The in-form Larissa Srhoy will be competing in the CCI*
Paraparaumu’s Tayla Mason heads a strong North Island contingent looking for their share of the spoils at the New Zealand Community Trust FEI South Island Three Day Event at McLeans Island, Christchurch, from April 19-21.
Winner of the Dunstan New Zealand One Day Young Rider Championship in late February, Mason will be hoping to make it a national double with Lucy With Diamonds adding the coveted Swarbrick Trophy for the National Three Day Young Rider champion to her trophy haul this season, as well as honours in the Tavern Harewood CCI2*.
The 19-year-old, who was awarded a Prime Minister’s Scholarship to help with her studies at Massey University in environmental planning alongside her sporting aspirations, has had a dream season, also winning the Six-Year-Old Horse of the Year title at the Horse of the Year show in Hastings aboard Sonidor.
The CCI2* has attracted 10 starters, with Mason the only young rider combination eligible for the Swarbrick Trophy. Mason comes in determined for s strong showing after she was eliminated in the CIC2* at the Kihikihi International Horse Trials earlier this month for parting company from Lucy With Diamonds during the cross country phase, but she will face some stiff competition for class honours from fellow northerners Fraser King (Inglewood), who has his starry pair Diego KSNZ and Nadal KSNZ entered fresh from a top six finish at the Kihikihi. Palmerston North’s Laura Knight also has the vastly experienced Ricmeister.
Rangiora’s Susie Stewart and Cowboy will be looking to continue the great form which saw them romp home in the Open Intermediate at Eventing Canterbury’s most recent event at Amberley, while former international Emily Cammock (West Melton) starts Shaw Lee.
The southerner’s big hopes lie with Invercargill young rider Jade McRae with Kabo Hallucination and Outram’s Lauren Enright and Tokyo Road, with Melissa Chapman (Amberley) on That’s Gizmo and Eve Hawes (Reefton) on Hurlingham Lansong rounding out the strong field.
Honours in the Devi Heating Systems CCI1* will be equally hard fought with 33 contenders vying for the honours, with five junior riders doing battle for the Lenamore Trophy for the National Junior Three Day Event Champion including defending champion Bonnie Farrant (Rangiora) on Kaipara Dior.
Amongst the CCI1* starters are North Islanders Lauren Currie (Wainuiomata) on Giselle II, Elizabeth Moore (Atiamuri) on Happy Feet, Kate Fleming (Pautahanui) on Mendelsohn, Hannah Gibson (Wellington) on Janova, and Helen Bruce (Palmerston North) on Toblerone NZPH, but with numbers on the board, the South Islanders will be hard to beat on home turf.
On the back of success in the Wade Equine Coaches CIC1* at Kihikihi, the in-form combination of Larissa Srhoy (Ashburton) and Smirnoff will undoubtedly be one of the star acts to follow, as will Grace Mannerswood (Queenstown) and Hi Ho Said Rolly, who have also just returned from a successful northern campaign. As always, Cammock will be hard to beat with three entries.
Disappointingly, without the services of local top rider Annabel Wigley who is out with injury, the NZCT CIC3* has fielded just the three starters but will count towards the Bell Tea Super League. Local veterinarian Sam Taylor (Swanannoa) on Leo Degas, winner of the CIC3* class aboard DV8 in 2010, will be joined by young rider Katie Rankin (Oxford) on her quirky gelding Time To Tango Too, and currently New Zealand-based South African rider Tessa Jacks and Cracker Jack Candy, who has travelled all the way down from Hamilton to compete, hoping to gain a qualifying score.
Competition across the lower levels will also be hotly-contested with more than 30 battling it out for honours in the Hei Hei Pharmacy Pre Novice, and 47 in the Striding Edge Horse Shoeing Training, while 24 young horses will tackle the Tavern Harewood sponsored 4, 5, & 6 Year Olds Training with more than 50 in the Pre Training jointly sponsored by Blue Gum Lodge Motel and Saddlery Barn.
The action gets underway at midday on Thursday, April 18 with the prestigious Saddlery Barn South Island Young Event Horse Championship. The first phase of the three-day-event, dressage, will get underway at 10am on Friday, followed by the all-important cross country phase at 9am on Saturday. The event comes to conclusion with the final show jumping scheduled to begin at 9am on Sunday.
Entry to the grounds is free and the public are welcome to attend, cashing in on top-flight eventing action on their back doorstep. The cross country will provide spectacular public viewing with all of the courses for the main three classes coming through the main arena. Food and beverages are available on site.
