Credit: Stephen Mowbray
When Ella Miranda first sat on Kinnordy Go Girl she knew it was a match made in heaven, and their win in the Gyro Plastics Junior High Points Series in their first season together underlined just how right she was.
“She has a very big personality – in a good way,” says the 18-year-old Feilding rider. “She is cool to have around . . .cheeky and playful but loves her work and gives 110% with her jumping.”
Ella previously competed in Cat C on her pony Red Baron, making top 15 in the series. “I thought that was really good and I was so happy,” she said. “At the start of the season I just thought we would go out and give a few shows a go. I thought it would take a season for us to get used to each other and to be at the point of competing successfully, but it just kept on getting better and better. The high points seemed to be our round. I thought ‘wow, it would be good to get in the top 10 . . . I certainly didn’t think we would be at the top.”
In the final of the series, Ella and Kinnordy Go Girl placed fourth, with Lauren Mitchell (Kumeu) aboard Craighaven Black Heart taking out the class, just a single point ahead of Amelia Newsom (Tauranga) on Tribute OL.
She got Kinnordy Go Girl after HOY 2018 and at the National Pony Club Show Hunter Championships – their first big competition together – they won all five rounds making history at the event. “I knew she was the perfect horse, there was just no doubt in my mind.”
Given their super success in show hunter, she’s keen to see if Kinnordy Go Girl can also turn her hand to other disciplines, particularly dressage and working hunters. “She enjoys lots of things, so I like to keep her happy during the week mixing up our flat schooling with a good farm hack.”
Recently they won the Prebbles Equestrian Show Hunter Series which was run in the high points classes from three shows in the Manawatu Horowhenua area.
There’s a lovely twist to Ella’s story – she bought Kinnordy Go Girl off Trudi Duncan whose company is the sponsor of the series the new combination has won. Kinnordy Go Girl is Ella’s first hack, but the horse has previously won the Junior High Points Series in the hands of another rider.
Ella, who is studying to be a vet tech at Massey University, trains with Gail Goodwin but credits her grandmother Sally Hansen with getting her to where she is today. “She plays a huge role in helping to look after my horse – who she owns. It was her who got me started in riding when I was 10 and she takes me to all the competitions. It just wouldn’t be possible without her.”
And Ella has some big plans for the future.
“This is only my first season in the hack ring and so much has happened already – it is very exciting especially given the standard of the juniors this year was so high. Next season I will give it another go and hopefully take out a (show hunter) title. It is scary to say but it is definitely one of my goals.”
Results – Gyro Plastics Junior High Points Series: Ella Miranda (Feilding) Kinnordy Go Girl 68 points 1, Georgia Allison (Oxford) Paintball 56 points 2, Antonio Matangi (Levin) Shoeshine Polish 45 points 3, Lauren Mitchell (Kumeu) Sonny Bill 44 points 4, Emily Twort (Henderson) Cameo KSNZ 43 points 5, Lauren Mitchell (Kumeu) Craighaven Black Heart 38 points 6.
Final class: Lauren Mitchell (Kumeu) Craighaven Black Heart 1, Amelia Newsom (Tauranga) Tribute OL 2, Emily Twort (Henderson) Cameo KSNZ 3, Ella Miranda (Feilding) Kinnordy Go Girl 4, Madison Wiffen (Wellington) Ponga 5, Lauren Mitchell (Kumeu) Sonny Bill 6.