Tayla Mason and Lucy With Diamonds Photo: Barbara Thomson
Tayla Mason, Waikanae, won the Dunstan New Zealand Young Rider One-day Event title at Rotorua over the weekend, riding Lucy With Diamonds. They were the only combination to complete on their dressage score, having added no penalties in either jumping phase, to head off favourites Ashleigh McKinstry, Owhango, and Pioneer Makokomiko.
McKinstry, who has an unassailable lead in the Massey University Young Rider series, was second after the dressage, but uncharacteristically had two showjumping rails down, which cost her the title, as she produced a faultless cross-country round to finish 1.6 penalties behind Mason.
The overnight leader going into Sunday’s cross-country was Jessica Woods, Ohaupo, on Defies Logic, who produced one of only three clear showjumping rounds, but she came unstuck at a big brush palisade early on the course, not having full strength in one leg after a motor accident ten days prior to the event.
Local girl Georgia Dufty and Charlton Tabloid led after the dressage, but had a disastrous showjumping round. However a clear cross-country round inside the time saw them pull up the order to finish third.
The Junior title went to Samantha Mynott, Wellsford, riding Princess Trinity, who were second after the dressage and added no further penalties. The defending champions, Sarah Young, Tokoroa, and Oakley Vision, looked set to retain the title, but Young missed the last fence on the cross-country and went through the finish flags before realising her mistake.
Results:
Dunstan NZ Young Rider One-day Event Championship:
Tayla Mason, Lucy With Diamonds, 41.2, 1; Ashleigh McKinstry, Pioneer Makokomiko, 42.8, 2; Georgie Dufty, Charlton Tabloid, 53.6, 3.
Dunstan NZ Junior Rider One-day Event Championship:
Samantha Mynott, Princess Trinity, 41.2, 1; Loran Mathis, Flintoff, 43.3, 2; Nicole Green, FIS de Lago, 44.8, 3; Alex Chambers-Steward, Peti Peti Wai, 49.5, 4.
Report by Virginia Caro
