Sonya Bennison aboard MF Lexicon taking out the Mainland Coachwork Junior Rider at the Canterbury Championships – Photo by Michelle Clarke
Emma Gillies had a show to remember at the Canterbury Jumping and Show Hunter Championships. She started the weekend off well with a smart second placing in the Young Rider with Benrose Black Jack, this combination then went one better to take home the win in the Property Brokers Grand Prix (locally supported by Kinloch Farms).
A thrilled Emma said that it was a “fantastic show with great courses and atmosphere. Really good competition I loved how close it came at the end made for a great finish to the class. Well done to all the other competitors. So grateful for PJ (Benrose Black Jack), we have been quietly working away at our goals, together improving. He always gives me 110%, this being his second ever Horse Grand Prix, it was very special. Huge thanks to the Canterbury Committee for a really well run show and all the class sponsors”.
The Gillies girls and their team are currently on their way to Horse of the Year. Emma is really hoping to qualify for Lady Rider before returning south to compete at Nationals for the last show of the season.
Coming in second place was another young gun that is having a spectacular run, Johanna Wylaars and Cassera MS. Johanna had a fabulous show, picking up a number of wins in the Tavern Harewood Mini Prix with Campari, the FMG Young Rider (locally supported by Hussey Paint & Panel) also with Campari, the NZPH & A1 Equine 7 Year Old (locally supported by Canterbury Saddlery) with Centanna II (Centavos x Queens Quartet/Hifalutin), as well as the Equitak Excel 6 Year Old (locally supported by Hazlett Ltd) with the Amberley House bred AH California Dreaming (Centavos x Lillianan/ Littorio).
Kate Cavanagh had a good win with Cera Chanel in the Harrison Lane Pro-Am (locally supported by EquiMatch), coming home just ahead of Rebecca Wardle and Dingmae Eccles.
The Mainland Coachwork Junior Rider brought the spectators a fast and furious jump off with four combinations going double clear. The quickest by nearly four seconds was Sonya Bennison on MF Lexicon, stopping the timers in 46.69 seconds. Jessica Hore finished in 50.20 seconds with Global PH MyLorde for second place, Emma GIllies aboard Footloose NZPH in third and Summer Borrie and Pure Cascade in fourth.
Angela Ruddenklau and Red Rafferty kept all the poles up in the Dunstan Horsefeeds Amateur Rider (locally supported by Tavern Harewood), picking up just two time faults which was good enough to give them the win.
The AMS Saddlery Pony Grand Prix (locally supported by Saddlery Barn) had a four fault jump off between Molly Smith and Kabo Fortune Cookie and Sophie Fountain aboaard TC Piano Man. It was Molly and Kabo Fortune Cookie that ran away with the red ribbon, adding just four faults to their total in the jump off.
Over in the Show Hunter ring, Georgia Allison on Sandow Jacob won the NRM Open High Points and Mel Morris on Kosciuszko won the Carousel Equestrian Amateur High Points as well as the Adrienne Comrie Memorial Class. The latter is a popular class run in memory of the well-known Canterbury Show Hunter Rider Adrienne Comrie, who was a previous HOY Amateur and NZ National Amateur winner on her horse Bill Black.
Harriet Jolly aboard Mountain Tui won the EquiMatch Junior High Points, Sarah Ormandy on La Dama Vegas won the Petticoat Lane Performance Horses Adult Equitation and the BOP & Waikato Show Hunter Groups 12 & Under equitation was won by Claudia Studholme on Phoenician Soho.
Sophie Vercoe and AW Lil China Doll won the Vero Insurance Cat A Pony High Points and Charlotte Weir on Starlight Indrani won the Fiber Fresh Cat B Pony High Points. The Brave Pants Company Cat C Pony High Points and the Big On Writing Pony Equitation was won by Carys McNabb aboard TF Temperance Brennan.
Showjumping Canterbury chairperson Blue Clark said it was a “successful show, slightly lower numbers than normal but some great jumping with weather conditions being nearly perfect. Course designers did a great job and their courses were well received by the riders. – Pip Howell Ring 1, Tony Hutton Ring 2 and Mark Whellan Ring 3”.
Bailey Benshaw & Amorcito – Winners of the Mainland Coachwork Junior Rider at Woodhill Sands – Photo by Lindy W Photography
It was four seasons in one weekend at the Fiber Fresh Grand Prix Show Jumping at Woodhill Sands! A hot Saturday turned into a showery Sunday, but the grass arena held up beautifully for some brilliant competition. Emma Buckingham expressed a big thank you for the great courses from our designers Danielle Watts, Edward Bullock and Wayne Bragg, and it was also a great show for help and volunteers, so thank you to everyone who contributed, we couldn’t do it without you. Our final big, registered show jumping event for the season is on March 23-24 and we hope to see you all there.
Matisse Masterson was over the moon to win the FMG Young Rider (locally supported by Shelley Bridgeman) with Jay-Z GNZ. They were the only clear in a tough class that saw a couple of eliminations and retirements. “I am absolutely thrilled with my Young Rider win on my special horse Jay-Z GNZ. We have had such a consistent season and today he jumped with a ton of scope and plenty of fuel in the tank. I really wanted to aim for clear as I knew my competition were all talented young rider opponents. Thank you to Woodhill Sands and sponsors for another fabulous show. I’m only 16 so I’ve got years left in the Young rider, my focus for HOY is the Junior Rider. Bring on HOY!”
Paula Mussen continued her good run with Deja Vu NZPH, taking home another win in the Harrison Lane Pro Am (locally supported by Veterinary Associates Equine). They were the fastest of three double clears with Catherine Burden aboard Fifty Shades HS and Olivia Glen on Balmoral Candyapple GNZ placing second and third respectively.
The Dunstan Horsefeeds Amateur Rider (locally supported by Burmester Realty) also saw a flurry of clears with four combinations going double clear in a six horse jump off. Cash Money lived up to his name by finishing in prime position for Kiani Taylor, nearly four seconds clear of second placed Warpaint Pandora with Alexia Searchfield. Freddy Dash and Brooke Lyons rounded out the podium with Dakarra WHS and Tessa Ranger picking up fourth place.
The Junior Riders also produced the clear rounds in the Mainland Coachwork Junior Rider (locally supported by GJ Gardner Homes) with three combinations going double clear. Bailey Benshaw and Amorcito finished on top of the leaderboard with Cara Quinn on Haupouri Dakota NZPH in second and Sarah Nie aboard Letino in third.
The AMS Saddlery Pony Grand Prix rounded up a good weekend of jumping with a four fault jump off. Adison Hall and Crystal Clear kept a clean slate in the jump off to take out the class with Isabelle Hawkins on Wembleybrook Tiffany adding a couple of rails to their score for second place.
The TiES Futurity TB Challenge continued at the Trust House Wairarapa Summer Show with three combinations going forward to the jump off. Two combinations jumped double clear where Caitlin Rennie on Lovetokeephim had a convincing win stopping the timers some 16 seconds quicker than second placed Karen Patrick and Tobruk.
For full results for Canterbury, go to www.main-events.com
For full results for Woodhill and Wairarapa, go to www.evoevents.co.nz
The Jumping Team 26 February 2024