Georgia Allison figured she and Hokey Pokey would be thinking about HOY titles next year or so . . . but today the combination from Oxford in the South Island rode off with the Junior Show Hunter of the Year crown.

Nine-year-old Hokey Pokey only teamed up with Georgia in November. He’s had a busy season – as well as helping his 17-year-old rider win the ESNZ Junior Equitation Series, he also placed runner-up in the ridden part-bred Gypsy Cob of the Year, placed fourth in the in-hand part-bred Gypsy Cob of the Year and fifth in level one dressage.

“He was pretty flat yesterday so I wasn’t expecting a lot from him today,” said Georgia. “This has to be 18 months ahead of what I thought we would be doing. He is still very green and quite immature.”

She felt their first round today was “a little green” but that they would scrape through to the top 10. “I thought top 10 was just mint but then we got called back in first. I couldn’t believe it.”

Georgia said the goal for the day had been a good round and winning was simply not an expectation. “His second round was just awesome and I came out feeling we were in with a chance.”

The win was all the more special because Hokey Pokey’s former owners had travelled over from Taranaki to watch them go. Georgia shared the win with her mother Bridget. “I couldn’t do it without her. She is stoked with the win and especially because the horse is by her stallion.”

 

Results –

Junior Show Hunter of the Year: Georgia Allison (Oxford) Hokey Pokey 1, Lauren Mitchell (Kumeu) Sonny Bill 2, Madison Wiffen (Wellington) Ponga 3, Sophie Fisher (Cambridge) Zig Zag 4, Devon Finlayson (Whangarei) Telex 5, Emily Twort (Henderson) Cameo KSNZ 6.

 

Diana Dobson, 15th March 2019