Shanae McKay rides ME Joy Ride II, Glistening Waters ESNZ Series Final Show – Copyright Photo: KAMPIC / Kerry Marshall
New mum Shanae McKay was pinching herself as she realised she had won the Dunstan Horsefeeds Amateur Rider Series aboard her homebred mare ME Joy Ride II in their first crack at it.
“It’s insane. I have done everything with her,” she says of the seven-year-old Centavos mare. “It is definitely way more of a kick having bred her ourselves too!”
When Shanae’s sister Kalah bred a horse from Eurosport Centavos she admits she was just a tad jealous. “I wanted one too.”
So Shanae and her mum Gemma, who live in Levin, sent the mare back to Eurosport Centavous and she got Joy. “We do a lot of breeding and have quite a few young horses, so that is exciting.”
Shanae’s series win is all the more special because it was just seven months ago that the 23-year-old produced her own little bundle of joy. “This season is my first time doing amateurs after having Fraser,” she said. “I hadn’t even been looking at the points at all. A friend said she thought I could do well in the series but I just didn’t pay a lot of attention really.”
She won the series by a single point ahead of Gayle Baker (West Melton).
Shanae has plenty of praise for the amateur series too. “It is the perfect height for us to get back into the swing of things. It is a great series and everyone is amazing in it.”
In the grand finale, Shanae was one of five combinations from the 13 original starters to come back for the jump-off where Jeremy Clark (Te Kauwhata) aboard Dynavyte Ipso Facto stole the march on the rest of the field with a double clear in 36.2 seconds. Shanae and Joy Ride II came in for second, all clean in 36.84 seconds, with Jessica Trow (Whitford) and Kiwi Sunup third with a four fault 42.72-second round.
“The course was great today,” said Shanae. “It rode really well. There were some unexpected rails from others though I thought.”
It’s not her first taste of national success for Shanae who won the Cat A Pony Show Hunter of the Year three years in a row at the Horse of the Year Show aboard Dario who she says was “a really great pony”.
Left to Right – Jess Trow, Paxton Conder from Dunstan Horsefeeds, Shanae McKay, Kaleigh Kent and Nigel Horton – Copyright Photo: KAMPIC / Kerry Marshall
Results –
Dunstan Horsefeeds Amateur Rider Series Grand Final: Jeremy Clark (Te Kauwhata) Dynavyte Ipso Facto 1, Shanae McKay (Levin) ME Joy Ride II 2, Jessica Trow (Whitford) Kiwi Sunup 3, Nigel Horton (Kumeroa) Mandalay Cove 4, Sarah Dalziell-Clout (Masterton) Thornfield Ana 5, Nigel Horton (Kumeroa) Heisenberg 6.
Dunstan Horsefeeds Amateur Rider Series: Shanae McKay (Levin) 84 points 1, Gayle Baker (West Melton) 83 2, Jessica Trow (Whitford) 82 3, Ashley Johnston (Whangarei) 80 4, Kaleigh Kent (Otane) 70 5, Nigel Horton (Kumeroa) 69 6.
For full results, head to www.evoeents.co.nz
The Jumping Team – 1 May 2022