Champions were found across the age groups, with Olympian Katie Laurie making the most of her fleeting visit home and crowned leading rider, with Wairarapa’s East Coast Performance Horses the leading breeders and Matawhio Sporthorses Chacco Silver the leading stallion.
Laurie had a busy championship with nine horses, winning the Seven-Year-Old Championship aboard Carissa and Mike McCall’s Phantom HPNZ and placing fourth in the same class on their Van Gogh MVNZ, who she is picking will contest World Cups in the future.
“Phantom is one of those very careful horses so you can really get going – he likes it fast too,” she said. “We hit the first fence a bit slow, and I thought we had better get moving. He stepped it up real fast. I one-strided the two stride double but he cleared it – it just shows how awesome he is.”
For top breeders East Coast Performance Horses, the win topped off an exciting year. “We’ve had a really good winter selling horses with three going to Australia and one to the United States,” says ECPH’s Nicki Hull.
The YHS are a highlight on the annual competition calendar for ECPH and one Hull says they always want to do well at. “But you have to remember, these are young horses so you can’t expect too much of them. It is really nice they have all gone out and performed well.”
Matawhio Sporthorses’ Mary-Beth Willis was delighted to have Chacco Silver MS named top stallion of the show. “That’s absolutely wonderful,” she said. “I am thrilled. He is a tall stallion who produces a lot of tall progeny and many of those won’t come into their own until they are way past that YHS age.”
Imported from Germany, Chacco Silver is by the very famous Chacco Blue who has been the world’s no.1 ranked jumping breeding stallion multiple times.
Dannevirke horseman Logan Massie picked up two crowns – the Six-Year-Old Championship aboard Cumulus ECPH and the Four-Year-Old title with Phoenix ECPH.
Cumulus had been “naughty” to break in as a three-year-old. “She was meant to be sold a few times but I could never get her broken in in time for the auctions.”
But everything changed when she was under saddle. “I love her attitude and ability to jump under pressure,” says Logan. “She is a bit bullish and has a lot of blood so three days of jumping suited her. Her best jumping was on the third day.”
The Five-Year-Old Championship went the way of Helen McNaught (Taupo) and Whoopy Doo who had contemplated a rodeo round before redeeming herself to take the title.
“Everyone wants to breed a good one, don’t they. We’ll just continue to produce her and she what she wants to be. I am not getting any younger. Maybe we’ll take her abroad, but for now she’s going into the field for a bit of a holiday.”
Massie said it was a nice bonus for both him and the breeders to take out the Four-Year-Old crown aboard Phoenix ECPH.
“As a four-year-old you have not much expectation and are here to showcase the horse and jump some nice rounds. Where they end up is where they end up,” he said. “They are predominantly here for fun and experience.”
Massie has had the horse around three months and admits he was quite green coming into the show but stepped up, went well and showed “a bit of stamina”, finishing on 12 faults from the four rounds over three days.
Results:
NZPH Seven-Year-Old Championship (sponsored by Hawke’s Bay A&P Society):
1. Katie Laurie (Canada) Phantom HPNZ (Chacco Blue/Hattrick VDL – owned by Carissa McCall)
2. Hannah Roil (Hastings) Grassendale Xtreme (Corofino II/Pico Bello – bred by Sharleen Workman and owned by Hannah Roil)
3. Kylee McCambridge (Matangi) Waitangi Starlink (Hector Van di Adkjhoeve/Cardento – bred by Joss Bayly and owned by Joss Bayly and Kylee McCambridge)
4. Katie Laurie (Canada) Van Gogh MVNZ (Eldorado van de Zeshoek/Cassini I – owned by Carissa McCall)
5. Maurice Beatson (Dannevirke) LV Ellie (Elkintot/Postponed – bred by Little Valley Farm and owned by Sally Clark)
6. Amanda Wilson (Taupo) Blackstone Smolder (Daminos/Lessing – bred by Amanda Wilson and owned by Amanda Wilson)
Style prize: Kylie McCambridge (Matangi) Waitangi Starlink.
NZ Warmblood Association Six-Year-Old Championship (sponsored by Prydes Easifeed)
1. Logan Massie (Dannevirke) Cumulus ECPH (Carrera VDL/Dallas VDL – bred by ECPH and owned by ECPH)
=2. Fraser Babbington (Gisborne) HCPH Blinky Bill (Doc Holliday/Dundee – bred by Dicki Waikoa and owned by Fraser Babbington)
=2. Oliver Edgecombe (Waipukurau) Carlo 1 (Clarimo/Lord Pezi – bred by Tom McDermott and owned by Oliver Edgecombe)
=2. Nicholas O’Leary (Whanganui) Chalice (Chacco Silver/Voltaire II – bred by Merrin Jaquiery and owned by Merrin Jaquiery and Nicholas O’Leary)
=2. Carissa McCall (Kumeu) Churro Ego Z (Carthago Z/Parco – bred by Ego Summersea and owned by Carissa McCall)
6. Tylah Amrein (Waipukurau) Double J Phyliss (Double J Typhoon/Omnicorp – bred by Double J Stud and owned by Robyn Jacobs and Tylah Amrein) 6.
Style prize: Oliver Edgecombe (Waipukurau) Carlo 1.
East Coast Performance Horses Five-Year-Old Championship:
1. Helen McNaught (Taupo) Whoopy Doo (Double Whoopy/Who Knows GNZ – bred by Duncan McFarland and Helen McNaught and owned by Helen McNaught)
2. Lucy Fell (Palmerston North) Away Laughing (Eden du Royuet/Cassini II – bred by Lucy Fell and owned by Lucy Fell)
3. Henry Gaddum (Gisborne) Eye Pinky Promise (Ngahiwi One Eye/Sorcery – bred by Sophie Gaddum and owned by Sophie and Henry Gaddum)
4. Jake Lambert (Cambridge) Takapoto Trinity (Kannan/Colman – bred by Takapoto Equestrian and owned by Lakeridge Equestrian Centre)
5. Michelle Wakeling (Wellsford) Chacco Eclipse (Chacco Silver – bred by Rebecca Kerwin and owned by Bruce and Michelle Wakeling)
6. Christine Cornege (Cambridge) Dominick MH (Eurosport Diament B/River – bred by Wendy and Robyn Jacobs at Double J Stud and owned by Christine Cornege)
Style prize: Vicki Prendergast (Matamata) Cardinal ECPH.
Four-Year-Old Championship (sponsored by Advice4Life):
1. Logan Massie (Dannevirke) Phoenix ECPH (Pommerol de Muze/Cassiano – bred by ECPH and owned by ECPH)
2. Dakota Phillibert (Te Kowhai) Lennox Awsr (Casebrook Lamond/Kannan)
3. Katie Laurie (Canada) Cactus HPNZ (Casall)
4. Kimberley Carrington (Takapau) Double J Ladies Man (Double J Repicharge/Littorio – bred by Wendy Jacobs and owned by Kimberley Carrington)
5. Heather Gee-Taylor (Rangiwahia) Taco Tuesday (Captivate VWNZ/Cachassini II – bred by Ariana Kohn and owned by Heather Gee-Taylor)
6. Amanda Illston (Masterton) Mountain Hunters Centastage (Eurosport Centavos/Blue Indoctro – bred by Mountain Hunters Sport Horses and owned by Amanda Illston)
Style prize: Heather Gee-Taylor (Rangiwahia) Taco Tuesday.
Source: ESNZ press release
