Julie Davey and Just D – Winners of The Brave Pants Company Premier League at the Site Land Development North Island Championships held in Pukekohe – Photo by Cornege Photography.
The Site Land Development North Island Championships held at the Pukekohe Showgrounds were the pinnacle show jumping event this weekend. While the Auckland Show Jumping committee had the grounds looking picture perfect and ready for a stunning weekend of competition, the weather Gods had other ideas. Rain, rain and more rain was the theme of the weekend and the Auckland SJ committee would have been thankful to their main sponsors – Site Land Development – who couldn’t have worked harder to keep the grounds in the best possible shape. Duncan, Blondie and the orange roller were a common sight in between every class. Ring One course designer, Danielle Watts also did a great job building to the conditions, resulting in some thrilling competition.
The Brave Pants Company Premier League (kindly supported by Veterinary Associates Equine) saw a small but quality field come forward and Julie Davey certainly put on her ‘brave pants’, expertly guiding Just D around the challenging track for the only double clear to take out the title. Tyla Hackett and Global PH Cocofino were the only other combination to qualify for the jump off after producing an effortless clear first round to finish in second place.
James Steiner probably had his biggest win to date, winning the AMS Saddlery Pony Grand Prix (kindly supported by GJ Gardener Homes) with TCG Centadel. “Jet is jumping well. It’s probably only his second Grand Prix start of the season, so it’s pretty cool to be the North Island Pony Grand Prix Champion. The course was good, even though the ground was challenging at times – the show did a good job with it. They were out there on the roller keeping it under control”. James’ next show is Taupo Xmas Classic, and his main aim of the season is Pony of the Year.
James Steiner and TCG Centadel flying to the win in the AMS Saddlery Pony Grand Prix at Auckland Show Jumping’s Site Land Development North Island Championships – Photo by Cornege Photography.
Emma Gaze is a lady that is known to contest a jump off, especially on one of her speedy ‘Bug’s’, and she did not disappoint this weekend. In the saddle of her trusty Shuttle Bug, she sped around the Harrison Lane Pro-Am (kindly supported by Zealandia Nurseries) to take the title from Vicki Ridley on Mosaic II who also jumped a super double clear to finish second. Emily Ramsden aboard Euro Champagne jumped the only double clear to become the FMG Young Rider North Island Champion (kindly supported by NZPH), as did Sarah Revis and Royal Blue, who faced the worst of the conditions in the Dunstan Horsefeeds Amateur Rider (kindly supported by Premier Horse Transport).
Tara Gower had a fantastic show, coming away with two titles to her name. The first of those being the Mainland Coachwork Junior Rider (kindly supported by The Workshop 1924), which saw a thrilling jump off with five combinations going double clear. Tara and Double J Image were early to go, and set a standard that could not be caught. Tara was also victorious in the NZPH & A1 Equine Reproduction 7 Year Old Breeders Series (kindly supported by Inkster Landscapes), this time aboard Sue Gower’s homebred Riverhills Legend (Euro Sport Centavos x Destiny/Ranfurly). Jaime Campbell was last to go in the Equitak Excel 6 Year Old Breeders Series (kindly supported by Steelrite Framing) jump off. Riding the Paula Brocklehurst owned and bred Parisian Affair (Euro Sport Centavos x Total Eclipse/John) she went through the start flags like a woman on a mission which saw her shoot straight to the top of the leaderboard. Trudi Mitchell and the New Zealand Performance Horses bred Justified NZPH (Candy de Nantuel x Frizzante NZPH/Nonplusultra) were the fastest of five double clears in the East Coast Performance Horses 5 Year Old Breeders Series (kindly supported by Canter for Cancer Rugs).
The TiES Futurity Series saw Isabelle Jameson & Miss Eves (Indy King x Max Facta/Golan) jump the only clear to take out the class.
Taranaki hosted the Egmont A&P Show followed by the Taranaki Equestrian Jumping Show on Sunday, giving riders two lots of Series classes to contend.
Chairwoman Tanya Hansen said “We have had a lovely few days of jumping. Thankfully the forecast rain didn’t come to much, and we even had sunshine for most of Saturday! The ground held up beautifully, and Eryn Duffy – who came up from the South Island – built fabulous courses in Ring One and we saw lots of quality and competitive jump offs. We are very appreciative of the officials, volunteers, sponsors and riders who all came to support our show”.
Waitangi Skynet and Sophie Scott continued their winning streak, winning both Property Brokers Grand Prix with the only double clears. “Sky was on form this weekend, jumping double clears in both Grand Prix in his favourite wet and rainy conditions. The ground held up super all weekend and we had some really nice tracks to jump”.
Eliza McDonald had a good show at Egmont A&P, winning the TiES Futurity Series with De Silver Lining (Roc De Cambes x Courtney/Heroicity), and also the Mainland Coachwork Junior Rider with Mizta Frosty. Tanya Hansen found a spare five minutes in her busy schedule of running the show to win the Harrison Lane Pro Am on Ngahiwi Specter. Penny Borthwick with Double J Breeze On were victorious in the FMG Young Rider, as were Anna Wilson aboard Redcliffs Bill in the AMS Saddlery Pony Grand Prix. Sarah West and the Vicki Prendergast bred Schecter (Hector van d’Abdijhoeve x Sofee/Powerfee) were the only clears in the East Coast Performance Horses 5 Year Old Breeders Series.
Daniel Webb took out the win in both NZPH & A1 Equine Reproduction 7 Year Olds with his homebred WSJ Cartalusa (Cartell GNZ x Calusa/Euro Sport Centavos), as did Sam Carrington and her homebred Double Jean Jeanie (Double J Repicharge x On Tune NZPH/Fetiche du Pas) in the Equitak Excel 6 Year Olds.
Jillian Watson also had a cracking show with OhMyHolly, winning both Dunstan Horsefeeds Amateur Rider classes.
Annie Moffet with Korokipo Kid bettered their second place prize on Saturday by winning the Taranaki Equestrian Jumping AMS Saddlery Pony Grand Prix on Sunday. In the Harrison Lane Pro Am (kindly supported by Egmont Horse Coaches), it was a ‘sister’ quinella with Lucy Fell on Faratona STS being the quickest, leaving Chloe Hansen with Stevenson ECPH in second place. Daniel Webb was the sole clear on his homebred WSJ Centaz (Euro Sport Centavos x Anasazi/Anamour) in the East Coast Performance Horses 5 Year Old. Sam Carrington finished off a good weekend with a win in the FMG Young Rider aboard Double J Hurricane.
Canterbury A&P put on a great show for the NZ Agricultural Show. Molly Smith & Vapour Trail NZPH notched up their fourth AMS Saddlery Pony Grand Prix win. Quinn Coutts and LT Holst Harley won the FMG Young Rider (kindly supported by Graham McClintock), Molly Buist Brown and Hashtag FOMO won the Harrison Lane Pro Am, Summer Borrie aboard Pure Cascade won the Mainland Coachwork Junior Rider and Sophie Smith with SS Windego won the Dunstan Horsefeeds Amateur Rider.
For full results of Auckland SJ and Taranaki SJ, go to www.evoevents.co.nz
The Jumping Team – 20 November 2023