider championship Abigail Long and BMW Advokaat maintained their lead with a double clear round while Tayla Mason riding Lucy with Diamonds, a horse she bought for $100, moved into the lead in the Honda NZ CCI2* Young Rider class
Seven combinations made it around the Honda NZ CCI3* cross country but the only one to make the time was Clarke Johnstone riding the dressage leader Balmoral Sensation (above). They survived a sticky moment at the Pallisades at Fence 7 (check out all the fences on the CCI3* cross country course here) which took Clarke a bit by surprise when Balmoral Sensation decided to take a look at the ditch but they made the rest look easy to finish on their dressage score of 39
Second after the dressage, Matthew Grayling riding NRM Lowenberg completed the course but was deemed to have had three refusals on course at Fences 4, 24 and 26 resulting in elimination. This meant that Donna Smith and Tangalooma moved up into second place, adding only 2.8 time penalties to finish on a score of 49.4 and giving Clarke a comfortable lead for tomorrow. Donna, who used to ride Balmoral Sensation was magnanimous in her praise of Clarke’s riding
“Clarke rode him beautifully. They make a fantastic team and having them competing here makes us all lift our game here in New Zealand and that makes us more competitive”
However, as she in second place currently, Donna added that she wouldn’t mind if Clarke makes a few mistakes tomorrow!
The current National One Day Event champion Fraser King made the biggest jump of the day (in placings at least) from 11th to third with only 0.4 time penalties riding Nadal KSNZ to finish on a score of 61.6. Fraser says that the horse’s name Nadal suits him as ‘he is mentally very tough like the tennis player’ so he was pretty sure he could pull off a fast, clear round today. Fraser’s watch didn’t start correctly at the beginning of the course so he slowed down in the last minute, not wanting to go too fast but was actually one second over
Fraser is just ahead of visiting rider Nick Gauntlett who picked up 12.4 time penalties on his recent acquisition, El Grado (above) in fourth place on 62.4. As Nick says in our interview below, he is getting to know El Grado better with every outing (their last competition was at the NSW State Championships in Goulburn where they finished fourth in the CIC3*) and also thinks that more northern hemisphere riders should come and enjoy the sunny eventing down here at this time of year
Once the CCI3* cross country drew to a close some of the eventers took to the main arena to entertain the crowds by jumping huge jumps and taking their clothes off. Unofficially entitled “Tip, Strip and Out” the Eventers versus Showjumpers High Jump Challenge saw some seriously big jumping up to 1.65m combined with some very funny commentary, bareback riding by Tim Price (both horse and rider), Dannie Lodder revealing her blue shorts again (see our first trot up gallery) and the winner riding in her bra. Again, we’ll bring you the video highlights of this very soon
Tim Price without the saddle but not yet without the shirt!
