Clarke Johnstone will be back again this year - but this time he'll be riding his own Balmoral Sensation
We’re off to Auckland! This weekend sees us heading to the land of the long white cloud to cover the eventing action and videoing all competitors on the cross country course at the Puhinui International 3 Day Event.
The New Zealand spring eventing season climaxes at this event in Auckland from 5-7 December, with all six of the year long ESNZ Eventing series reaching the halfway stage. The CCI (long format) classes earn double points, adding value to a good performance before the summer break, so competitors come from far and wide.
Twelve elite combinations, including one from Australia, will contest the Honda CCI3*, which is an ESNZ Eventing Super League class. Annabel Wigley, home from her UK base, is bringing NRM Enzo from Amberley, while Emily Cammock, Christchurch, has former National Three-day Event winner Dambala entered as well as Shaw Lee.
The Australian entry is actually from GB international Nick Gauntlett who has bought an Australian horse, El Grado, and is competing down under prior to flying the horse home to Britain. They have had one start, a CIC (short format) 3* at Goulburn, NSW, where they placed fourth.
However the favourite to win will be the current NRM National Three-day Event winner and NZ Eventer of the Year, Clarke Johnstone on Balmoral Sensation. They won all three major events during the autumn season to win the Super League series last year, despite only coming together as a combination in January.
The current leader of the Super League is Donna Smith, from Te Kauwhata, who produced Sensation, riding Tangolooma. They are the only combination to have placed twice in the series to date, so have a comfortable margin over second placed Fraser King and Nadal KSNZ, who won the National One-day Event title at Christchurch in early November.
Last year’s Honda CCI3* winner, former international Matthew Grayling, a dairy farmer from New Plymouth, will ride NRM Lowenberg, on which he won the Red Snap’r CNC3* at Arran Station. They lie fourth in the Super League series, and are poised to move higher, thanks to third placed Samantha Felton suffering a broken collar bone.
There will also be plenty of other activities with visiting Kiwi stars Tim and Jonelle Price dropping by each day and hosting course walks. They will be walking the Honda NZ CCI*** course at 10:30 am on Friday then be walking the Cato Packaging CCI** course at 4:30pm (or at the conclusion of the Honda NZ CCI*** dressage, whichever is the sooner). Both course walks are open to everyone - just meet up at the first fence at either 10:30 am or 4:30 pm
Find out what course designer Tich Massey has to say about this year’s event here
Watch 2013 cross country videos from Puhinui here
