Kate Plaw from Takapoto Estate and Nigel Cowan from POLi Payments present to Kimberley Bird aboard Cera Cassina, winners of Premier Series Class at Show Jumping Waikato 30th Oct-1st Nov 2020. Photo credit: Cornege Photography.

It’s been a cracker of an event at Showjumping Waikato and Takapoto Equestrian Premier Show at Maungatautari this weekend.

Ashburton’s Kimberley Bird and 11-year-old Cera Cassina rode off with the honours in the POLi Payments Premier League Series (sponsored by APL) with Crystal Hackett (Waiuku) aboard The Dreamer taking the win in the Country TV Pony Grand Prix (sponsored by Duncan & Ebbett).

Thirteen started the Premier League with six combinations sitting on four faults or less coming back for the second round. Just the South Islanders Kimberley on Cera Cassina and Tegan Fitzsimon (West Melton) aboard Windermere Cappuccino were on zero with Melody Matheson (Havelock North) on Cortaflex Graffiti MH, Annabel Francis (Taupo) on Carado GHP, Duncan McFarlane (Taupo) with Be Mine NZPH and Briar Burnett-Grant (Taupo) with Fiber Fresh Veroana all carrying four.

Kimberley added just a single time fault to her tally in the second, crossing the flags in 65.62 seconds. Melody was all clear in 57.78 to finish on four while Tegan had an early rail to finish on four faults with Windermere Cappuccino, coming home in 63.21 seconds. Annabel and her Aussie import were clear in the second round of the Kevin Hansen designed course, in 63.38 seconds while Duncan added another four in his 61.78-second round.

Kimberley, who was presented the Cambridge Cup (sponsored by the Hammond family) by last year’s winner Nicola Hammond, was very pleased with the efforts of her “wild child” grey mare. “I am absolutely stoked,” said the 24-year-old. “It was a bit of a surprise to be honest – we have been having a few bitting issues before the show and she hadn’t even jumped in this before but it worked great.”

Kimberley Bird and Cera Cassina en route to take the win in the Premier Series Class at Show Jumping Waikato 30th Oct-1st Nov 2020. Photo credit: Cornege Photography.

She felt Kevin Hansen’s course had suited her horse. “You really had to be on to it. Everything came up super quick. I liked that course with her because it gave her no time to muck around. You were over a jump and then straight away organising for the next. You had to be on your game,” she said. “I was rapt with her. For us, the start of the season is trying to burn off excess energy. She always takes a couple of shows until she starts to listen. She is still a bit of a wild child but she is feeling good.”

The combination were second in the 1.4m earlier in the show. “I had a good gut feeling after that, that we were set and ready,” said Kimberley.

“I’ve had her since she was five and now that we have worked each other out, we are a pretty dam good team.”

Kimberley headed north in early October with five horses, but she considers only two to be “useful” – the others are youngsters along for the ride. “We’ll see how things go but we are hoping to stay through to the World Cup final.

She spent the winter working Cera Cassina over the hills on the family farm which she says was very beneficial, getting her fit and strong. “I am just loving riding full time now – it is just great.”

In the Country TV Pony Grand Prix (sponsored by Duncan & Ebbett), six of the 11 starters came back for the second round where Crystal Hackett (Waiuku) and The Dreamer took the win on a total of four penalties from the two rounds in 46.74 seconds. Keira Page (Auckland) and Redcliffs Colour Me In were also on four but slightly slower with their 48.95 seconds with Liv Teixeira (Kerikeri) and EB Esperanza rounding out the top three with their four fault effort in 49.82 seconds.

 

Results –

 

POLi Payments Premier Series Grand Prix(sponsored by APL): Kimberley Bird (Ashburton) Cera Cassina 1, Melody Matheson (Havelock North) Cortaflex Graffiti MH 2, Tegan Fitzsimon (West Melton) Windermere Cappuccino 3, Annabel Francis (Taupo) Carado GHP 4, Duncan McFarlane (Taupo) Be Mine NZPH 5, Briar Burnett-Grant (Taupo) Fiber Fresh Veroana 6.

 

Country TV Pony Grand Prix (sponsored by Duncan & Ebbett): Crystal Hackett (Waiuku) The Dreamer 1, Keira Page (Auckland) Redcliffs Colour Me In 2, Liv Teixeira (Kerikeri) EB Esperanza 3, Madison Jackson (Pukekohe) Rednalhgih Cowan 4, Amelia Munro (Auckland) MF Spot On 5, Sophia Hall (Auckland) TCG Centadel 6.

 

Harrison Lane Pro-Amateur Rider Series (sponsored by Kilmanagh Forge): Larina Dolman (Gisborne) Kiwi Lansing 1, Christine Cornege (Cambridge) Varekai SL 2, Georgia Massie (Dannevirke) Loose Change 3, Bob Bleakley (Cambridge) Charlie NZPH 4, Jeremy Whale (Cambridge) Bannockburn ECPH 5, Kylee McCambridge (Cambridge) Chicago 6.

 

Matthews Hanoverians Seven-Year-Old Series (sponsored by 4 CYTE): Oliver Croucher (Cambridge) Casanova Xtreme 1, Logan Massie (Dannevirke) Global PH Caretinjo 2, Sam Whale (Cambridge) Fleur Delacour 3, Sophia Blackbourn (Hamilton) Octavia MVNZ 4, Kate Herdson (Auckland) Juneau SSNZ 5, Dirk Waldin (Havelock North) LT Holst Cor Blimey 6.

 

UltraMox Six-Year-Old Series (sponsored by Dunstan and Fiber Fresh): Sophia Blackbourn (Hamilton) LT Holst Zalato Blue 1.

 

Mainland Coachwork Junior Rider Series (sponsored by Duncan & Ebbett):Tara Gower (Ohura) Double J Image 1, Madison Smith (Cambridge) Biarritz 2, Karis Spurway ( Taranaki) Kapattack 3, Leeshelle Small ( Ramarama) AMS Dolce NZPH 4, Amelia Newsom (Tauranga) Zoe 5, Liam Rutland (Te Awamutu) George Jetson 6.

 

Dunstan Horsefeeds Amateur Rider Series (sponsored by Canter for Cancer): Jo Bell (Atiamuri) Mauve 1, Rosanna Dickson (Cambridge) DSE Exuberance 2, Georgina Forsyth (Cleveland) Catapult Xtreme 3, Kristie Mason (Auckland) Centiare 4, Kelly Chapman (Albany ) Eye See Ruby 5, Kristin Manson (Auckland) Bellhaven Misty Blue 6.

 

FMG Young Rider Series (sponsored by Colin West Panel Beaters): Sarah West (Matamata) Oaks Centurian 1, Ally Carson (Putaruru) Whiorau Ritchie 2, Emelia Forsyth (Clevedon) Henton Faberge 3, Alyvia James (Cambridge) Codicea 4, Colleen Crous (Auckland) Orames Girl VDL 5, Emily Hayward (Te Awamutu) Yandoo Lady Gold 6.

 

East Coast Performance Horses Five-Year-Old Series (sponsored by APL): Melody Matheson (Havelock North) Cortaflex Giulia MH, Aline Tirant (Cambridge) Takapoto Cartier, Kate Hewlett (Kerikeri) Redcliffs Guns & Roses, Laura McGregor (Auckland) Cavalli GNZ and Laura McGregor (Auckland) Pure Expression =1.

 

By Diana Dobson
2 November 2020