South Island Winners of National Young and Junior Rider Titles

Lucy Turner, Carbon, winners of the National. Young Rider title and the Ultimate Design CCI2*Kirsty Sharapoff, Margs Evans, Leonie Jones - Eventing Canterbury crewJordan Shrimpton & Ka Pai Kiwi - winners of the Lenamore TrophyDonna Edwards-Smith with DSE Cluny and owner Gaye McClunieEve Hawes, Spookee Possum with David Jones-Parry from BatesAlice Jones, Greyfriars Legacy

Two South Islanders have captured two National titles for three day eventing. Lucy Turner (Lincoln) won the Young Rider title (Swarbrick Trophy) riding Carbon and Jordan Shrimpton (Christchurch) won the Junior rider title (Lenamore Trophy) on Ka Pai Kiwi.

There was glory for the North Island contingent at the South Island Three Day Event however when Te Kauwhata’s Donna Edwards-Smith took out the main class, the CCI3* on DSE Cluny. Gaye McClunie, the owner of the horse, was here to watch her 11-year-old horse win his first major three day event title after putting in a faultless show jumping round. “How good was this to come down here and win, I love him,” she said afterwards.

Donna had bought a big team down with her, nine horses and four riders in total. The team had its ups and downs but were well pleased with their results overall. “Everyone down here has been amazing,” Donna said. “The hospitality has been wonderful, and thanks for the snow, hail, rain and sunshine!”

Cluny’s next major event will be the Adelaide CCI4* in November.

Kirsty Sharapoff from Christchurch, who is the Chair of Eventing Canterbury was second in the class on Shoot the Breeze, with West Melton’s Emily Cammock and Shaw Lee third. Emily is another planning to go to the Adelaide event later this year with Shaw Lee.  Brent Jury’s SE Hedging was withdrawn after being put on hold in the final horse inspection.

Lucy Turner had aimed all season to win the Young Rider title, which she has won before two years ago when it was held in Auckland. She put in a beautiful clear show jumping title to be a clear winner. “But winning the two-star class overall has really topped it off,” said Lucy who is hoping to return to Puhinui in December to compete.  For her efforts she collected the Mr Hagan Trophy for the two-star win, and also the Swarbrick Trophy for the Young Rider Win. Lucy was also fourth in the one-star class on her young horse, Astek Victor so she certainly had a good weekend but she is heading back to university where is studying Sports Management. The talented sportswoman also plays representative hockey and she enjoys her studies, mainly as it seems she can fit in university life as well as all her sporting activities! 

Carbon and Lucy have been together for four years. “He was my first hack, and he has the biggest heart. He will jump anything!” Lucy also won the New Zealand Pony Club Association’s prize for the best performed pony club rider where the prize was another lovely cover (she also won covers for the YR & 2* win). Lucy’s mother had regrets now about buying a new woollen cover just a week or so ago.

Jordan Shrimpton, aged 17, didn’t seem to believe that she had actually won the national junior rider title straight after her show jumping round. “I’ve never had a clear show jumping round at one-star level,” she said afterwards, grinning from ear to ear after jumping clear. The Papanui High School student has been riding for about five or six years. She initially got interested in horses when she heard her friend was going to a camp to brush ponies, but until then none of her family had any involvement with horses. “It wasn’t the riding that sold it, I wanted to brush a pony!”  She now far prefers riding them, and she has also got her two younger sisters involved, and they were also competing this weekend, both being placed in the lower classes.

Eve Hawes from the West Coast won the Bates Saddles CCI1* on nine-year-old Spookee Possum, a thoroughbred horse she has had six years. “I didn’t think he would do the 95cm classes, but he just kept stepping up and this season he decided that he would be very styley,” she said. He looked very impressive in all jumping phases, and had to endure hail in his dressage test on Friday, never skipping a beat.

Otago’s Lauren Enright won the NZCT CCN105 class on six-year-old Tygra, also a thoroughbred horse purchased from Event Stars (as was Spookee Possum). “I might keep this one,” she said afterwards. “Hopefully I can get back up the grades as it has been a while.” From their performance this weekend, that could well be on the cards, the pair looked very accomplished.

The Rider Shop Cross Country Style Prize went to Alice Jones and Greyfriars Legacy.  The best presented at the trot up was Cam Robertson’s Wairoa Renegade, for which Cam did receive some teasing, as he turned up to the prize giving unplaited!  Lydia Truesdale’s Allander Rocket was judged the best conditioned horse, with his liver chestnut coat looking superb.

The prize giving included a presentation to the hard-working Marg Evans Taylor who was named as one of the Eventing Canterbury’s Hall of Fame. Marg had only recently stepped down as Eventing Canterbury’s Chair and had acted as Event Director for the South Island Three Day Event this weekend. It was also her birthday so there was even a song sung for her!