Jessica Woods and Defies Logic courtesy of Thomson Photography
The first event of the 2014-15 ESNZ Eventing Super League takes place at the Fiber Fresh National Equestrian Centre, Aratiatia, Taupo, this weekend, 11/12 October, with a field of nine starters in the CIC3* class, run under FEI (international) rules.
The current national one-day event champions, Angela Lloyd and Song (Auckland), are entered, along with last year’s national three-day event winner, Donna Smith and Tangolooma (Waikato), but the current national three-day title holder and winner of last season’s Super League, Clarke Johnstone and Balmoral Sensation, are not starting.
Johnstone, currently based in the Waikato, has been showjumping Sensation at the highest level this spring, and has opted to start the horse in the Equidays Showjumping Grand Prix at Mystery Creek, which offers higher stake money, the weekend after the Taupo event. He said, “I didn’t want to run him this weekend too.”
If all goes to plan, Johnstone will contest the Puhinui CCI3* in December, but hopes to compete off-shore again next year in a bid to make the squad for the 2016 Rio Olympics. He is building a strong team of young horses to take with him, as well as his potential international star.
Talent Development Squad riders Jessica Woods (Waikato) on Defies Logic, Amanda Pottinger (Wairarapa) on Achilles II, and Virginia Thompson (Auckland) on Star Nouveau, will be having their first start at 3* level, so they are ones to watch, but Abby Lawrence and Pseudonym (Bay of Plenty) will be serious challengers.
Woods won the 2* level warm-up event on Defies Logic at Hastings last weekend, and is a previous winner of the Massey University Young Rider series, having also represented New Zealand in the Trans-Tasman Young Rider team. She has spent time working for Andrew Nicholson in the UK, so is being groomed for the big time.
Whoever fills the top spots will earn major points in the Super League series, as FEI events earn extra points. The next event in the series is the Arran Station Horse Trials at Takapau, Central Hawkes Bay, at Labour weekend, followed by the National One-day Championship, also run under FEI rules, at Christchurch on 7/8 November.
