Sam Carrington and Double J Hurricane in the FMG Young Rider (co-sponsored by The Rider Shop) – Photo by KAMPIC (Kerry Marshall)
New Zealand’s stars of the future were strutting their stuff today on the opening day of the Bayleys National Young Horse Championship Show in Hawke’s Bay.
Greg Best produced ideal courses for the young horse classes through the four, five, six and seven-year-old grades.
Twenty-eight lined up in the NZPH Four-Year-Old Championship with 15 combinations finishing the day with a clean slate. Winner of the Shelley Bridgeman-sponsored turnout prize was Jesse Linton (Hastings) aboard the NZ Hanoverian gelding Everest MH (by Eurosport Centavos out of SPM Roulette MH, who is by Riverdance). The horse was bred and is owned by Angela Miller.
It was a similar story in the East Coast Performance Horses Five-Year-Old Championship where 14 of 29 finished the day on zero faults. Jeremy Whale (Hampton Downs) and the Westphalian stallion Comme FU (by Comme II Faut out of Raphaela, who is by Raphael) won the Shelley Bridgeman-sponsored turnout prize. The horse was bred by Unterberg & Falkowski and is owned by Sheena Ross.
The UltraMox Six-Year-Old Championship (co-sponsored by Diamond Lodge) is the largest class of the champs, attracting 33 combinations, 12 of whom will continue tomorrow on zero faults.
The Shelley Bridgeman-sponsored turnout prize went to Hana Bognuda (Hunterville) on WSJ Cartalusa. The chestnut warmblood gelding (by Cartell GNZ, out of Calusa, who is by Eurosport Centavos) was bred by and is owned by Daniel Webb.
The smallest offering in the champs is the Matthews Hanoverians Seven-Year-Old Championship (co-sponsored by the New Zealand Hanoverian Society), attracting 20 combinations, with just six keeping their slates clean. The Shelley Bridgeman-sponsored turnout prize went to Rose Alfeld (Leeston) and Celebration ECPH (by Corofino II, out of Crystal, who is by Salutation). The gelding was bred by East Coast Performance Horses and is owned by Rose.
The hotly contested FMG Young Rider Series class (co-sponsored by The Rider Shop) went the way of Sam Carrington (Takapau) with a very slick double clear aboard Double J Hurricane, who certainly lived up to his name.
Nine of the 18 starters came back for the jump-off, with the top four double clear. However, Sam’s 46.55 second effort, helped along by her fearless gallop to the last, was too good. Sophia Blackbourn (Tamahere) and Roxette ECPH were second in 49.41 seconds with Tyla Hackett (Cambridge) and Global PH Cocofino third in 49.9.
Jesse Linton and Beau Balou competing in the Kyrewood Team’s Competition – Photo by KAMPIC (Kerry Marshall)
Northern Hawke’s Bay took the honours in the Kyrewood Teams’ Competition, continuing their winning run having won both rounds to date. Waikato were second with Central and Southern Hawke’s Bay third.
The first National Young Horse Show was held in Taupo in 1996 and has grown in both stature and size since, and especially after moving to Hawke’s Bay in 2013. This year has seen more than 430 combinations enter across both jumping and show hunter classes. As well as the young horse titles, there are also the nation’s series’ classes being run.
The show, which is hosted by the Northern Hawke’s Bay Area, concludes on Sunday with the crowning of the champions.
For full results, head to https://www.evoevents.co.nz/resultClass/2135885011/-1/8
The Jumping Team – 9 December 2022