Sophie Scott rides Benrose Stellar at Hawkes Bay A&P – Copyright KAMPIC/Kerry Marshall

 

All roads lead to Maungatautari this weekend for the opening round of the FEI World Cup (NZ League) Series.

The class is the star attraction of the Waikato World Cup Show and being held at the stunning Takapoto Estate on the banks of Lake Karapiro and has attracted a solid field that includes all the best onshore combinations.

Julie Davey (Hawke’s Bay) and 10-year-old LT Holst Freda picked up their first World Cup qualifier win in Australia in August. The daughter of the now retired LT Holst Andrea, who was last season’s series’ winner, has shown herself to be quite the talent from early on and has generally been in the top five of all of her World Cup starts since her first in 2022.

Sophie Scott (Palmerston North) has both Waitangi Skynet and Benrose Stellar on the card. Sixteen-year-old Waitangi Skynet is very consistent and was second in the final last year having won it the season before. Benrose Stellar has only done two World Cups so far for a second and a fourth. However, Stellar looks to be right on form after securing the win in the Harrison Lane Premier League at Hawke’s Bay at the weekend.  The Hawke’s Bay class has long been considered a warm-up for the Waikato World Cup and included nine combinations who are making the trek to Maungatautari for the opener on Saturday.

Sharing the top four slots in Hawke’s Bay were Logan Massie (Dannevirke) and Bravado Ego Z, who were just one penalty adrift of the winner, with Julie aboard LT Holst Freda in third and Luke Dee (Hawke’s Bay) with Gangster WW in fourth.

Logan will be looking to replicate his victory in January’s Dannevirke qualifier aboard the 15-year-old stallion Bravado Ego Z who was also recently second in an Australian qualifier.

Luke and the imported eight-year-old Gangster WW were top 10 in their first World Cup start across the Tasman and certainly seem to be hitting their straps at the right time.

Jake Lambert (Cambridge) will be hoping for a little home ground advantage aboard Takapoto Alaid de Chez Nous, with whom he won the New Zealand league final in January. The 14-year-old Selle Francais mare was previously campaigned successfully at World Cup level by Olympian Samantha McIntosh.

Oliver Edgecombe (Waipukurau) has had two World Cup starts on the nine-year-old Takapoto Tinka and have only been together less than a year now.

Kathryn Loiselle (Norsewood) and the 12-year-old mare Haupouri Drama NZPH did their first World Cup in 2022 and are generally in the top 10.

Vicki Wilson (Hawke’s Bay) has two entered in her homebred Millionaire VWNZ and the imported grey stallion Daminos TWS. Millionaire was third in his first World Cup start in 2023 and has only done one since while Daminos has just one under his belt for a top 10.

Daniel Webb (Hunterville) and WSJ Centaur have been doing World Cups since 2020 with third their best effort to date.

On debut this weekend are Alex Loiselle (Norsewood) aboard Haupouri Ferrari NZPH, Makenzie Causer (Christchurch) on Dolce del Colle, and Colleen Crous (Auckland) with Castiel Xtreme.

Heather McDonald will be designing Saturday’s World Cup course. With $6000 in the prize purse for the Dunstan Horsefeeds supported class, there will be plenty to play for.

The New Zealand league this year has three qualifiers – Waikato (November 2), Taupo (November 30) and Dannevirke (January 11) – with the final at Waitemata (January 19). The winner of the series has the opportunity to represent New Zealand at the Longines FEI World Cup Final in Basel, Switzerland in April 2025.

 

WHAT: FEI World Cup Series – opening qualifier – at the Waikato World Cup Show

WHEN: 5pm, November 2, 2024

WHERE: Takapoto Estate, Maungatautari

LIVESTREAM: ClipMyHorse

 

Diana Dobson – 30 October 2024