The 3* and 4* classes at next week’s New Zealand Three Day Event Championships may be small but are hugely competitive, packed full of our recently announced Oceania Senior and Young Rider team members.
All eyes will be on the Wade Equine Coaches CCI4*-L class which consists of the on-form, 2021 winner and Senior Trans-Tasman team member, Matthew Grayling and his Trudeau. Battling it out for the top prize of the Wade Equine Coaches 4*-L are three seasoned riders and horse combinations in Renee Faulker & Mi Focus, Emily Cammock & Antara and Diane Gilder & Your Attorney which makes for an exciting competition.
The Fiber Fresh CCI4*-S class is small but mighty with two of the Oceania Team members using Taupo as their final run before they set off for Melbourne. These two combinations being Young Rider Charlotte Edwards & Just de Manzana and Senior Rider, Christen Lane & Thunder Cat. This class is topped off with the ever consistent Vicky Browne-Cole and her beautiful mare Cutting Edge.
As with the CCI4* classes, the organising committee have also generously arranged for a CCI3*-L and CCN3*-S to be run at the Three Day for 2022. The Gardner Family Trust CCN3*-S accommodates NZ’s chosen Young Rider team for Oceania providing a fantastic final preparation run for Melbourne in June.
The NRM CCI3*-L is packed full of exciting combinations and is wonderful to see a handful of South Island Riders in the mix of this class. Who will end up on the podium of this class is anyone’s guess.
The riders are in for a treat with the experienced Chris Ross putting in many hours of his expertise to build these fantastic 3* and 4* tracks.
The CCI2*-L classes are generously sponsored by Fiber Fresh for the championship class and CRYNZ for the open class. Under the wonderful skills of cross country designer, John Holmes, the cross country will no doubt be a fantastic test for the riders & horses in the CCI2* classes.
The Canter for Cancer CCN1*-L & Taupo Veterinary Centre CCN105- L is well represented with a fantastic number of entries who will enjoy having the chance to ride around Chris Lever’s cross country track.
Two clever initiatives to support the Breast Cancer Foundation have been included in the event: every jump in the Oranoa Sport Horses CCN95-L & Penny Homes CCN95-L cross country course has something pink on it. Some of the pink is very obvious, some you will have to look for. List all the items on the form, found in the programme, and you can be in to win a pile of pink goodies. You can enter as many times as you want and all that is asked is for a gold coin donation for every entry, which will go towards Pink Ribbon Day. All correct entries will go into a draw for the pile of pink goodies.
Chris Lever is generously auctioning off “The Pink Pig” – a very creative pink pig roll top! All funds raised in the auction will go to the Pink Ribbon Challenge who are raising money for the cancer society pink ribbon appeal. To place your bid, comment on the original Facebook post on C. Lever Crosscountry Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/crosscountrycoursebuilder/
The timetable is a reflection of the fantastic numbers of the lower classes and therefore Canter for Cancer CCN1*-L, Taupo Veterinary Centre CCN105, Oranoa Sport Horses CCN95-L and Penny Homes CCN95-L having their event commence with Dressage on Thursday 12th, Cross Country Friday 13th & Show Jumping Saturday 14th May.
The weekend is rounding off with the popular Young Event Horse sponsored by NZPH with an impressive 19 entries – exciting prospect for the depth of NZ Eventing horses for the future. This will begin at 9am with the top 5 horses in the final beginning at 1.30pm in Ring 1.
This year the programme is an electronic copy available to all here which includes the timetable for those interested in spectating.
The Eventing NZ Series winners was decided with the final event being at Riverdale Horse Trial in Rotorua held on 30th April/1st May. The Rider’s Function at NZ3DE will see these winners and place getters awarded on Friday 13th May at 6pm.
As always, the sponsors are vital to the running of this event and their generosity and appreciation is certainly felt by all involved – thank you!