Emily Hayward and Centino made their first start at Grand Prix level count, with victory at the Fiber Fresh Auckland Show Jumping Championships 6-7 Feb 2021. Photo credit: Hannah Comrie – NZ Supergroom and Photography

Emily Hayward just planned to give nine-year-old Centino a couple of nice rounds for his debut in the ESNZ Horse Grand Prix class at the Fiber Fresh Auckland Show Jumping Championships, but instead the Te Awamutu combo rode off with a solid win.

Nine started the Horse Grand Prix with five coming back for the jump-off where four went double clear. Emily and Centino’s 49.64-second effort was comfortably ahead of runner-up Nakeysha Lammers (Cambridge) and her home-bred gelding Resolution who stopped the clock at 52.41-seconds, a smidgen ahead of Samantha van Lierde (Cambridge) on Cadillac NZPH who crossed the flags in 52.5 for third.

Twenty-one-year-old Emily said she wasn’t overly surprised the warmblood gelding, who is owned by Melanie Bridge, did so well. “He is super clean but just green and inexperienced,” said the fulltime rider. “He just needs more mileage and seems to get better and better all the time. The jump is there, we just need to work on manageability and rhythm between the fences.”

She started riding the horse at the beginning of the season and says their partnership has been good from the get-go. “Centino is naturally the type of horse I like to ride – he is small and a bit hot, so we gelled easily. He can be tough at times but will always jump and he is a very clever horse who is good at getting himself out of trouble.”

The combination were last to go in the jump-off. “I know he is naturally very fast across the ground with his little legs going ninety to the dozen. I just wanted a nice flowing round and let him do his thing. It was a good course with a couple of tricky lines in the first round. The win was really cool for his owners – they love him to bits so it is exciting for them.”

Emily’s win in the Auckland Grand Prix Championship topped off a great show for the former Olympic Cup winner. She also won the FMG Young Rider class aboard Valcheta and was fourth in the same class with Belischi HM.

The compact seven-strong field in the Country TV Pony Grand Prix saw just a single combination go clear in the opener. Rylee Sheehan (Te Aroha) and the well-performed Fun House took the win in their first competitive outing this season ahead of Madison Jackson (Auckland) aboard Rednalhgih Cowan who were second.

The champs attracted more than 360 horses who competed in showjumping and show hunter over the two days. Philippa Howells designed the courses in ring one with Wayne Bragg in ring two and Gina Moss in ring three.

Results –

ESNZ Horse Grand Prix Series: Emily Hayward (Te Awamutu) Centino 1, Nakeysha Lammers (Cambridge) Resolution 2, Samantha van Lierde (Cambridge) Cadillac NZPH 3, Olivia Dalton (Karaka) Cil Dara Bonaparte 4, Daniel Blundell (Auckland) Cadenza NZPH 5, Vicki Prendergast (Matamata) Selena C 6.

 

Country TV Pony Grand Prix Series: Rylee Sheehan (Te Aroha) Fun House 1, Madison Jackson (Pukekohe) Rednalhgih Cowan 2, Shanae Savannah (Silverdale) Tiger Tale LS 3, Zara Main (Auckland) Blue Crush 4, Grace Webb (Warkworth) Lay Z Lad 5, Liv Teixeira (Kerikeri) EB Esperanza 6.

 

FMG Young Rider Series: Emily Hayward (Te Awamutu) Valcheta 1, Ben Weir (Auckland) Lanice van de Heffinck 2, Kate Herdson (Clevedon) Juneau SSNZ 3, Emily Hayward (Te Awamutu) Belischi HM 4, Sarah West (Te Aroha) Delamerie Sun 5, Isabelle Jameson (Whangarei) Di Caprio CSNZ 6.

 

Harrison Lane Pro-Amateur Rider Series: Kate Hewlett (Kerikeri) Capatino GNZ 1, Kylee McCambridge (Cambridge) Chicago 2, Paula Mussen (Pukekohe) Déjà vu NZPH 3, Mathew Dickey (Cambridge) Waitangi Imak 4, Tessa Ranger (Whitford) Lavello 5, Edward Bullock (Waiuku) High Jump 6.

 

Dunstan Horsefeeds Amateur Rider Series: Georgina Forsyth (Clevedon) Catapult Xtreme 1, Shelley Bridgeman (Auckland) Oaks Vendetta 2, Chloe Van den Boorn (Silverdale) Blue Gem 3, Ashley Johnston (Whangarei) Miss Vee NZPH 4, Kelly Angell (Pukekohe) Centavito 5, Jessica Toomey (Cambridge) Starlight Destiny 6.

 

Mainland Coachwork Junior Rider Series: Leeshelle Small (Ramarama) AMS Dolce NZPH 1, Natalia Lammers (Whangarei) Puro Chaccola 2, Olivia Prendergast (Matamata) Stellar 3, Olivia Prendergast (Matamata) Souther Field 4, Megan Brown (Te Kauwhata) Patricio Ego Z 5, Aimee Collinson (Clevedon) Oporaes Jackamore 6.

 

Pacific Motor Group Horse Grand Prix Super Series: Paula Mussen (Pukekohe) Déjà vu NZPH 1, Nakeysha Lammers (Cambridge) Balboa NZPH 2, Phillip Steiner (Tauranga) Cassina Dior 3, Kylee McCambridge (Cambridge) Chicago 4, Alexa Randall (Auckland) Cirrius GNZ 5, Olivia Dalton (Karaka) Yalambi’s Garibaldi 6.

 

Burmester Realty Horse 1.1m Auckland Cup: Natalia Lammers (Cambridge) Puro Chaccola 1, Sarah Beal (Te Kauwhata) Y-Not 2, Isabelle Jameson (Whangarei) Riverview Mana 3, Tamara Marshall (Wellsford) Midway Manolito 4, Belinda George (Manurangi West) Pre-Mo 5, Kate Hewlett (Kerikeri) Kiwi Sunset 6.

 

Pacific Motor Group Pony Grand Prix Series: Samantha-Lee Wakeling (Wellsford) BMW Renegade 1, James Steiner (Tauranga) Uba 2, Isabelle Hawkins (Auckland) Spotified 3, Isabelle Hawkins (Auckland) Te Urewera Magic 4, Zara Main (Auckland) Showtym Mochachino 5, Lachlan Peters (Whangarei) Brahan Highland Fling 6.

 

GJ Gardner Pony 1m Auckland Cup: Hannah Lammers (Whangarei) Silver Bullet I 1, Bella Keane (Waitemata) Miss Mary Possum 2, Hayley Newington (Auckland) Abeedah 3, Bailee Sterling (Warkworth) Spirit of Liberty 4, Cassie Topper (Whangarei) Baltic Leanne 5, Keira Featherston (Kerikeri) Redcliffs Fame & Fortune 6.

 

By Diana Dobson
9 February 2021