New Zealand’s senior showjumping team finished second in the Trans-Tasman Teams’ Challenge at Willinga Park Show in Australia last night.

In the opening round, clears for New Zealand came from Julie Davey aboard LT Holst Freda, Logan Massie on Bravado Ego Z and Sophie Scott with Waitangi Skynet. Haylee Morris and On The Point Laurent Perrier had faults in both rounds.

Eventual winners Australia Green (Clem Smith on Oaks Conjuror, Sarah McMillan on Tyrone, Phillip Lever on Billionaire and Billy Raymont on Caprino) had three clears in the opener, with Australia Gold (James Mooney on KPH Cavatina, Mattea Davidson on Checkamour D, Robert Palm on Jaybee Vibrant and Gemma Creighton on Dada des Brimbelles Z) just one.

In the second, clears for New Zealand came from Julie with Freda and Logan on Bravado Ego Z. With all the weight in the world on her shoulders, Sophie and Skynet had to go clear to force a jump-off but sadly took the third to last to finish to give the team four faults from the two rounds.

New Zealand chef d’equipe Oliver Edgecombe said there were plenty of positives to take from the class. “It was a great competition and all three teams were pretty even,” he said. “I thought perhaps we were a little unlucky not to get those three clears. It is a good event and I am sure it will happen again in the future.”

His words were echoed by winning chef d’equipe David Sheppard who described it as a “magnificent” competition and something that definitely had to happen more often.
Commentators had plenty of good things to say about the New Zealand horses, and in particular LT Holst Freda, but also felt there was a lot to come from eight-year-old On the Point Laurent Perrier.

Sophie, Logan and Julie will all start in Saturday’s FEI CSI1*-W World Cup.

By Diana Dobson – HP Media Liaison