Exciting NZ Jumping Team Named for Worlds

Equestrian Sports New Zealand has named an exciting jumping team combining the experience of Olympians with emerging talent for the fast-approaching FEI World Championships in Germany next month. The in-form Katie Laurie with her homebred Django II and Luke Dee aboard Gangster WW are joined by Uma O’Neill with Luigi d’Eclipse and Sophie Scott aboard Normandy GHP.

ESNZ high performance jumping manager Tom Tarver says the team is as strong as New Zealand has had for some time, but there is still plenty to do. “The key will be keeping horses and riders sound through the World Championships and having everything come together to peak at Aachen – that is the challenge for us now,” he said. “Everyone will need to put forward the rides of their lives on the day. That said, it is very exciting times for jumping and all involved.”

Canada-based Katie Laurie is a two-time Olympian, has ridden at two World Championships and two FEI World Cup finals (2015, 2011) where she garnered New Zealand’s best-ever individual result of sixth on her homebred mare Delphi at the latter. This time she will compete aboard her 15-year-old New Zealand warmblood Django II who is out of her father Jeff’s top showjumper Flower Power. They’ve been in searing form of late, winning and placing second in two recent 5* 1.60m at Spruce Meadows and consistent at 4* 1.55m.

“I am so excited for Aachen,” says Katie. “Django is feeling incredible this year. I think us really giving him some down time over winter meant he came back fitter than ever. Aachen has always been the aim this year. It is especially special as we bred him. It is more exciting to be going to Aachen on him as he loves a big grass arena and no jump ever feels too big for him. I think he will rise to the occasion.”

Luke Dee and his 10-year-old German bred Gangster WW have been hugely consistent in Europe, picking up a raft of seconds in 5* 1.6m, 4* 1.55m and 1.50m classes. “I am very excited to be named,” says Luke. “I think it is as strong a team as we have ever had. It is very exciting for us all.” Luke and co-owner Fiona Hall had set Aachen as a goal when Gangster was just six. “We had a plan on a piece of paper, and you hope it will work. I am incredibly proud it has worked out and grateful to be in this position.

“Gangster has been amazing. I am excited to see what he can do there. It is a massive championship so that adds a bit of extra pressure and there is a lot of jumping to do but Gangster will handle that. He has a lot of blood and never runs out of energy. We have all the right ingredients to put in a good effort for a good result.”

Tokyo Olympian Uma O’Neill heads to her first World Championships with her 15-year-old Belgium-bred stallion Luigi d’Eclipse. They’ve been competing regularly at 1.5m-1.6m level, often in the top seven, and were on the winning team at the 5* Major League Showjumping in California in December. “I am incredibly excited to be named, especially with it being at Aachen which is such an iconic venue,” says Uma. “Luigi is an amazing partner. Over the past year we have been very focused on carefully building towards having him peak for the World Championships. He is an incredibly talented horse with so much scope, elasticity and carefulness. I feel he is still improving every time we step into the ring and that there is even more to come from him.”

Sophie Scott is the baby of the team with her 11-year-old Australian-bred gelding Normandy GHP. The combination only headed from their Palmerston North base to Europe this year and quickly settled in making top 10 in the 4* 1.55m and 3* 1.50m in Belgium. “I feel incredibly honoured to be named in the team,” she said. “I have dreamed about this forever and it is something we have really worked hard towards. To have it become a reality is so incredibly special. Norm continues to impress us. We are all so proud of him . . . and excited to see what else he is capable of. “We plan to give it everything we have and hope to do our team and New Zealand proud.”

ESNZ general manager high performance Jock Paget says it is “hugely exciting” to name a team whose riders and support crews have shown great commitment to the campaign for Aachen. “It is brilliant to see a Kiwi bred horse make the team and very exciting for the high performance programme to see a group of this calibre.”

Each of the riders were hugely grateful for the ongoing support from their families, teams, owners and supporters.

THE JUMPING TEAM (in alphabetical order):

By Diana Dobson – HP Media Liaison