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Emily Cammock (above) made sure her first completion of the CIC3* at the Farmlands Horse of the Year Show was a winner in Hastings, with her coast-bred grey Dambala.
The mum of one from Christchurch was lying second in the Land Rover CIC3* after the dressage and showjumping phases, and a faultless round over the John Nicholson-designed cross country course gave her the win by 9.1 penalty points over second-placed Samantha Felton (Cambridge) on Ricker Ridge Escada who moved her way steadily through the field from sixth after the dressage.
Overnight leader Mathew Grayling (Taranaki) and NRM Lowenberg had an unfortunate run out at a combination early in the course, which dropped them to seventh overall.
Missing from today's line-up was top eventer Jock, Paget, who was to compete on Felton's Henton After Dark, but had to withdraw when the horse contracted a slight respiratory infection. But the day belonged to 33-year-old Cammock. It was a special day in more ways than one – it was also the first birthday of her daughter Katie, who was waiting for her at home.
Cammock had barely finished the course before jumping in the car to head south to Wellington to catch a plane back to Christchurch in readiness to compete tomorrow in a one day event at Amberley on Sunday.
She's also preparing to compete at the four star Rolex Kentucky Three Day Event next month with her winning mount.
Cammock has had the horse around four years. The former showjumper came via a student who was petrified of him. Cammock rode the horse for a year and then bought him, “He is so talented. He is such a good jumper . . a little quirky and sensitive,” she says.
He lapped up the cross country today and the plan panned out perfectly.
“We were here to win!”
And it was a great lead in for their pending trip to Kentucky.
“I am unbelievably excited to be heading to Kentucky. It has been a dream for a really long time.”
After the event, Dambala will stay in the States and be sold.
Clarke Johnstone (Matangi) brought Orient Express, his bronze medal winning World Champs team horse, out of retirement to win the Hansen Products CIC2*.
“He went so well out there,” says Johnstone. “I was a little rusty at the start because he is quite a lot different to my other horses.
“It wasn't the hardest 2* we see but you get the challenge of the crowd and tightly roped course, which we don't get often so it is great exposure for the horses.”
Johnstone says while he knew his 16-year-old horse was more than capable of a win, he wasn't sure how he would go today.
“I decided to run him fast because the ground was good . . . I got a bit competitive. He is such a special horse. I just take things day by day with him. I just want to make sure he is enjoying his job.”
Earlier today Molly Buist-Brown and Miss Mae West won the Farmlands Pony of the Year title.
The feisty pony was the only one of 30 combinations to jump three stunning clear rounds, and she is believed to be the first Southern combination to win the Somerset Fair Cup since Julie Foster in 1975.
Six came back for the jump-off where it all came down to Buist-Brown and Burnett-Grant who each had double clears.
Burnett-Grant took the last rail with Silver to finish on eight, but went clear on Maximus to sit on four. But unfortunately, she parted company with Pioneer Jade and were eliminated.
It was Buist-Brown's to lose . . . go clear and take the title.
The 15-year-old had her hands full with her national champion pony, but took it all in her stride.
“Winning the nationals gave me a bit of confidence going into this,” she said.
And she backed herself to go clear in that final round with her 12-year-old horse she bought sight-unseen from Australia.It's been a good show for the teen, who has twice ridden for New Zealand offshore – as well as the Pony of the Year title, she was also part of Canterbury's Saba Sam winning team and with Yipee Ki Yay was in the second-placed Canterbury team in the Pony Club Teams event.
As happy as Buist-Brown is, it was a nervous wait for mum Rochelle.
“We never expect to win,” she said. “What will happen, happens, but this time I was more than a little nervous with it coming down to needing that clear round to win.”
Burnett-Grant finished second, third and fifth with her trio of ponies.
Results -
Eventing, Land Rover CIC3*: Emily Cammock (Christchurch) Dambala 47.6 penalty points 1, Samantha Felton (Cambridge) Ricker Ridge Escada 56.7 2, Juliet Wood (Northland) Bold Trader 64.1 3, Jessica Woods (Ohaupo) Defies Logic 64.2 4, Abby Lawrence (Kaukapakapa) Pseudonym 66.3 5, Diane Gilder (Cambridge) Your Attorney 67.9 6.
Hansen Products CIC2*: Clarke Johnstone (Matangi) Orient Express 39.5 1, Amanda Pottinger (Wairarapa) Just Kidding 40.6 2, Sarah Young (Tokoroa) Regal Romar 45.2 3, Dannie Lodder (Auckland) Moochi 47.4 4, Amanda Pottinger (Wairarapa) Achilles II 47.8 5, Aleisha Collett (Pukekohe) Mi Focus 48.4 6
Farmlands Pony of the Year: Molly Buist-Brown (Christchurch) Miss Mae West 1, Briar Burnett-Grant (Taupo) Fiber Fresh Mighty Maximus 2, Briar Burnett-Grant (Taupo) Fiber Fresh Kabo Silver 3, Grace O'Sullivan
(Rangiora) Galaxy Masterpiece 4, Briar Burnett-Grant (Taupo) Pioneer Jade and Emelia Forsyth (Auckland) Soleado =5.
