Show Circuit Magazine - April/May 2017 by Show Circuit Magazine

REMARKABLE RECOVERY - THE STORY OF ANNE WATTS’ RETURN TO THE SADDLE

SHOWCIRCUIT NEW ZEALAND’S ULTIMATE EQUESTRIAN MAGAZINE

BRING OUT YOUR

EVENTING POTENTIAL WITH

SIR MARK TODD JOCK PAGET

PAGES of

HOY COVERAGE

ALL THE ACTION FROM THE WORLD NOMAD GAMES STEFFI WHITTAKER GOES OUT IN A

BLAZE OF GLORY

ABBIE DEKEN TALKS ABOUT HER NEWLY CROWNED DRESSAGE HORSE OF THE YEAR

AT HOME WITH OUR NEW

OLYMPIC CUP WINNER

Lily Tootill

LEARN MORE ABOUT EQUINE CHIROPRACTICS WITH JOY WHITE

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WELCOME FROM MY DESK Well, that’s Horse of the Year 2017 done and dusted, and despite Mother Nature throwing everything she had at us, the show did go on and a brand new set of delighted title holders have been crowned. Congratulations to all winners, placegetters and participants – win or lose, it’s an achievement to take part in this prestigious event. Despite heavy rain on Friday night forcing the cancellation of most of Saturday’s classes, including the final crosscountry phase of the 2* and 3* eventing, it was an exhilarating week of competition. The stakes are always high at Horse of the Year and it’s wonderful to witness the emotion and sheer joy of a rider and their support team at the moment when they clinch a title they’ve been dreaming of all season. You can read about these winners and their road to HOY success right here – we feature the 2017 Olympic Cup winner and the winners of the Show Hunter Horse of the Year, Pony of the Year and Dressage Horse of the Year, together with photo essays and overviews for all of the main codes. Besides our extensive coverage of the Horse of the Year, we also feature a stunning lineup of horses and ponies in our other event coverage from the Warkworth Royal Event, Bates Dressage Championships, Bruce Forbes Pony Club Teams Event, and so much more. It’s now that time of the year when the focus shifts to eventing, and we feature training clinics from two Olympians – Sir Mark Todd and Jock Paget. During his clinic at Clareville in the Wairarapa, Sir Mark worked with a group of accomplished eventing riders on cross-country schooling to further develop the confidence of both horse and rider – the article is on page 60. Jock has recently returned to live in New Zealand, and will be vying for the top prize in the CIC3* aboard nine-year-old Angus Blue at the National Three Day Eventing Championships, to run at NEC Taupo in May. Learn Jock’s top training tips for achieving power and balance as he works with eventer Samantha Felton in a training article on page 66, and catch up on his future plans in our Up Close chat. If you’re struggling with motivation to keep working towards your riding goals as the days get shorter and a little chillier, our story on Anne Watts’ return to riding after a tragic hunting accident and her Olympic ambitions over on page 38 should provide all the inspiration you need to keep at it! As always, our Health section is brimming with interesting reads for optimal wellness in both horse and rider, and our resident Personal Trainer Nicola Smith shares her advice on how to look after a major muscle in your back that could make a big difference to your riding position. With all this and so much more, there is something for everyone in this issue and we hope you enjoy reading it as much as we’ve enjoyed bringing it to you.

Sheryll Davies, Publisher 12

SHOWCIRCUIT MAGAZINE

A WORD FROM THE TEAM

WAIATA PUBLISHING LTD

PO Box 1245, Pukekohe, Auckland 2340

PIP HUME - EDITOR Literally a world away from our own HOY, the competition at the World Nomad Games is every bit as intense. Chloe Phillips-Harris was there, and tells the story on page 51.

EDITOR:

LAURA STENBERG SENIOR FEATURES WRITER Love a good comeback story? Turn to page 38 to find out how Anne Watts got back into the saddle after a life changing injury.

SENIOR FEATURES WRITER:

KATE LATTEY FEATURE WRITER I was thrilled to chat with Lily Tootill and Steffi Whittaker after their big wins at HOY. Discover what gave them the competitive edge on page 18 and page 34. KELLEY BARRINGTON EQUINE VET It's always good to have a refresh on Equine Metabolic Syndrome (EMS). Head over to page 132 to find out how to manage it and avoid laminitis.

COVER IMAGE - © Show Circuit Magazine. LILY TOOTILL & ULYSSES NZPH

Pip Hume pip@showcircuit.co.nz

SUB EDITING: Kate Lattey

PRODUCTION & DESIGN: Ryan Teece ryan@showcircuit.co.nz

Laura Stenberg laura@showcircuit.co.nz

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS: Dark Horse Photography kampic.com Lesley Warwick - ShowShots Libby Law Mary-Jo Tohil Michelle Clarke Race Day Images Rebecca Harper Ryan Teece Stephen Lioy Take the Moment Tina MacNab What it Takes Photography

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS: Cedah Mayo Chloe Phillips-Harris Kate Lattey Kelley Barrington Nicola Smith Rebecca Harper

ADVERTISING SALES:

Sheryll Davies sheryll@showcircuit.co.nz Phone: 021 810 576

SUBSCRIPTIONS & ENQUIRIES: enquiries@showcircuit.co.nz

WEBSITE: www.showcircuitmagazine.com IMAGE WEBSITE www.showcircuit.photoshelter.com

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SHOWCIRCUIT magazine is published bimonthly. Articles reflect the personal opinion of the author and not necessarily the view of Waiata Publishing Ltd or Show Circuit Magazine. This publication cannot be reproduced in whole or in part in any way without the publisher’s express written permission. All contributions are submitted at the sender’s risk. Waiata Publishing Ltd accepts no responsibility for loss or damage.

“we like to make it easi”

CONTACT US: North Island - Hayley-Jane Malcolmson M: 027 247 6881 E: hayleyjane@prydes.co.nz South Island - Jonathan McNeill M: 029 201 3950 E: jonathan@prydes.co.nz

www.prydes.co.nz

CONTENTS REGULARS 74

Retail | Winter Wardrobe Revamp

128

New Products

144

Recipe | Delicious Mushrooms

145

146

Business Directory

SPECIAL FEATURES 50

World Nomad Games

Lady of Lawrence

INTERVIEWS 16

HOY | Lily Tootill

HOY | Abby Robinson

Vicky Browne-Cole | Up and Coming

Harry Feast | Young Rider

HOY | Abbie Deken

HOY | Steffi Whittaker

Sarah Cronin |Show Ring Success Story

Anne Watts | Triumph over Tragedy

Dana Kirkpatrick | Fresh Eyes at ESNZ

Jayden Horsfall | BBQ Boy to Grand Prix

Rebecca Goldsbury | Arena to Track

Jock Paget | Up Close

TRAINING 60

Cross-Country | Sir Mark Todd

Show Jumping for Eventers | Jock Paget

EVENT COVERAGE 78

Horse of the Year | Show Jumping

Horse of the Year | Show Hunter

Horse of the Year | Dressage

102

Horse of the Year | Other Disciplines

110

Bates Dressage National Championships

116

Bruce Forbes NI NZPCA Team Championship

122

Warkworth A&P Royal Event

HEALTH 132

Equine Metabolic Syndrome

138

A Day in the Life of an Equine Chiropractor

142

The Role of your Psoas in Riding Posture

SHOWCIRCUIT MAGAZINE

NERVES OF STEEL OUR NEW OLYMPIC CUP CHAMPION

LILY TOOTILL

We caught up with Lily at home after her spectacular ride in the Premier Arena in front of a packed grandstand at Horse of the Year. She went in knowing that she had one job to do – jump another clear round in the jump-off and the Horse of the Year Olympic Cup title would be hers.

HIS WILL, OUR WAY, MY FAITH - DRESSAGE HORSE OF THE YEAR

ABBIE DEKEN

Taking out the Dressage Horse of the Year title at this year’s Horse of the Year Show with KH Ambrose was the realisation of a dream for Abbie Deken, and the culmination of many years of unrelenting hard work for the 33-year-old Taranaki rider.

LADY OF LAWRENCE -

BOUTIQUE BED & BREAKFAST

DEVELOPING CROSSCOUNTRY CONFIDENCE

Verity Wolf tells us about her shift to New Zealand to start a new chapter in her life. She gave us a tour around her elegantly bed and breakfast situated amongst the rolling hills of Otago and at the gateway to the Clutha Gold Trail. Lady of Lawrence is one hour from Dunedin, two hours from Queenstown, and an eternity away from it all.

SIR MARK TODD

He is renowned for his fluent and economical cross-country riding, and his ability to set his horses up to excel in that phase. We sat in on a cross-country training session with a group of experienced eventers competing at 1* and above at his recent Wairarapa clinics.

APRIL / MAY 17

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INTERVIEW

”

I don’t get all that nervous, more just excited. I definitely get butterflies in my stomach, but they don’t make me worried or scared.

”

SHOWCIRCUIT MAGAZINE

NERVES OF STEEL -

Lily Tootill

When Lily Tootill rode into the Premier Arena on Sunday afternoon in front of a packed grandstand, she knew that she had one job to do – jump one more clear round, and the Horse of the Year title would be hers. Aboard her nine-year-old gelding Ulysses NZPH, Lily held her nerve and left all the fences up to secure the biggest win of her career so far. WORDS Kate Lattey | PHOTOS kampic.com (competition) & Show Circuit Magazine (at home) The win was a dream come true for the 20-year-old from Karaka, but it almost didn’t happen. “I was in two minds that morning about starting,” Lily recalls. “I went and had a look at the ground, then spoke to Werner [Deeg, the German course designer]. Obviously I decided to give it a go, and once we started, Ronald (Ulysses NZPH) didn’t actually feel any different than usual.” It didn’t help that the rain started again as soon as the class began, but Lily had made her decision and carried on as planned. Despite the farfrom-ideal ground conditions, she didn’t make any major gear changes. “I didn’t go enormous when it came to studs,” she explains. “I just went with a decent size, because the ground was so loose and slippery that there’s only so much studs can do in those conditions anyway.” Thirteenth to go in the first round, Lily was the first rider to produce a clear, and was sitting at the top of the table going into round two. Hot on her heels were several seasoned competitors, including last year’s winner Helen McNaught on Carnutelabryere and five-time winner Maurice Beatson on Mandalay Cove, both sitting on four faults after the first round. Katie Laurie, another five-time winner of this class, was also still in the hunt with just eight faults aboard Dunstan On The Point Eve. With all of those on eight faults or less coming back to jump off against the clock in increasingly slippery conditions, the class was still far from being decided. After Helen and Maurice both jumped clear second rounds to finish on four faults apiece, there was no margin for error left when Lily returned to the ring. Knowing that one more clear round would be enough to secure the win, Lily resisted the temptation to ride for time, instead keeping it steady and leaving all of the fences up to take out the title. Although the class is traditionally two rounds and then a jump-off for equal faulters, the shortened format didn’t end up affecting the outcome of the class, as Lily was the only rider to jump double clear. But, she admits that she had to keep speed in the back of her mind during the second round, knowing that just one rail down could quickly change the outcome of the class. “The time was tight anyway, so I had to keep moving forward,” she says.

SHOWCIRCUIT MAGAZINE

”

He’s more of a pet than a sport horse – he’s a bit like a Labrador at heart! No matter what, he always tries his hardest… He’ll always be my top horse.

”

She felt that Werner Deeg’s course was tough but fair. “It was tough enough for the ground conditions,” Lily says. “There were a few tricks, but most of all you really needed to keep a good rhythm the whole way round.” It was first time lucky in the Olympic Cup for both Lily and her nineyear-old chestnut Ulysses NZPH, known at home as Ronald. Neither of them had contested the title before, but she didn’t suffer from any pre-round jitters. “I don’t get all that nervous, more just excited. I definitely get butterflies in my stomach, but they don’t make me worried or scared.” Like his rider, Ronald kept his head and stayed focused in the ring. “He doesn’t like laps of honour or cheering crowds very much,” Lily says. “But the trade tents and atmosphere didn’t worry him at all.” This year’s Horse of the Year show also marked Lily’s first start in the Lady Rider of the Year class, in which she finished sixth. She also placed second in the Young Rider of the Year, which she has contested on other horses in the past, but it was her first time in all three classes with Ronald. She had all of her hopes pinned on him at the show, as he was the only horse she brought down from Karaka. “Everything else at home is four years old or younger,” she explains. “I gave him an easy week leading up to the show, mostly just hacking around the back roads. We drove down to McVean’s on Sunday and jumped maybe 6-8 fences with Kate and Jeff and then drove down to Hastings on the Monday, and stayed on the grounds the whole time.” She describes him as a perfect traveller, and “the easiest horse to have around.” Lily has been riding Ronald for just over two years, and she owns the horse in partnership with Theresa Gattung. “He was doing the Seven-YearOld series classes and jumping up to 1.30m when I got him,” she says. The attractive 16.3hh gelding is by Cabdulla Du Tillard out of Quiet Time NZPH (by Twist Kerllec), and it’s clear Lily absolutely adores him. “He’s more of a pet than a sport horse – he’s a bit like a Labrador at heart! No matter what, he always tries his hardest. He’s very special.” Lily and the rest of the Senior Rider Team (Katie Laurie, Samantha Morrison and Natasha Brooks) are leaving New Zealand on 23 March to fly with their horses to Sydney. They will jump in the first Trans-

SHOWCIRCUIT MAGAZINE

Tasman test at Equifest in Richmond, NSW, before heading north to Brisbane, where the second test will be run at Elysian Fields in late April, as part of the Aquis Champions Tour. All up, Lily plans to be away for six to seven weeks. She’s looking forward to the trip, but her win in the Olympic Cup hasn’t changed any of her expectations. “On the day it’s just another class, and you just have to go out there and do the best you can.” A slightly unorthodox part of the team’s preparation involved doing a photo shoot with her teammates at HOY for Woman’s Day magazine. “When I heard about it, I just wanted to bury my head in the sand,” Lily laughs. “It seemed so embarrassing! But we actually had a lot of fun, although I’m glad my teammates were there too. I could never have done it on my own!” It was a different gathering of friends that got Lily started on the road towards equestrian glory. “When I was about four or five years old, I was out to lunch with my mother and her friends, including Lady Carolyn Todd. Out of the blue, Carolyn and Mouse (Karen Milne) turned to my mother and said ‘Lily’s having a pony, and she’ll go to lessons with Katja Kershaw.’ That’s how it was decided!” Lily’s first mount was an 11hh pony named Twinkle, who she describes as “another Labrador type, just a lovely little pet. Not one of those evil Shetlands that would try and chase you out of the paddock!” She went on to compete up to Pony Grand Prix level, but moved onto horses when she was fourteen. “Honestly, I think that the earlier you move off ponies, the better it is for the long-term development of your riding,” Lily says. “Within reason, of course, but while ponies are brilliant at teaching you how to win and getting you out of trouble, they don’t always help you to recognise and learn from your mistakes. They can save you a bit too much, and most of the top pony riders today are the ones who’re out there competing on horses as well.” When asked about the biggest challenge that she’s faced in her riding career, Lily is direct. “To be honest, the biggest challenge has been other people. It’s not nearly as friendly a sport as it used to be, but I refuse to let it get to me, or let anyone else bring me down. If other people have a problem with me, then that’s their concern. I can’t make it mine.”

SHOWCIRCUIT MAGAZINE

”

No matter what other people say, at the end of the day only you know what’s best for you and your horse. So don’t be put off by someone else’s opinion of you, or what they think you should’ve done.

”

Lily feels very fortunate to be in business with Theresa Gattung (coowner of Ulysses NZPH), and sponsored by Betavet Equine Herbals, and Australian company Emcee Apparel. She lists her parents as her biggest supporters, and also greatly appreciates the day-to-day help of Vicky Ridley, who keeps her horses on Lily’s property, and will be taking charge of the livery horses while she is away in Australia. To prepare herself and her horses for success, Lily does a lot of flatwork training with Jacque McKinley, and also goes to Tracy Smith for lessons. “Jeff McVean has always been my go-to person with questions,” she adds. “And Robert Steele is very good to walk courses with and to have around at shows. He’s always cool, calm and collected, and there’s nothing more important than that before a big class.” Right before she goes into the ring, Lily does her best to clear her mind and think of as little as possible. “But it never works! My mind is too busy, and I’m always thinking about the ponies at home, wondering are they okay, have they been fed, do they have their rugs off? Then I go into the ring and it’s like ‘Oops, better concentrate, I’ve got a class to do!’ But once I get in there and start my canter, I’m completely focused.” Lily’s training routine at home is tailored to each horse, but as is necessary with young horses, it’s always open and flexible. “It’s no good planning things too much, because you might think you’re going to work on something one day, then the horse wakes up and says ‘I don’t want to do that!’, so you have to be prepared to take things as they come. “I don’t do too many tricky exercises and grids at home. If you have a horse that needs them, then doing a couple is good, but personally I believe that you’re better off jumping around courses, because that’s what you’re going to have to do in the ring.” When asked if she has any advice for other aspiring young riders, Lily takes a moment to think about it. “No matter what other people say, at the end of the day only you know what’s best for you and your horse. So don’t be put off by someone else’s opinion of you, or what they think you should’ve done. Sometimes people will say things like ‘why did you do this?’ and ‘why didn’t you do that?’. Most of the time they’re genuinely trying to help, but only you know what’s right for you.” She adds: “But you should always listen to your coaches. This doesn’t apply for them!” After the Australian tour, Lily will be back home for the winter. She will continue to ride some of the lovely Matawhio Sporthorses that MaryBeth Sharp and William Willis breed (the ones that are too small for William) and plans to bring her four-year-olds out for the winter series. “I’ll be out there, probably shooting off in all directions and jumping off all fours!” she laughs. Her aim is to prepare the horses for their debuts in the Five-Year-Old Series next season. “They won’t do too much, just enough to get them ready for the Six-Year-Old season. They’re all for sale, because that’s the nature of the business, producing quality young horses.” As for her stable star Ronald, he’ll be back out next season doing the big classes. “Hopefully we’ll have another great season. He’s absolutely my top horse, and he always will be.” C

SHOWCIRCUIT MAGAZINE

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INTERVIEW

ro robinson FOOT PERFECT FINALE

It was the perfect end to a tumultuous week for Ohaupo rider Abby Robinson and her six-yearold gelding Hillman Hunter. But despite her horse getting kicked in the yards and missing most of his earlier classes, the combination produced two foot perfect rounds to take out the title of Show Hunter Horse of the Year. WORDS Kate Lattey | PHOTOS kampic.com

Abby’s week at the show started with a bang – or rather, a kick. “I don’t know exactly how it happened,” she explains. “I just found him like that on Wednesday morning.” A kick in the yards overnight had left Hillman Hunter (or Hilly as he is known at home) with a swollen leg, and although he wasn’t lame, Abby decided to rest him as much as she could. She scratched him from the Six-YearOld show jumping classes, and from his Show Hunter rounds on Thursday that were to have been preparation for the big class. Then, the approaching storm forced a schedule change for the Show Hunter title class, which was brought forward to Friday afternoon, rather than Saturday as scheduled. In retrospect, Abby agreed that was “a very good move!”, given that all of Saturday’s jumping ended up being cancelled or postponed, but at the time it was just one more thing that didn’t go to plan. “The lead-up wasn’t ideal, to say the least,” Abby says. “Due to his injury, I only did one show jumping class and one Show Hunter round before the title class – and he had a very uncharacteristic rail in each one!” When it came to the big event though, Abby and Hilly left all the fences up in the first round to be called back in second place. Chloe Hansen and her six-time title winner Kiwi Motto were called back fourth, while Karen Riddle on the grey stallion LC Telepathy sat at the top of the table. The top ten combinations were required to jump again over a shortened course, which underwent a last-minute alteration due to the deteriorating ground conditions. “A few fences were moved in an attempt to find better ground to jump out of,” Abby explains. Despite that, she felt that the course – consisting of a vertical, an oxer, and a treble line – rode really well. With the second round ridden in reverse order, Abby had to wait while eight other riders completed the course. Chloe jumped a solid clear round on Kiwi Motto, which was followed by a very tidy round from Jesse Linton, who was sitting third after round one aboard Wishing Crown. Abby knew she had very little margin for error, but she wasn’t feeling too nervous as she re-entered the ring. “I just wanted it to all go right, and for all of the fences to stay up!” she says. “My goal was just to stay clean, produce a nice round and ride to the conditions.”

SHOWCIRCUIT MAGAZINE

Fortunately, things were finally going to plan, and Hilly jumped beautifully. “I was absolutely stoked with him. He didn’t put a foot wrong and he tried really hard for me.” Fellow competitor Karen Riddle was the first to congratulate Abby, giving her a celebratory high-five at the gate as Abby rode out of the ring. Karen’s relaxed stallion then trotted in, appearing unfazed by the mucky conditions. But a deep spot at the first fence was enough to drop the combination into second place, and secure the win for Abby. A big cheer went up when the results were announced, and everyone was quick to offer their congratulations. “It was a really nice atmosphere,” Abby says. “Everyone got along really well, and no-one was too competitive.” Abby has spent a lot of time in and around the Show Hunter ring over the years, after starting out at the age of eight aboard the consistent Category B pony, Puffing Billy. Abby had a lot of success on the pony, including winning the Cat B Championship at Horse of the Year many years ago, but this is her biggest win in Show Hunter so far. When asked about the appeal of Show Hunter, Abby responds immediately. “It’s good fun! And it’s really good for young horses.” Her star horse, Hillman Hunter, is by Bay Indoctro out of a Pico Bello mare, and was purchased by Abby’s mother from Weiti Station as a yearling. Abby was overseas at the time, and while her mother clearly has a good eye for a horse, there was no secret method for finding a future champion. “She just liked the look of him!” Abby says. “So she went up with Dad and they bought him.” Hilly stayed at Weiti Station until he was three, when he came to live with the

Robinsons in Ohaupo. Abby broke him in, and has done all of his training herself. “And he has never put a foot wrong,”she says. At the start of this season, Abby looked over the calendar and picked out shows where Hilly could compete in both show jumping and Show Hunter classes. “Then once he was qualified for Horse of the Year, we just did the odd Show Hunter round as practice,” she explains. The combination also competed in the Six-Year-Old series and show jumped up to 1.20m. As well as her big win on Hilly, Abby had a very successful week at the show on her other ride, Lost in Translation. With the 16-year-old bay Thoroughbred, known at home as Pete (“because he’s by Señor Pete – really original, I know!”), she won three classes, including the Adult Equitation and Handy Hunter, and finished second in Amateur Show Hunter of the Year. Pete is another versatile mount, and regularly steps away from the Show Hunter ring onto the cross-country course. “My sister Brooke events him to Pre-Novice level,” Abby explains. “He’s been with us for about ten years now, and he really is part of the family.” At the time of going to print, Abby was undecided whether to take Hilly to Series Finals or not. “Either way, he’ll have the winter off, and then do the Seven-YearOlds next season. Unfortunately, that means I’ll be ineligible to do the Amateur Show Hunter classes on Pete,” she adds, with a touch of remorse. But, when asked whether her sister will take over the reins in the Show Hunter arena, she laughs. “Uh, I don’t think so!” C

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INTERVIEW

VICKY BROWNE-COLE ing

m o c d n a p U

Eighteen-year-old Vicky Browne-Cole is slowly but surely making a name for herself on the New Zealand eventing scene. With a talented team of horses, some big wins under her belt and very exciting plans in the pipeline, this ambitious young rider has her sights set on making it to the top. WORDS Laura Stenberg | PHOTOS Show Circuit Magazine

If it hadn’t been for an unfortunate mix up that saw Vicky Browne-Cole’s pet cow, Chocolate, mistakenly sent to the paddock in the sky, the young eventer from Waiuku might have become our very own cow-riding internet sensation. “When I was about eight, I used to get on Chocolate and walk her around,” Vicky recalls. “So when she accidentally got sent to the freezer, Mum and Dad felt so bad that they got me a pony to replace her!” However, that first pony wasn’t exactly a success. “It was a horrible pony that hadn’t been broken in properly. I think I only got on it twice and got bucked off both times, so we sold it to an experienced home,” Vicky recalls. Her second pony proved to be much more suitable, although still had a wicked buck that got her off a few times! She went on to have her first taste of equestrian success, including winning her very first rug at a local show jumping day. Like many other Kiwi kids, Vicky went to Pony Club and loved doing a bit of everything, but eventing was always her favourite discipline. Things got more serious on the competition front when she got her first horse, Nicholas Nickelby, at age 13. She still considers him to be the horse who has had the biggest influence on her career so far. “I had done up to Training level

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before I got him, and he took me all the way through to my first 2* when I was just 15. He was only about 15.1hh and wasn’t great on the flat, but he would jump anything you pointed him at and was a huge confidence builder.” Today Vicky has a strong little team of eventers, and is doing her final year of high school by correspondence, which allows her to devote plenty of time to training. Her current top ride is the eightyear-old Australian Thoroughbred Eli, and the combination had their first 2* start at Springbush. They headed to HOY, and were sitting in 14th place after the dressage and show jumping before the cross country was unfortunately cancelled. Their successes so far include winning the Junior Rider CCI* at Puhunui last year and Vicky has her sights set on the TransTasman Team Challenge in Australia in July. “They take four 2* riders under 21 and I’d love to be part of it. The experience of travelling over there would be amazing,” she says. Vicky’s second ride, Delilah RE, is a 5-year-old Thoroughbred who has been in her team for about 10 months, and has just started competing at Pre-Novice (CNC105). “I’m pretty excited about both of these horses,” she says. She also always has a third horse as a

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project to sell on. “I always like to have a turnover horse – I sold two last year. Mum and Dad are really supportive, but I try and do my bit to contribute, and to help pay for the big things.” With her own team of horses, horses to ride for other people, plenty of ground work to do and about five hours of schoolwork each day, it’s a busy life for an 18-yearold. It takes dedication and sacrifice but that doesn’t seem to faze Vicky, who loves the sport of eventing. And like many eventers, it’s the cross-country phase that really has her hooked. “It’s definitely about the cross-country! I love it when you get a really tough combination and you get it all right. Lately my dressage has been a lot better, and I like the show jumping too. It’s quite a challenge getting all the phases right at the same event, but that’s what I love about it,” she explains. Vicky has learnt a lot already in her eventing career, but her biggest lesson so far came at the 2016 Taupo Three Day Event, when she was forced to cope with the bitter disappointment that so often comes with competing horses. “I was winning the 1* after the dressage phase, and I’d never been in that position before,” she recalls. “I let the pressure get to me and ended up having a

silly run-out in the cross-country. I got so focused on time I didn’t quite get my horse back enough, and I was so disappointed. But I learnt a lot from it and coped with the pressure of Puhunui better last year because of that experience.” Vicky has had no shortage of support or learning opportunities from the best in the business. From May last year up until recently, she was based in Hamilton and

“It’s quite a challenge getting all the phases right at the same event,

so I’ve been pretty lucky!” Vicky doesn’t take this support for granted either. “I couldn’t do without the support from Tracy, Jock and Jeff and my parents, who even though they aren’t horsey still help and support me. The eventing community is amazing too. If you ever need anything, people are always willing to help.” After lining up an incredible opportunity to work with Jock Paget, Vicky has very recently made the move with both Eli and Delilah RE to Jock’s property in Taupo, about 10 minutes from the National Equestrian Centre. “I will be based at Jock’s yard so I can work and train with him. He’s going to have about three or four horses so it will be more of a base for me to learn Jock’s system rather than being there as a working pupil. After working with him in England, I’d always planned to eventually be based at his yard, and it’s just worked in my favour that Taupo is a lot closer than England!” While this move is just over three hours from Vicky’s family home in Waiuku, the teenager is already thinking about the next transition, which is likely to be a lot further from home. “When I’ve got a good enough team, the plan is to move to England and get up to 4* over there. I just want to go as far as I can and be as good as I can be.” C

but that ’s what I love about it. ”

riding under the tutorship of Grand Prix dressage rider and NZ Eventing Squad Coach Tracy Smith. “Tracy really helped me with my flatwork, but it wasn’t only the riding – I learned a lot about horse management as well, and how to put all the pieces together.” Back in 2014, Vicky also spent two months working for Jock Paget in the UK. “This had a big influence on me as well. And I’ve also recently started training with Jeff McVean,

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INTERVIEW

YOUNG RIDER

Harry Feast

Christchurch’s Harry Feast is one of the most promising young riders rising through the New Zealand show jumping ranks. With his exciting team of young horses, the 21-year-old is regularly in the winner’s circle on the South Island circuit, and has proven himself more than capable of footing it against the North Islanders when he ventures up the country for big events. WORDS Laura Stenberg How long have you been riding for? I started riding when I was around five, got my first pony when I was seven and tried a bit of everything before focusing on show jumping when I was about 13. How did you get into riding? My parents weren’t at all horsey so I got into riding through friends who had ponies. Mum and Dad had to learn a lot about horses in a very short time! What is your “day job”? I currently work full-time at Farmlands Feedbarn which I really enjoy as it involves dealing a lot with the equine industry. I also take a limited number of schoolers in the off season while my team are having a break. Who makes up your current team of horses? I’ve currently got a team of five horses. Alongside my top horse Double J Bouncer, there’s six-year-old Bonjour SPH (owned by Fiona Gillies), five-year-old Double J Barman and my two four-year-olds, Distinction NZPH and Double J Barista, who will have their first outings this year before going on to a full competition season as five-year-olds. Tell us more about your top horses. We purchased Double J Bouncer when he was four, and he’s now eight. Last season he won the Seven-Year-Old Series and the NZ National Seven-Year-Old and Young Rider titles. This season he’s stepped up to Grand Prix and has had four starts for four wins. Bouncer is a very genuine horse and always tries hard for me. He has taught me so much and we get on great. Bonjour SPH is looking very promising, she is also a very genuine horse with heaps of talent and is great to have around. How have you ended up with so many horses from Double J Sporthorses? The first Double J horse I purchased was Double J Butler, who is now competing in Australia. After a great first season with him I bought his full brother, Bouncer. Then the opportunity came up to purchase another two full siblings – Barman and Barista. Robyn and Wendy (from Double J Sporthorses) have always been fantastic to deal with, they are always keen to hear how the horses are going and keep in touch throughout the season. All the horses we have purchased from them have been started extremely well, which makes producing them so straightforward. I wouldn’t hesitate to buy horses from them again. Who do you train with? For jumping I work closely with Fiona Gillies who is a huge help to me, as well as Ross Smith when he is over from Australia. I also have flatwork lessons with Sally Field-Dodgson. Are you currently sponsored by anyone? I am very lucky to have an amazing group of sponsors who are extremely supportive of me and the team. We have always fed McMillan Equine Feeds and they’ve sponsored me for five years now. They are great at helping me create diets that are specific to my horses’ requirements and most importantly, the horses love their feed and always look fantastic. The Syncroflex HA range of products have been an important part of managing my team for over three years now, and it gives me confidence to know my horses are getting the best joint supplement. We have always used Zilco NZ products and rugs – their products and backup service are awesome. South Canterbury Saddlery/Kingsland Equestrian NZ came on board as a sponsor for me this season which was very exciting, I love their gear and their team are brilliant to deal with! What’s been the best moment in your riding career so far? It would have to be winning the Seven-Year-Old Series with Double J Bouncer last season. Bouncer is a great product of all the age group series which are a fantastic way to produce young horses, culminating with the Seven-Year-Old classes where they learn to jump off against the clock.

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‘‘

NO MATTER HOW CONSISTENT YOU ARE OR HOW MUCH WORK YOU PUT TOWARDS SOMETHING,

THINGS CAN CHANGE IN AN INSTANT.” What’s the best lesson you’ve learnt from horses? That no matter how consistent you are or how much work you put towards something, things can change in an instant and you need to learn to be adaptable. Also that while there are plenty of highs in our sport, you will also get your fair share of lows. Is there anything you know now that you wish you’d known when you started producing young horses? I’ve been so fortunate that throughout the time I’ve been producing horses I’ve always had constant help from professionals, and I’ve been able to utilise their knowledge whenever I’m unsure. I’ve learnt so much over the last few years it would be hard to mention everything, but above all patience is so important when it comes to young horses, ensuring you allow them time to become both mentally and physically mature enough for the job you are asking of them. Are there any riders that inspire you or that you look up to? I think you can learn so much from watching all the top riders. It’s especially easy now to watch competitions online through live streaming, both in New Zealand and overseas. What are your short and long term goals? My goals for this season are to finish in the top six of both the Young Rider and Grand Prix Series. Looking towards next season I am wanting to consolidate Bouncer at Grand Prix level to prepare him for a World Cup start in the future. I’m also looking forward to competing Bonjour in the Seven-Year-Old classes next season. Producing young horses for sale is a big part of my plan so I’m excited to start bringing the four-year-olds through. Long term I would really like to take a horse to Australia to compete, and to be competitive in top-level classes there. What do you love about show jumping in New Zealand? It gives you the opportunity to travel all over the country competing and you get to meet lots of different people. How many shows do you normally go to each season? By the end of this season we will have competed at around 16 shows throughout the country. Unfortunately, the South Island doesn’t have the resources for as many shows as the North Island which means we also have to travel north to compete. Any idea how many hours you’d spend travelling to and from shows each season? At a guess, it would be around 115 hours, depending on the number of times we travel to the North Island. Tell us about your support team. My family are very supportive, and I couldn’t do what I do without them. Mum and Dad are always around to help me if I need them, whether it’s driving the truck to shows or helping feed up at home. My sister Kaitlin also competes at Junior Rider level and is really great at shows, and Fiona Gillies has been a huge help to our team over the past few years, both hands on and with coaching. I’m also very lucky to have a super working student, Katie Pitt, who helps with the horses a few afternoons a week, and friends and fellow competitors are always encouraging me too. What do you do when you’re not riding or away competing? Between working full-time and keeping my team ticking over, I don’t have much spare time at all, but I love meeting up with friends for dinner when I can. PHOTO Show Circuit Magazine

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If you weren’t riding, what would you be doing? I’m not too sure, but I would have a lot of spare time and way more money! C

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INTERVIEW

ABBIE DEKEN

His will, our way, my faith “Winning the title feels amazing! I’m still on a high that comes over me in waves. I’m at home now going about my normal day-to-day life, and every so often I think, ‘Wow, we really did it!” says Abbie of her first major win. “I’m really just enjoying it – you have to enjoy the highs when they come, because tomorrow everything can change.” Abbie admits that she felt a little hesitant going into the event. “We didn’t have the best time at Nationals in February. Ambrose hasn’t any real weaknesses in his work; he had been doing the Grand Prix work and particularly the piaffe and passage well at home, but he wasn’t consistent enough out at competitions. We really worked on improving the movements we had been struggling with a bit in the lead-up to HOY.” Abbie is quick to give credit for her success to long-time coach, mentor, friend and neighbour Vanessa Way, who has brought the experience she gained while working under Carl Hester in one of the world’s top dressage yards back to New Zealand.

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“Vanessa has been my coach since I was fourteen years old, and I have total trust in her. My success is due to her commitment to continually improving herself as a rider and as a coach and sharing her knowledge. She is that rider that every competitor aspires to beat! “I wasn’t feeling confident coming into HOY, but Vanessa was happy with our build-up and felt that we were on track. She convinced me that we could do it!” Abbie feels that dressage is strong throughout the grades at the moment. Despite the absence at HOY of two top Grand Prix contenders, Wendi Williamson and Julie Brougham, three riders posted scores over 70% (John Thompson, Penny Castle, and Abbie). Abbie’s winning score in the musical freestyle was 72.9% which in New Zealand has only ever been bettered once, by Julie Brougham and Vom Feinsten at Horse of the Year 2016. Abbie felt that any of the top competitors could have taken the competition on the day. “The top riders are all just so good – any of them could have won. It’s just how it goes

on the day. It’s exciting to be amongst top company, and the support between the riders is really special. We all know how hard the sport is. When someone has a good ride we are happy for them, and when the ride doesn’t go so well we feel their frustrations.” The partnership between Abbie Deken and her 14-year-old Anamour gelding (known at home as ‘Bam’) began when he was purchased as an unbroken three-year-old. “He wasn’t easy as a young horse,” Abbie explains, “but we’ve come up through the grades together and I’ve had him for so long that I know him inside out and back to front. He’s one very smart character and he’s got some quirks, but if you talk to any of the riders with top horses they all have a certain something that gives them that X factor. Bam can easily get a little bit too excited about his job! “He can also be a bit reactive to sound, although that’s manageable now. And he’s also had a couple of bouts of laminitis, which thankfully he recovered fully from with no complications, but he has to be very carefully managed.

“He’s the first horse I’ve taken through to Grand Prix, and I want to keep on steadily improving and learning as much as I can. I want to get that mileage under my belt and see how far we can go.” Abbie’s second horse is Guiliani (Flash), a six-year-old Hanoverian by Gym Bello out of the well-performed Anamour mare Ashanti, who was competed so successfully by Sophie de Clifford. Abbie has owned Flash since he was two years old and says that he is “a really cool dude. He loves his work and the more he is ridden the harder he tries.” She says that although he is really too big for her, she has loved riding him since day one. “I’m really thrilled with him. He gave me my first National title (Level 3 at Bates Dressage Nationals 2017) and my first Horse of the Year title (Level 3 Dressage Horse of the Year 2017) – both achievements I have been working towards for quite a few years.” Flash is by no means a seasoned competition horse – he came out at Level 1 just last season, then skipped Level 2 entirely before having a very successful season at Level 3 this year. “Taking him to Horse of the Year this year was for the experience and to show him what it is all about. He has had a strong season, but HOY is a whole new game – the young horses have never seen anything like that before. “Going into the Dressage Oval for the first time, he was definitely concerned about the big atmosphere. It’s quite frightening for a young horse, being in there on their own with all the action going on around, and he ‘talked’ throughout the whole test, but he stayed with me and did his job for me. He coped really well, considering.” With breeder Debbie Smith losing Ashanti during HOY week, Abbie is hopeful that Flash will continue the legacy of this beautiful mare. “He’s quite straightforward. He’s a big horse, and we have to work at keeping him short, quick and sharp, but he’s already showing

signs that he finds collection no problem at this stage, and hopefully that will continue as he goes up the grades. If everything goes to plan, he will compete at Level 5 next season.” Abbie loves the training side as much as competing. “Competition is what you work towards and set goals for, but for me that’s not the driving force. I love training and improving, and the high that comes when it feels right. I tend to be really hard on myself, wanting to perfect things. Vanessa knows what my horses and I are capable of and she pushes us hard to get the best out of us.” Away from the competition arena, Abbie’s life is very busy with her work as a veterinary nurse, as well as coaching riders and schooling her own and other people’s horses. “I’m getting more into the coaching side of things, and Vanessa has also helped and supported me a lot on the business side, referring riders and horses to me when she is too busy.” Abbie is grateful for the support she receives from NSC, Virbac, Goods Farrier Services, Hareb Deken Motors, New Plymouth Veterinary Group, and NRM. C

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INTERVIEW

GOING OUT IN A OF GLORY

blaze

WORDS Kate Lattey | PHOTOS kampic.com

It was a fitting finale for Steffi Whittaker and her experienced pony Moonlight Glow, known at home as Blaze, when they took out the Farmlands Pony of the Year class on their fifth and final attempt. Sixteen-year-old Steffi is in her last season on ponies, and was thrilled to win the title she has been chasing since she was twelve years old.

here were plenty of changes afoot in the Farmlands Pony of the Year, with the weather and ground conditions forcing the class to be rescheduled from Saturday afternoon to Sunday morning. A change in format also meant it ran over just two rounds, with the second round ridden against the clock. Of the 24 starters, only three riders jumped clear in the first round – Steffi and Moonlight Glow, Emma Watson on Fun House, and Phoebe Burns on Galaxy Masterpiece. Eight other riders completed on four faults, so eleven combinations returned for the second round, and the fastest time with the least accumulated faults over both rounds was set to come home the winner. Sophie Scott and Benrose Playtime laid down the gauntlet early in round two with a speedy four fault round to finish on a combined total of eight faults in a time of 51.11 seconds. The next two combinations took three rails apiece, before local rider Ruby Mason and Mr Acho jumped the first clear of round two, adding nothing to the four faults that they’d carried forward. Then Georgia Percy and the gorgeous black gelding Surprise Illusion flew around with only one rail down at the first double, shaving just over a second off Sophie’s time to go into the lead on 49.56 seconds. Steffi was next out, the first of the clear rounds to return, and she rode beautifully to notch up a second clear in 56.61 seconds. Emma Watson chased her valiantly on the crowd-shy Fun House, and had the crowd gasping as she found a deep spot at fence three and somehow took out every rail except the top one! With no penalties

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incurred there, Emma kicked on, but unfortunately took the next two rails to finish on eight faults in a time of 53.43 seconds. Phoebe Burns and her skewbald Galaxy Masterpiece were the last combination to go, and were jumping well until they found a long spot at fence six, where the pony did his best to scrape over but rubbed a pole off with his belly. Another rail at the second double left them on a final total of eight faults, and they finished in sixth place. An emotional Steffi struggled to hold back the tears as she received the Somerset Fair Cup, and graciously thanked her sponsors NRM and Equissage, and her family for their support over the years. She was especially grateful to her grandparents Judith and Lindsay Blackmore, who purchased Moonlight Glow for Steffi five years ago. Since then, the combination have enjoyed plenty of success together, including winning the National Open Pony Championship in 2013. But this was the one title they hadn’t yet managed to win. “We were fourth equal last year, and fifth the year before,” Steffi recalled. “I told Granddad before we left, if I don’t get it this time, I’m never going to get it!” Although none of her classes had been cancelled due to the weather, Steffi wasn’t having the best show up until the Pony of the Year class. “The Young Rider didn’t go too well,” she said, “and the Junior was a bit of a disaster. This is actually my first ribbon all show!” She found the footing in the Premier arena to be better than she’d expected, and it didn’t bother Blaze. “It was wet out there, but he jumped super. We’ve had a lot of wet shows this season, so he’s used to the mud!”

Steffi was unfazed by the change of day for the class, but she felt that the shortened format made it difficult for her fellow competitors who’d recorded first round clears, only to have the pressure laid on in round two, as they’d gone in needing to jump fast and clear over a long, winding track. But she was impressed with Werner Deeg’s course, which was technical and asked a lot of questions. “I think there were always going to be a lot of faults,” Steffi said. “He’s such a smart course builder.” The Whittakers and their support crew left Christchurch at six a.m. on the Thursday before HOY to make the 18-hour trip to Hawke’s Bay. They arrived on Friday, and overnighted at Arena on Ormond before coming to the show grounds the next day. “When we turned Blaze out in the paddock, he went galloping off bucking,” Steffi recalls with a smile. “He definitely doesn’t act his age!” The combination had a quiet start to the week, only starting in the Pony 1.25m Championship. Their clear round was enough to secure a Pony of the Year qualification, so Steffi elected not to jump Blaze in the second round, instead saving him for

the big class – a decision that clearly paid off. Steffi describes Blaze as “very smart, and a bit quirky. If you pull his front legs forward, he’ll lean right back and do a big stretch.” She says he’s a gentleman to handle, and despite having a sway back, has never had any health issues. “He doesn’t know that he’s seventeen!” Steffi was quick to thank those who have had a hand in her success. “My sponsors NRM and Equissage, my Nan and Granddad, who bought Blaze for me, and of course my parents! My coaches Duncan McFarlane and Helen McNaught have been amazing too, they’ve been helping me all show and have been so generous.” With her seventeenth birthday rapidly approaching, Steffi knows that she won’t have another season on ponies. Her face falls as she talks about finding Blaze a new home, but she is also thinking ahead to next season. “I’ll be focusing on Young Riders, with my top horse (Ngahiwi Cruise), and maybe another one at that level.” She also has a four-year-old in the paddock at home to bring on, so the future looks bright for this dedicated young rider. C

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success story

INTERVIEW

A SHOW RING

Successful ‘showies’ Sarah Cronin and her mum Lizzy Bartram have accumulated an impressive array of titles, garlands, wide ribbons and silverware from the string of ponies they have partnered in owning and producing. WORDS Pip Hume | PHOTOS Show Circuit Magazine

Sarah with Chelton Fairy Lights, pictured winning Supreme Led Pony at Canterbury A&P Show 2016

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arah and Lizzy’s show ring success story actually began a long way from the show grounds. “I was just a typical, pony-mad city girl, but I was luckier than most,” explains Sarah. “Mum had a horse which was kept on rented land on the outskirts of Christchurch, and my first rides were on him. Then I went for riding lessons at Kowhai Residential Riding School near Oxford for a few years before I got my first pony when I was around 10 years old.” Mandy was a 12.2hh leased pony – a small, fluffy pony that Sarah would ride all day, every day, whenever she could, which paved the way for her to go to Pony Club, where she had a go at everything on offer. “I initially went to Belfast Pony Club, then Windsor. I was right into Pony Club – dressage, eventing, show jumping, games. I also did a bit of showing, but not too much.” Sarah’s best all-round pony was Badnor Paprika (Peppe). He was around 16 years old when Sarah found him, and as a real ‘been there and done that’ type, he was the perfect pony for her. “The way I found him was really quite special,” says Sarah. “I was a nosy child on a bike when I noticed him all alone and sad in a paddock. I found out that the people who owned the land hadn’t been paid any rent for a long time, and eventually they said I could have him. “After we got him, we found a second-hand saddle for him at Eyreton in North Canterbury. It turned out that the person we were buying the saddle from was Peppe’s breeder, and it was actually his old saddle! “I had heaps of fun on him until I had to sell him when I needed something bigger.” Sarah’s introduction to the show ring came when as a teenager she got her park hack, Apsley Gale Force, although initially things didn’t go well for the new partnership. “At our very first show together he threw me off. I cried and refused to get back on, but Mum and Dad pushed me to get back out there, and we ended up winning the Supreme title! After that I was hooked, and I went on to have so much fun with him.” However, while Apsley Gale Force was always consistent in the show ring with many wides to his credit, he was no jumper. Sarah says he would jump one week and then not the next, so she decided to stick to competing on the flat. The pony breeding and showing partnership between Sarah and her mother Lizzy began when Lizzy went with a friend to look at a pony and came back with an 18-month-old 12.2hh colt called Chester. “We gelded him and had a lot of enjoyment showing him, then I broke him in and he became a great children’s pony.” The next pony the pair purchased was a weanling, Dragonwyck Rhapsody. She was also a very successful pony who took the Championship at Canterbury A&P in her first year under saddle. She was then leased to the Evertons, for whom she won Pony of the Year. “By then we really had the bug. We got Ernie (Chelton Light Endeavour) as another young one to have a play with, and again we had a lot of success showing him in-hand before he went out under saddle.”

The next generation - Olive is successfully following in her mum’s footsteps. Mother and daughter are pictured here winning the Best Presented Lead Rein Pony at Canterbury A&P Show 2016.

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Turnout is my thing. I’m forever washing and trimming ponies because I’m so fussy. Sarah met her Irish husband Eugene when he came to New Zealand to experience Kiwi dairy farming, and the pair travelled back to Ireland, intending to settle there. However, it wasn’t long before a summer of truly dreadful weather saw them returning to Canterbury, where they are now sharemilking near Geraldine. They have three young children. Their middle child, five-year-old daughter Olive, is enthusiastic about riding. She currently has the loan of a lovely kick-along pony, Kinkora Sparkle, and it was the highlight of their season when they won Reserve Champion Leading Rein Pony at Canterbury A&P Show. Sarah feels that Sparkle is the ideal type of pony for a child. Olive can ride her off the lead rein, play games and just generally enjoy her pony. At the moment she loves leading her younger brother Vaughn, who is two-and-a-half years old, around the washing line on Sparkle. Older brother Eoghan, eight, isn’t interested at all, and considers that ‘ponies are for girls’. Olive’s second pony will be the part-bred Welsh Willowspring Rosetta (Rosie) who has had many wins and wides, both in-hand and under saddle, including taking runnerup Rising Star and runner-up Open Pony at Horse of the Year in her first season in 2014. Rosie has since had a foal and is now back in work; with all going well, Olive will be out competing on her next season. Also in the home paddock is Rosie’s sister, Chelton Fairy Lights (Nelly). “When Mum was talking to Nelly’s breeder Shelly Haig about buying her, I said, ‘Count me out. Too many ponies, too many children!’ It’s funny how things work out though – Mum went ahead and bought her anyway and she has been incredibly successful, including winning Supreme All Breeds Exhibit at South Island Premier Show two years in a row. “Nelly is newly under saddle, and was just the

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High performing comfort. same to break in as she is to do everything else with. Hopping on for the first time is such a thrill when you’ve had them from a baby. Nelly has such a laid-back nature and this ‘can-do’ attitude. Living on the dairy farm, there is always so much going on with tractors, irrigation, farm equipment and animals around, which makes them pretty bombproof. “At the end of the day, ponies have to be suitable for kids, because it’s kids who have to be able to ride them.” Sarah says that she and Lizzy have been very lucky, both with their purchases and the ponies they have bred. “When I see a pony I like, I have to have it. I have tended to stick with the ponies because I just love the pony nature – I find them really interesting and compared to the big horses they need a bit less work. I’m so busy with the kids and the farm, especially in the spring when I’m rearing calves, and if I need to I can leave them for a day or two and just pick up again where I left off. “I like some of the old-school breeding with a bit more substance – the part-bred Welsh seem to be less hot than some of the other young ones coming through, and are more suitable as children’s ponies. “There are some super quality ponies out there, but there seem to be fewer of them coming out these days. It is an expensive occupation and people are picking and choosing their outings.” Sarah is adamant that winning is just the icing on the cake, and is the pay-off for the countless hours that are put in at home. “Turnout is my thing,” she acknowledges. “I’m forever washing and trimming ponies because I’m so fussy. Even in the paddock at home I don’t like a hair out of place, and Olive’s ploddy pony gets trimmed once a week!“ She is also quick to acknowledge the support of her family. “I am so lucky to have a mum who helps with both the kids and the ponies, and a supportive husband. I couldn’t do it without either one of them.” C

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13 STORES NATIONWIDE

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INTERVIEW

Triumph over

Tragedy

Six years ago, dressage and showing rider Anne Watts made a miraculous return to riding following a tragic hunting accident which could have very easily kept her from getting back in the saddle again. Extremely determined and refusing to take no for an answer, Anne persevered to overcome horrific injuries and compete again in top-level dressage. Prepare to be inspired as we share Anne’s recovery story and show how an incredibly positive attitude has enabled her to keep doing what she loves. WORDS Laura Stenberg

Anne’s other mode of transport at shows - her Segway PHOTO Libby Law Photography

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simple slip on the landing side of a fence turned Anne and her family’s lives upside down in March 2011. Anne was out on the hunt field when her usually sure-footed hunter jumped a straightforward fence and went down on the other side, trapping her underneath him. What caused the horse to fall that day was a mystery that was only uncovered when a fellow member approached Anne’s partner, Graham, on the field last hunt season. “I only found out when a girl came up to Graham and explained it to him,” says Anne. “She was right beside me at the time of the accident, and didn’t know that I still had no idea how it had happened. She said that my horse landed on a cow poo and slid, and then he just keep sliding with me trapped underneath. It was great to know after all these years that it wasn’t his fault. And it’s quite funny too, because when I was a kid, any accident I had always had something to do with ending up in the poo, like falling in a drain or something like that!” Anne broke her C4 & C5 vertebrae, with paralysis caused by the injury to her spinal cord. But despite being diagnosed by the doctors as tetraplegic, Anne never doubted for one minute that she would ride again. “I was in hospital thinking ‘now if I could just get my feet on the floor, I’m sure I will be able to do it’,” she recalls. “I was dreaming about how I would be able to hold on if I could get up there, and decided that yes, I could definitely find a way to jump again.” After three months in hospital learning to do everything again, and celebrating the small achievements like learning to feed herself or brushing her own teeth for the first time, Anne finally went home. “I kept a calendar and each day there was some improvement that I focused on. The ability of the human body to heal itself is just amazing.” Anne first sat on a horse again in August at Riding for the Disabled. “People thought I’d go back there and have another couple of rides but I thought ‘no, I can get on my own horse now’. So I got back up there. Luckily the horses were so good and looked after me, and I took it one step at a time from there.” For someone who had practically grown up in the saddle, it was a huge challenge to have to learn to ride all over again. “It was really hard and when I got riding again I was thinking ‘holy – I can’t rise to the trot anymore and even holding the reins is hard!’” Anne’s family was incredibly supportive, but they made a deal with her once she was back in the saddle. “They said ‘you can get on your horse and do dressage, but no jumping!’” Anne made a full return to competition in September 2011, the same year as her accident, and even managed to place at Level 5 in her very first start.

I was in hospital thinking ‘now if I could just get my feet on the floor, I’m sure I will be able to do it’.

Anne riding Craighaven Allanon in the Para FEI Individual Championship at Auckland Manukau Regional Dressage Championships PHOTO Libby Law Photography

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Moments in time

Left: Anne sitting in a wheelchair, in a van, watching the prestigous Sue Yearbury Memorial Class and waving at the winner, Dorothy Lennard on Glentullock in 2011. Right: 12 months on, Anne winning the very same class in 2012 aboard BJK Cashmir PHOTOS showshots.co.nz

Getting confirmation of the new sponsorship in December was the best Christmas present. She currently has two competition horses, BJK Cashmir and Craighaven Allanon, both of which she also rode before her accident. She produced Cashmir from the start, and he has recently made the step up to Level 6. Both horses have been incredible for Anne, with consistent placings and wins every season. As well as competing in open dressage classes, she also does Para competitions with both horses and still enjoys showing in saddle hunter classes too. The highlight of Anne’s competition career to date is without a doubt the trip she made with Cashmir to Australia in January 2016, aiming to qualify for the Rio Paralympics. “I got the international percentage there that I needed to qualify, but back in New Zealand I needed to get 72% at the Horse of the Year Show, and unfortunately nobody got that. It was a real highlight going over to Australia though, it’s a different class of rider and horse over there.” Having great horses like Cashmir and Allanon who have adapted so well to Anne since the accident make it possible for her to do what she does, but she also needs great gear to help too. Along with a strap to help hold her on the horse and extra precautions like safety stirrups to stop her foot pushing through the stirrup, Anne is also over the moon to be in a special new saddle. Last year at Equidays, a friend of hers was talking to David Jones-Parry from Bates Saddles about the Bates Innova Mono with

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Luxe Leather saddle, which features special grippy leather, and she immediately thought of how that could help Anne. “I tried the Innova Mono with Luxe Leather, and I thought it was really quite incredible to almost be glued into the saddle,” Anne says. “The knee rolls in front of my thigh help to hold me in securely, but also give me the ability to push the horse forward when I need to. Also as it only has the one flap, my contact is so close to the horse.” “Not only was the saddle so comfortable for me, it also amazed me how adjustable it was for the two horses. Being able to change the tree width with the Gullet Plates and the Panel Depth with the Risers to customise to the different horse shapes was incredible. All done on the spot and so quickly too. It really is a revolutionary fitting system”. Anne’s success with the saddle led to her being offered a sponsorship from Bates before Christmas last year which she describes as being like a dream. “Getting confirmation of the new sponsorship in December was the best Christmas present.” After coming so close to qualifying for the Paralympics in Rio last year, Anne is more determined than ever to make it to Tokyo in 2020 and doesn’t plan to let age or injury get in her way. “I would like to get to an Olympic Games before I have to retire. Luckily dressage isn’t like other sports and we can keep going despite our age. It’s going to be my aim until the day I get there!” C

Anne riding BJK Cashmir at the Auckland Royal Easter Show 2016 PHOTO Show Circuit Magazine

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WHO IS

INTERVIEW

Dana Kirkpatrick? Dana Kirkpatrick stepped into the role of General Manager at Equestrian Sport New Zealand in November 2016. She shares with us her unique perspective on the challenges facing equestrian sport in New Zealand, and her vision for the organisation. WORDS Pip Hume | PHOTO kampic.com HOW DID YOU COME TO THIS ROLE? I moved into the General Manager position from my former role as Operations Director and Jumping Director for Equestrian Sport NZ – a post I held from December 2014. In that role I was a member of the ESNZ senior leadership team, employed to fix organisational and process issues for both Jumping NZ and more latterly the entire organisation. This included developing new and improved sponsorship proposals and a major consultation exercise over a contentious levy system, which we resolved using good process and engagement techniques. I also oversaw media and promotion guidelines and implementation, and other difficult issues. I subsequently worked with the Jumping board to restructure Jumping NZ to provide better strategy-structure and service delivery, which reduced the need for a senior leader role in the sport. My background includes running my own communications and public relations company, working with local government and not-for-profit organisations, and journalism. Former CEO Vicki Glynn has moved into a new role as Secretary General to the FEI and is also looking after our major relationships with Horse of the Year and the Royal Agricultural Society. She has the experience and understanding of the inter-relationships between these bodies, so we look forward to continuing to work with Vicki.

and income, and analysing the business to understand where we need to make changes and how we can improve what we are doing. Then there are the general issues that come up - there’s always something you didn’t foresee happening!

WHAT DOES THE JOB ENTAIL, DAY-TO-DAY? It’s a very dynamic role, I love it! The organisation is in a very interesting and challenging phase and I thrive in this kind of environment. I like the challenge of difficult situations and issues that we need to find solutions for. I worked in local government for a long time and there are similarities around the demands, expectations and challenges. The wide audience that funds the organisation leads to similarities of operation. Along with reporting to the Board and liaising with the different disciplines and sport managers to ensure they have everything they need to undertake their roles effectively, I am responsible to ESNZ members. The members are the most important part of the business. Normal day-to-day administration and general management tasks include staff supervision, sourcing revenue streams

with clarity and transparency around what is being done. We will be communicating directly with the disciplines and area groups. Using line-by-line budget reviews and improvements towards efficiencies and cost effectiveness throughout the business we’ve shaved the budget right down to base operating. That has included reassessing staff roles, although there are only eight staff employed by Head Office. My previous role as Operations Director is one where we haven’t employed a replacement staff member.

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WHERE IS ESNZ CURRENTLY? It’s no secret that ESNZ is facing a difficult financial situation right now. Fundamentally, this in part arises from the membership review in 2014, with the financial impact from that review hitting home over the past 12 months. Combined with the reduction in funding through Sport NZ, income is down $300,000 for this year. It’s a huge challenge, and one I’m up for. It has to be tackled head on,

“I like the challenge of difficult situations and issues that we need to find solutions for.”

WHERE IS ESNZ HEADING? It’s fairly clear where our focus needs to be right now. ESNZ is all about providing opportunities for our members while upholding our clear values and ensuring the sport is fair, and maintaining horse welfare standards. Reflecting the importance we place on our membership, the key priorities for this year are finding solutions to our funding shortfall, the implementation of

a new member management system and a website upgrade, incorporating an integrated system with the tools and technology to make life easier for both members and staff. We’re aiming for an integrated, technologysavvy organisation that can meet members’ needs more quickly, and systems that are future-proofed – as far as that is possible in this dynamic environment. This will also reduce costs. Communications is an area we have identified as needing more focus in the future, due to the nature of how we live our lives and how we work these days. The desire for instant information will change the way we operate, but that kind of change takes money and time. In a not-for-profit organisation such as this, we have to be prudent, but we also have to be reasonable about how we generate income. WHAT ARE YOUR OBJECTIVES? I think it’s the same for all managers – you just want people to be satisfied and happy with the organisation. That may not ever be completely achievable, but it’s what we’re aiming for. In terms of interaction with our members, I would like ESNZ to be viewed as collaborative and forward-thinking, rather than as the enemy! We are conscious that we do the very best we can with limited resources, and currently sometimes our support systems aren’t adequate. A lot of people make assumptions and guesses and talk to their friends, rather than phoning us and asking the question. We are always open to those discussions and to working in partnership with people. If there is a problem, we would rather know about it so it can be dealt with directly. Sometimes the solution is very easy! The governance role is a very fine line. On the one hand, we are charged with administering and running the sport, and ensuring that members abide by the rules. On the other, we want to be able to give members a positive experience and deal with any issues or frustrations quickly and effectively. This ties in with being very responsive to our members’ needs. Our members aren’t just riders, they are also officials, judges, volunteers and everyone involved with equestrian sports. Our vision is for ESNZ to be responsive and proactive. We want to hear our members’ ideas and suggestions, and invite people to talk with us. Communication is a two-way street.

“Our vision is for ESNZ to be responsive and proactive. We want to hear our members’ ideas and suggestions.”

ABOUT DANA KIRKPATRICK

ESNZ General Manager Dana Kirkpatrick says that she is emphatically not a rider. However, as the daughter of a New Zealand Polo representative, she grew up with horses and shares that love for them. Having a daughter who competes provides her with a ‘horsey fix’ and also means that she’s in touch with what’s happening at grass roots level.

Dana’s career began in journalism, growing to major communications roles in local government before she started her own communications and PR business. Her interest in higher level communications and management then led her into management roles within two not-for-profit organisations before she joined ESNZ. C

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INTERVIEW

“I was the BBQ boy cooking sausages, and I looked out into the ring and just knew – I wanted to be doing that too!”

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MOVING ON

FROM BBQ BOY TO GRAND PRIX STAR When he was younger, Jayden Horsfall used to be content to sit in the car and watch his older sister Arnica ride at lessons and shows, but it wasn’t long before just having an occasional sit on a pony was no longer enough for this ambitious young rider. Six years on, he has had a taste of success and is ready to move on up in the show jumping world.

WORDS Cedah Mayo | PHOTOS Show Circuit Magazine

ayden was ten years old when he watched his sister trial for the NZPCA Show Jumping Championships and decided that he was missing out. “I was the BBQ boy cooking sausages, and I looked out into the ring and just knew – I wanted to be doing that too!” Jayden ditched BBQ duties and began regular lessons at Kate’s Riding Centre – now known as Redcliffs Equestrian, and run by Tim Featherstone and Kate Hewlett. His first competition pony was Zephyresant, and together they attended Kerikeri Pony Club and many North Island show jumping events. The combination successfully reached Jayden’s early goal when they trialled for Pony Club Show Jumping Champs in November 2011. “We made the reserve spot for the Bay of Islands team. I was so stoked,” recalls Jayden. But tragedy hit just two weeks later when Zephyr was found collapsed in the paddock. “He was just sitting there, unable to stand on his back legs,” Jayden explains. “The vet discovered a growth on his spine that was paralysing his hindquarters and he had to be put down. I was pretty sad for a while and unsure of where I would go with my riding.” New hope came in the form of a naughty little 13.3hh palomino pony called A Kind of Magic. A newcomer to Redcliffs Equestrian, she was far from being a popular mount. “No-one wanted to ride her,” Jayden remembers. “She would be brought out and then put back five minutes later. She would rear and buck, and sometimes she would trot around nicely – and then throw you off. I gave her a shot, and for the first two weeks she was the naughtiest pony ever,” he laughs. “But I thought to myself – right, I’m just going to get back on and keep going.” The pair went on to trial for NZPCA Show Jumping Champs and successfully made the Bay of Islands team in 2014, with their team also going on to win the Championship. Jayden’s passion for competitive show jumping grew as fast as he did, and when he was fourteen, A Kind of Magic was sold to a younger rider and he started looking for a bigger mount. A new opportunity soon arose at Redcliffs Equestrian with the arrival of a pinto pony from Mitimiti Beach named Pixie, who would go on to be known as Redcliffs Colour Me Quick. “I really liked her colouring straight away,” says Jayden. “She hadn’t done much and seemed scared, but she had a sweet nature. I began to work with her, and that’s when the real riding began. I was at Tim and Kate’s every day after school. I got more serious on the competition front, jumping heights of 1.05m and 1.10m over the winter and slowly producing her up to Mini Prix level for the 2014/15 season.”

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“I want to represent New Zealand in show jumping at the Olympics and to travel overseas competing in the Longines Global Champions Tour. That’s the dream.”

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Pixie proved herself quickly, and with Jayden in the saddle and Tim coaching from the ground, the pair had a successful season. Then in the winter of 2015, Jayden was introduced to his next ride, one of New Zealand’s first Kaimanawa Stallion Challenge ponies, Redcliffs Bill. “Tim offered to let me start riding him and see what he could do,” recalls Jayden. “Right away we discovered he could really jump. He had such a clear mind and always focused on his job.” Jayden launched into the 2015/16 season riding both Pixie and Bill. Pixie had her Grand Prix debut at the Northland Area Grand Prix show, and the combination took home fifth place. They proved their partnership yet again in the Premier Grand Prix Class with a sixth place at the Aon Insurance Show Jumping Show, and Bill picked up placings at Woodhill Sands in the Super Series classes. “The Continental Cars Audi World Cup Show was a real highlight for me,” grins Jayden. “We did the Pony Two-Fence Challenge. It was a wall starting at 1.20m, followed by a triple bar. Bill and I cleared 1.56m to share the win with Billie Mentza on Taylor Made Gift. Everyone watched and cheered, and Bill really loved the atmosphere. My parents were ecstatic with the result and Redcliffs Equestrian were rapt with the performance of both ponies.” With Jayden and his mum Vicky towing the ponies in their float, and his dad Colin following in their work-in-progress horse truck – “Literally just a box on the back of a truck!” laughs Jayden – the Horsfall family headed to HOY 2016. Jayden rode Bill to third place in the 1.10m Child Rider 15 Years and Under class, and competed for Northland in the Pony Club Team of the Year event, with their team finishing in second place. Meanwhile Pixie strutted her stuff in the 1.25m qualifying classes, advancing through to Pony of the Year. “Mum and Dad were so thrilled! Unfortunately, I had three rails down, but it was awesome to have taken Pixie that far and to have ridden in such a prestigious class.” Once they were home from HOY, Jayden and the ponies entered what was to be their last competition together, as both ponies were sold soon after the North Island Show Jumping Championships, held at Woodhill Sands. He may have said goodbye to the ponies, but Jayden’s show jumping ambitions are far from over. He is currently staying in a cabin on a friend’s property where his horses are kept, has a part-time job in a local restaurant, and is more focused than ever on sustaining and advancing his riding career. With his horses Matrix I Spy and My Dream Catcher who is owned by the Horsfalls and the Greatorex family, and recent coaching and mentoring from Vicki Wilson, Jayden is working hard towards achieving his goals. “My dream is to do this for a living,” he says. “I want to represent New Zealand in show jumping at the Olympics and to travel overseas competing in the Longines Global Champions Tour. That’s the dream.” C

SPECIAL FEATURE

UNITED in FORCE! UNITED in SPIRIT!

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Content warning: This article depicts and makes mention of a dead animal being used in a traditional sporting event.

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Central Asia is a place where horses are still a part of everyday life and culture, from the nomads who use them for survival to the different nations battling for national pride in a sports stadium. Chloe Phillips-Harris attended the World Nomad Games in Kyrgyzstan, where she encountered an entirely different approach to horse sports. PHOTOS Stephen Lioy

he stadium is packed, seats overflowing with spectators, while excess horses and riders pack the sidelines. In the centre of the playing field two teams, both mounted on big strong horses wearing red and blue, form a circle facing each other. Everybody is waiting, ready for action. The referee begins. “Oh, Great Maker, take the oath of players, your children, the mighty and strong men, heroes who come into play who continue the ancient tradition.” Then the players respond with an oath of their own. “I swear before the people, starting the game Kok-Boru, inherited from our ancestors, and before the audience and before the Creator to behave honestly and strictly follow the rules of the game”. The whistle blows, and players and horses launch forward towards the centre of the circle. One player in blue gets there first and without stopping, leans down and scoops a dead goat off the ground, throwing it onto his horse’s withers at a gallop in one smooth movement. A fraction of a second behind him and running hard at his flanks, a player in red leans forward almost past his horse’s ears to try and reach the goat. Hooves thunder, the crowd cheers and the game is on. In Central Asia where the horse was first domesticated, many of the sports handed down from our ancestors are still alive and well. Not only are they still played but every two years, athletes and performers from any nation that still has a strong sense of

nomadic culture travel to Kyrgyzstan to celebrate and compete in traditional sports and performances. Horses have always been central to nomadic culture, and so it is on the shores of the lake Issyk Kul at the World Nomad Games that horse sports take centre stage. The hippodrome is a stadium built especially with nomadic horse sports in mind – the race track around the outside, with its finish line in front of the grandstand, circles the Kok-Boru field. The field itself is a rectangular expanse of dirt measuring over 200m long by 70m wide, with 3m width cement goals at each end that look a bit like giant ceramic bowls. Kok-Boru is like polo played without mallets, mixed with racing, wrestling and rugby. It is played on horseback with a dead headless goat as the ball, and is the ultimate stadium filler in this part of the world. Opposing team from nations like Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Tajikistan, China, Mongolia and Russia battle it out to see who can throw the goat – and sometimes their bodies – from a galloping horse into the goal. This year, it is Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan that make it through to the final and fill the stadium with their passionate supporters. It is great to watch, though it’s not always safe to be standing on the sidelines, as you may easily be knocked over if the scrum of horses and riders comes your way! It’s easy to see why it’s seen as a source of national pride and a celebration of the bravery and heroism of horse and riders.

The name Kok-Boru, translated from Russian, means grey wolf and comes from a time thousands of years ago when men had to go off hunting for food and leave their livestock at home to be guarded by the elderly, women or children. Wolves would use this time to attack the cattle and sheep. The hunters, upon returning, would chase the wolves away on fast and hardy horses, picking members of the wolf pack up and throwing them to one another. Over the years it was changed to a form of military training and eventually to what is today, a sport played in front of crowds in packed stadiums. It is still meant to test bravery, strength and valour, demonstrating the spirit of the warrior in both horse and rider. There are other sports at the World Nomad Games too, and not all involving dead animals thrown from horseback! These sports are all slightly different from what we are used to, but are a true celebration of both horse and rider. While we have the Olympics and World Equestrian Games, these are the ‘other’ horse sports, more raw and unrestricted, that show a history and culture of horses that is still alive and well. Some of these sports are easily recognised, such as racing. Others are self-explanatory, like archery, performed by shooting targets from a galloping horse, but other sports are slightly more unfamiliar to Western culture and tastes. Yet all are just as much a display of horsemanship as any of our dressage masters and jumping riders at the top of their game.

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RACING

While the racehorses at the World Nomad Games are not too dissimilar to what we are used to – tall, light and athletic looking – these races have a few differences and are open to all breeds. For most of the races at the Hippodrome, twenty-one horses take part, three from each region or nation. It becomes not only a test to see which horse is fastest, but a source of regional and national pride. Most of the jockeys are just boys,

and are small and light riders. They don’t have saddles and most of the horses stand at least sixteen hands high – a large mount for a small boy riding bareback at a full gallop! For each race the riders are required to wear matching shirts, rather than individual racing silks. Safety gear is not used and the only protection is a head scarf to match the colour of the shirt used for the race.

THE GALLOPS

The distance in most races at the World Nomad Games far exceeds what we are used to seeing at a racetrack in the western world. The Games are held in autumn, so the distances the races are held at have doubled from what the horses started at in spring. They are not only a test of speed but also endurance. The jockeys have a minimum age of 12 years old and weight of 25 kilograms (55 pounds).

CHABYSH

This race is run at a distance of 22 kilometres, and horses must be over three years old but can be any breed. While we might think of a race at this distance as an endurance event and expect it to be run at a fairly sedate pace, it’s not. These jockeys and horses thunder around the track again and again, most staying at a steady gallop the entire time, with an absolute burst of speed and energy displayed at both the start and finish.

KUNAN CHABYSH

This is a race for young stallions. Horses must be aged between two and three years old, but can again be of any breed. As they are younger their distance is shorter – in spring they would have started their racing careers over distance of five to six kilometres, but by time they get to the Nomad Games the race is set at 11km – and they fly. Being the ‘shorter’ of the two distances, the horses keep the speed up the entire time.

PACING

Standardbreds are known for their ability to pace in harness and are not often revered for their beauty or comfort as riding horses. However, at the World Nomad Games and through most of Central Asia, pacing horses are competed ridden and not in harness. The descendants of Russian trotters and other blooded horses, they are tall, leggy and mostly beautiful, strong

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animals. The minimum age for jockeys is still 12, but the riders tend to be older for the pacing horses, and saddles are used for this event. Again, this is raced over a distance of 11km and the horses go fast. The riders have long stirrups, and sit beautifully and lightly astride. The winning horses are incredible as they look to just spring off the ground and seem to float through the entire race without faltering or changing speed.

ENDURANCE

This is true endurance racing, held outside the stadium in the surrounding mountains over tough and varied terrain. The event is held over a distance of 80km and run under FEI rules. There are mandatory vet checks and rest stops and the horses must have their heart rate return to normal within 30 minutes of completing. Jockeys must be over 18 years old and reach a minimum weight of 75kg including their saddles. Helmets and riding boots or gaiters must also be worn. Horses must be at least four years old to compete, but any breed may participate in this race. While imported horses are seen, a lot of them are the beautiful, incredibly tall and athletic types found throughout the mountains of Kyrgyzstan. For a mountainous country, they have some of the biggest and most beautiful horses that are renowned in the region for their strength and speed. They are truly nothing like the mountain ponies we might expect! xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

ER ENISH - WRESTLING ON HORSEBACK

While two bare-chested, heavily muscled men wrestling each other on horseback may not sound like something that promotes good horsemanship, the horses used for Er Enish are in fact beautifully behaved and trained. Like the Spanish Riding School, whose roots are in training horses for military use, this is a sport used to promote the spirit of the warrior both in horse and man. The horses, mostly stallions, must be able to work without much aid from the rider, in very close proximity, sometimes pushing against another stallion and still showing no aggression or fear. Behind each rider’s saddle is a padded roll and the opposing horse leans his head against this and pushes the other horse, circling each other within a very small area. The riders wrestle and try to dislodge their opponent. The fight is won if a rider is pulled from their horse, or on points awarded for different moves such as holding your opponent’s hand to the horse’s neck or saddle. Using a horse as a weapon, i.e. rearing, biting or kicking, is not allowed, nor is striking or abusing the opponent’s horse. All fighters will carry a whip, usually between their teeth for the duration of the bout and very seldom is it used on their horse. The horses must not only be responsive and understand their job without their rider directing them, they must also be incredibly strong and have great fitness to keep their strength up through the fight.

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THE JAVELIN

This might be something close to what we see at a mounted games event, except that the riders are galloping at each other throwing spears. Used for military training to simulate mounted warfare, two opposing teams start at each end of the field and gallop toward each other throwing blunt javelins that the riders and horses must dodge, avoiding being hit while still launching their spears at the opposing team. Again, the crowds cheers from the sidelines, encouraging their team or celebrating a particularly good gravity-defying catch or throw. Points are scored on how many hits each team gets.

HUNTING SPORTS

It’s not just the racing and stadium events that involve horses. The World Nomad Games truly celebrate a part of the world where horses and animals are still a way of life. Outside of the town of Cholpon-Ata, in a large valley surrounded by soaring mountains, are the cultural events. There you can see men on horseback with a huge golden eagle on their arm in traditional attire being judged on their bird’s hunting prowess. Depending on the type of competition, the bird will be launched from the horse and expected to either catch a dragged bait or capture and hold down live prey. The birds and horses used for these events are part of a culture that goes back thousands of years and appears to an outsider to be something straight out of a time machine. Horse, man and bird have to form a strong bond to be able to hunt successfully. As you can imagine, it takes time and special training to have a horse that is capable of carrying and launching an eagle from its back! In parts of Central Asia this kind of hunting is still a way of life and means of protecting livestock, where wolves and other predators are still a big threat. Falcons are also used and are there competing as well, although they are not launched from horseback and their prey is pigeons, as they are much smaller and faster birds. Dogs also play a part in the World Nomad Games, and the greyhound-like hounds of Central Asia are brought to the Games to be raced. Once again, horses play a part in the events, with the dogs chasing a lure dragged behind a galloping horse. Outside of the Games, it is a common sight to see a man shepherding his flock of sheep on horseback with a dog in tow. There is one last event that, while not a sport, is entertaining and lets the opposite sex have their time in the limelight — bride chasing! This originates from the days where potential suitors would ride and try to pick up a girl that caught their eye and gallop off with her. If the girl wasn’t caught, she was allowed to chase and whip the potential suitor, and so the games continue to this day. The men must chase the women and try to plant a kiss, but if they fail to do so, the women then turn and chase the men, whipping the failed suitor as they go to the applause and cheers of onlookers. As extraordinary as our modern sport horses are, it is amazing to be reminded of the diverse range of talents and the absolute beauty, toughness and endurance found in horses throughout the world. Central Asia is a place where horses are still a part of everyday life and culture, from the nomads who use them for survival to the different nations battling for national pride in a sports stadium. It’s great to see that the horsemanship and culture from which our own equine history once originated is still alive and well to this day. C xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

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INTERVIEW

FROM

Dressage Arena

Rebecca riding Glenturret at the New Zealand Pony & Young Rider Championships 2010 PHOTO takethemoment.co.nz

Race Track The adrenaline-fuelled rush of horse racing seems light years away from the precise, measured strides of dressage, yet Rebecca Goldsbury has excelled in both disciplines.

WORDS Pip Hume

ebecca Goldsbury began riding almost before she could walk. Growing up in rural Hawke’s Bay on the outskirts of Waipukurau, her parents Anne and David and older sister Amanda were all keen riders, so her first pony came when she was around two years old. “We were very involved in showing when I was a child,” she explains. “My first ride at Horse of the Year was when I was just five years old. I was in the Pony ring with Amanda and she won the class. “I’m five years younger than Amanda, and I was always hot on her heels trying to copy her, so when she progressed to dressage I followed. Although Dad evented, I didn’t particularly like jumping and was never very interested in it.” Rebecca’s first dressage horse was Glenturret, who was bred by Julie Brougham and taken through to Advanced level by her before Amanda took over the ride. Their successful partnership lasted for five years before Amanda moved overseas to pursue her equestrian dreams, and Glenturret was passed on to Rebecca. “Although at the time I had only competed in dressage on my show ponies and I was just 14, we didn’t downgrade him so it was quite a big step up for me! I was lucky that I had a variety of good coaches, but it was Mum’s ‘eyes on the ground’ every day that stopped me from making too many mistakes.” Highlights of Rebecca’s dressage career include competing in the Australian Youth Olympic Festival in 2009, where the New Zealand team of three riders (Rebecca, Hannah Appleton – now Hannah Best – and Alisha Sixtus) finished in the bronze medal position. She also won the Young Rider of the Year title with Glenturret in 2007 and again in 2010 while still at school. Glenturret was retired after that, and at age 24 is still with the Goldsbury family. During this time Rebecca also produced the stunning black Anamour gelding Avante Garde through to Advanced before being bitten by the racing bug. Avante Garde has continued to shine in the dressage and showing arenas in the capable hands of Greg Smith and Corey Miln. It was while Rebecca was studying for her Bachelor degree in Recreation & Sport through the Eastern Institute of Techology that her father David acquired his first racehorse, and Rebecca’s riding career started to change direction. “While I studied for my degree I was still living at home, riding and competing. Dad had always wanted to train a racehorse, and when he got his first one I was co-opted to do the track work at Waipukurau Racecourse, which is a fairly quiet track. “He was quite a nice horse but a bit naughty! I started off riding in a jump saddle for a while, then I got conned into changing to the track saddle. He was quite strong but it was easier to hold him in that saddle. “When he was racing he had to be ponied down to the start because he would drop his jockey, so I never wanted to be his race rider! But it was a huge thrill when he had his first win,

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It hadn’t been my ambition to be a jockey, but the more I rode in races the more I liked it

and he won a couple for Dad. “Dad carried on training and got a few more racehorses, and then a few more, and I kept on riding them. “ Towards the end of 2013, Rebecca became seriously interested in race riding. “There’s a series of 10-12 amateur races over the winter, and to get an amateur riders’ license I had to ride in a jump-out in front of the stewards, so they could assess whether I was competent enough to race. When I did the jump-out I thought, ‘This is really cool, I want to do this!’” Over the winter of 2014, Rebecca recorded wins at Awapuni, Hawera and Wanganui with Lady’O (a real favourite who she leased from breeders Craig Harvey, Duncan MacLean and Tim Morris). Following these up with a second place at Rotorua in September with King of Rock (raced in partnership with the horse’s breeder Steve Ellis) gave Rebecca the Flair Amateur Series win. “It hadn’t been my ambition to be a jockey, but the more I rode in races the more I liked it, so in September 2014 I began my four-year jockey’s apprenticeship with Dad. I had already ridden in 15 races, so it was really just a matter of changing the license over. However becoming an apprentice did mean I couldn’t continue to race horses on my own account since apprentice jockeys are not allowed to have a racing interest in a horse.” The Goldsbury racehorses are now based at Palmerston North, and Rebeccca also rides for trainer Gary Vile. It’s an early start and busy days. “I’m usually on the first horse at Gary Vile’s at about 4.45am. I generally ride around four horses for him in the morning and there’s a variety of work – some will be trotting, some will be galloping and doing pace work. Then I go down to Dad’s and ride whatever he has for me, which can be anything from five to eight horses. I’m also booked to ride by other trainers. “As a track rider, you need to know how to work the horses correctly and be competent enough to be able to follow instructions exactly. Sometimes the trainer wants the horse to have a good gallop, sometimes they want the pace to be slower, especially if the horse is racing within the next day or two. “There’s the odd difficult one. Racehorses are bred to run, not to be quiet, and you have to

be quite confident as the horses pick up on it very quickly if you are nervous. They just react so much more to everything. I love that type of quick horse – they are quick in their minds and quick in their bodies.” It was a bittersweet moment for Rebecca when she took a horse from break-in through to his first racing win. “When I had been an apprentice for a few months, our horse Notting Hill was for sale. I had backed and started him and had done everything with him all the way through; he’d had a few trials and was sold subject to winning a race. “It was the best ever experience when he won, but so hard seeing him go. You do have favourites that you really like race riding, the ones that try hard and have got more heart.” Rebecca says that in racing, just like in any other career, to be successful requires commitment. “Learning the skills for racing was like learning to ride all over again because it’s just so different, although there is an advantage to knowing horses and being able to read them. “There’s such a lot to learn, from jumping out of the gates to how to judge pace. It’s a hard discipline to master and to be really good at it you need a lot of skills. You have to be able to give your horse every chance to win by learning to be really quick and read the race, judge the shortest way home and find the way through. “The worst experience in racing would be someone falling in front of you. You do the best you can to avoid them but sometimes there’s just no place to go. Or falling off on the way down to the start or after the finish! “As a smaller-framed woman it’s definitely easier for me to make the weights, and we are very lucky in New Zealand that unlike other parts of the world, female jockeys are treated as equals. “I’ve bought a house in Palmy and my flatmates are also involved with racing. It’s a close-knit community and there are a lot of good people. I’ve made a lot of friends in the industry. “I’ve got two years of my apprenticeship left and I want to keep on improving and to win more races – it’s such a thrill to ride a winner. Racing will keep me interested and challenged for quite a while yet!” C

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SPECIAL FEATURE

Lady

Australian-born Verity Wolf has combined her talent for hospitality with her love of horses, incorporating equine-themed treasures and artworks into the timeless elegance of the renovated Lawrence villa, which she now operates as boutique B&B accommodation.

of Lawrence WORDS Pip Hume

PHOTO What It Takes Photography

t was a hard call for Verity Wolf to leave her close-knit community and friends in the Dandenong Ranges of Victoria and relocate across the Tasman to the small and relatively remote township of Lawrence. But when she fell in love with a historic villa known as ‘The Sycamores’, she knew that it presented an unmissable opportunity. Verity became interested in operating a bed & breakfast while she was living in the Dandenong Ranges just out of Melbourne. “There were so many B&Bs in the area where I was living,” she explains, “and I adore hosting and meeting new people, so I thought that it would be a fantastic thing to do on the side. My current house wasn’t suited to the venture, so I set out to find another.” She looked for the perfect property for quite some time, but prices in her area and around Melbourne were prohibitively expensive, so it became necessary for Verity to expand her horizons. “A dear friend who had moved to New

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PHOTO Mary-Jo Tohil

Zealand suggested that I look here. I had never seen myself moving to New Zealand, although my grandparents lived in the North Island. I hadn’t been back since I visited on a tour of North Island horse studs when I was 22 years old, and I had never even been to Dunedin.” After deciding that it couldn’t hurt to have a look around, Verity saw the Lawrence villa online and viewed it the day after she arrived in the country. “I can’t explain it, but it just felt like home. I fell in love with the house and knew I could do something beautiful with it,

and I fell in love with Lawrence and the whole region of Otago. It’s a wonderful community and a stunning place.” A vivacious and enthusiastic personality, Verity says that she is not one to do things by half measures. “I jumped in with both feet, thinking ‘This is what I’m going to do!’ I bought the property in April 2015, sold up in Australia and packed up a forty-foot container with everything for the house. I had a box of tools and a gutload of courage,” she laughs. “If I had realised the

“I have all of this lovely equine art in my home – over 60 pieces – reflecting my passion for horses.”

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The villa was built in three stages, commencing from around 1860, with the brick portion being added in 1902. It is set in expansive grounds with a very established English-style garden full of mature rhododendrons. The garden, with its expansive lawns, keeps Verity very busy. The downside to her full-on immersion in renovating and running the B&B has been a lack of time for other pursuits, including horses and riding. “I’m a one-woman show, so this business is a 24/7 commitment for me,” Verity explains. “I’d love to have a horse to ride, but that doesn’t fit well into my lifestyle at the moment. “Back in Australia I was lucky to ride with fantastic coaches. Manuela McLean brought out the best in me – she never yelled or screeched! Riders invest so much time and money in horses and riding – you want to enjoy it! I had the funnest horse called Frenzy, and I loved all the work we did.” Horses were always a passion for Verity. Growing up, she rode at a Melbourne equestrian centre called Ponylands, where she went every weekend from the age of about eight. She then leased a pony called Playboy until she outgrew him, and, unable to find a suitable pony for that next step up, bought a very experienced and well-schooled Thoroughbred. Together, they took part in all of the usual Pony Club activities. At that stage, Verity loved the thrill of eventing, although later on she became more interested in dressage.

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FASHION

PHOTO Mary-Jo Tohil

amount of work it was going to be, I may never have started. It took a long time and many, many hours up a ladder before I was anywhere near ready to open. My mum Sandra came for three months to help me and gave me lots of invaluable support. She’s also great with a power drill!” There are now just two of her own private rooms left to complete, the laundry and the office, and Verity is justifiably proud of what she has achieved. “When people come into the house they invariably react in one of two ways – either with a swear word, or a ‘Wow!’ I’ve chosen a very simple and clean neutral palette so that I can add colour and decorative pieces to it. It’s difficult to showcase beautiful artworks if you’ve got other bold patterns or colours around.” Verity credits her considerable skills as a handywoman and her ‘can do’ attitude to a few things – her mum, her years spent in equestrian environments, and her previous experience renovating her large cottage in the Dandenong Ranges. “I’ve never been afraid to ask lots of questions, and I had a friend who helped me learn a lot of the skills, such as gap filling and re-plastering walls. If I hadn’t had that experience I wouldn’t have had the courage to take on a project as big as this one! It has been renovating on a whole new scale for me, with high ceilings and working with a lot of plaster. The bricks go right through the house so you can’t just decide to pop in another power point – everything has had to be thought through and planned.” The months of painstaking refurbishment has resulted in a beautiful and peaceful haven for Verity’s guests. The accommodation is designed to be very relaxing, quiet and private with plenty of space for people to enjoy. Each of the two suites has an en suite/private bathroom and a private lounge for peaceful TV or DVD watching, while the third guest bedroom has access to a private bathroom. There’s also the huge formal dining room and lounge where guests can socialize with one another. Lawrence is the perfect place to stop on the highway between Dunedin (the airport at Mosgiel is about an hour away) and Queenstown (just under three hours away). It’s at the start (or finish) of the Clutha Gold Trail, which links up with the Roxburgh Gorge Trail and the well-known Central Otago Rail Trail, which goes through to Alexandra. Lawrence is a lovely, historic township with a peaceful vibe. Although there’s plenty to interest travellers passing through in the way of cafés and olde worlde shops, it’s nothing like the action and excitement of Queenstown. The township lends itself more to the boutique traveller or someone wanting a retreat for a few days, and the B&B provides a place where guests can spend some time enjoying doing very little, rather than frantically running from place to place sightseeing. At the moment about thirty percent of Verity’s guests are international travellers who have pre-booked accommodation. They typically fly into Dunedin airport, rent a car and arrive in Lawrence to spend a quiet night before continuing on to the southern tourist attractions such as Central Otago, the southern lakes and fjords, Queenstown and Wanaka. Her remaining guests are Kiwis, who might be looking for a romantic weekend getaway, travelling to events, or visiting the nearby Clutha Gold Trail.

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PHOTO Mary-Jo Tohil PHOTO Mary-Jo Tohil

“I had a lovely grey horse, Ice Falcon, that I competed for quite a few years through to Elementary, and then I had a lot of fun with a semi-retired Medium level schoolmaster.” After she finished school, Verity’s equestrian interests saw her head to Marcus Oldham College where she completed the Horse Business Management Course. “It was a really tough course, and a hard slog to get through it,” recalls Verity. “There were about 25 girls and 250 boys, and the science was full-on.” Deciding that she also wanted to complete a Diploma, she then attended Melbourne University to attain an Advanced Diploma in Applied Science (Horse Management). Following the completion of her studies, Verity returned to Ponylands and by the time she was 20 she had achieved her goal of managing the riding centre, a role which she held for four years. “It was a job I loved, but I couldn’t compete at all because of course the weekends were our busiest time.” A stint at the Victoria branch of Equestrian Australia as Dressage and Coaching Coordinator followed, and then employment with William Inglis & Son, bloodstock auctioneers, working in administration and documentation. When she was in her thirties, Verity decided on a complete change. She moved to the picturesque Dandenong Ranges just outside Melbourne, swapping her career in the horse world for tourism and hospitality. Working for Parks Victoria in tour guiding and customer care gave Verity the opportunity to

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use the inter-personal skills she had initially developed as a riding coach, and she thoroughly enjoyed educating people from all walks of life and all parts of the world about Australia’s rich botanical heritage. Taking some of the bigger guided trips out of Melbourne was fun, she says, but the days were very long. During this period she gained a certificate in tour guiding, culture and heritage, which led on to guiding wine tours in the Yarra Valley. And with an eye on the future, Verity also completed a certificate course to be a wedding planner. “That’s an area I’d love to expand with – I enjoy event management and organising, and it’s something I’m good at,” she enthuses. “This house lends itself to the elopement weddings that are currently becoming so popular and I can accommodate the smaller numbers for an intimate occasion. “Because of the situation around gay marriage in Australia, I’m also definitely interested in hosting that type of destination wedding. This type of occasion is being catered for in Queenstown and Wanaka, but I can do something very special here that won’t cost the earth. “People just want somewhere beautiful. There’s enough flexibility with the garden, the verandah and the big formal lounge to hold a ceremony no matter what the weather is doing, and I can do a beautiful meal in the dining room. Weddings are so individual – people can have whatever they would like. “There are some lovely photo opportunities around the historic buildings of the Lawrence

township, too.” Another avenue Verity is exploring is packaging private wine tours for her guests. “There are some fascinating hidden boutique wineries around Alexandra, about an hour away. My ideal guests love wine and horses!” she grins. Verity has travelled extensively around the world, and regularly visits her extended family in the UK. She is at home in the equestrian culture there, and always felt there was a possibility that she would end up living there. However, her life has not worked out that way and she will be content to visit whenever she can manage it. “It may be that I can close up the house for a few weeks in the depths of winter and get away, but I’m still working out what the demands of this business will be. “I love living here in Lawrence. Wintertime is perfect for relaxing in front of the fire, and in summer the verandah offers beautiful views of the valley. It’s my favourite place to be. “My partner Duncan lives in Dunedin, so I am often there, and it’s such an interesting and vibrant city. Then Alexandra is only about an hour away as well, so it’s a break for me to go up there and find a café with wifi where I can catch up on some work, or go and make another contact. “When I first moved here I missed the kookaburras, but now I’m awoken by the sound of the tui. I miss riding through the Australian bush, but I can still go back there and do that. Around here the horse trekking and the scenery are amazing! I’ve got stunning photos of me trekking out of Cardrona on a gorgeous Appaloosa with snow-capped mountains in the background! “I like to go back to Melbourne a couple of times a year and catch up with girlfriends. Those visits are totally planned around the great restaurants – the food and the wine! “ A person who thrives on variety, Verity feels that her life has come full circle. “One morning I can be gardening, the next working on planning and finance and the following morning cooking a huge breakfast for my guests! There’s no part of this business that I dislike. I don’t even mind cleaning, I just put some ‘80s music through my headphones and get on with it! “Running a B&B is a bit like living in a permanent ‘open home’. Everything has to be immaculate all of the time, and the garden is quite big so it can get away from me very quickly! But there’s nothing I would change. “All of my passions have come together in this one business. The bed and breakfast is the opportunity for me to be in business for myself and learn all of the different aspects around running a business, which is a challenge I love. I’ve inherited a stunning English-style garden full of rhododendrons, and I have all of this lovely equine art in my home – over 60 pieces – reflecting my passion for horses. “It’s always exciting to greet guests and host different people from international locations and all over New Zealand, and I’m always interested in people’s stories – but horse people just love to talk about horses, so any equine enthusiast will feel right at home here!” C

TRAINING

Learn something new or refresh an old technique with advice from our leading trainer in this issue

MARK TODD

JOCK PAGET

Legendary horseman Sir Mark Todd passes on some of his knowledge of riding fluent and economical cross-country rounds at a recent Wairarapa clinic.

Olympian Jock Paget focuses on the importance of balance while maintaining a powerful canter as he puts Sam Felton and her top ride, Ricker Ridge Pico Boo, through their paces.

SHOWCIRCUIT MAGAZINE

DEVELOPING CROSS-COUNTRY

TRAINING

CONFIDENCE with Sir Mark Todd “It’s reassuring to hear the same principles coming from Mark that you would hear at grassroots – the importance of rhythm, contact and balance. It’s great to come away thinking that the recipe is ‘that simple’. 60

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WORDS & PHOTOS Pip Hume

LEGENDARY HORSEMAN SIR MARK TODD IS RENOWNED FOR HIS FLUENT AND ECONOMICAL CROSS-COUNTRY RIDING, AND HIS ABILITY TO SET HIS HORSES UP TO EXCEL IN THAT PHASE. HIS RECENT WAIRARAPA CLINICS AT THE BEAUTIFULLY CONSTRUCTED AND PRESENTED CLAREVILLE CROSSCOUNTRY COURSE ATTRACTED A GOOD CROWD OF SPECTATORS. WE SAT IN ON A CROSS-COUNTRY TRAINING SESSION WITH A GROUP OF EXPERIENCED EVENTERS COMPETING AT 1* AND ABOVE.

THE TRAINER

As a national hero Sir Mark Todd needs no introduction; his outstanding career has spanned decades at the very top level of equestrian sport and encompasses two Olympic gold medals, as well as other noteable successes on the world stage that are simply too numerous to list. Mark’s expertise is highly sought after, and it’s the dream of many aspiring riders to attend one of his clinics.

ark is quick to explain that the purpose of cross-country schooling is to develop the confidence of horse and rider; it’s not about how fast the horse can go, or how big it can jump. He prefers not to school over very big and technical jumps, saving those questions for the competition environment. During the schooling session, the rider should be improving the horse’s way of going, working on balance, control and rhythm, and making sure the horse is in front of the leg. The principles of jump schooling are exactly the same as for schooling on the flat, and Mark says that it’s the rider’s job to get the horse to the jump in good balance and rhythm, and to have them in front of the leg. It’s the horse’s job to jump the jump. The Clareville course features obstacles

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up to 2* level, and during the session jumps were ridden in series rather than just one obstacle at a time. This gave the riders a chance to get their horses really moving and jumping off a more forward stride, just as they would when competing over a cross-country course. Mark’s commentary at each series of obstacles took the form of a course walk, during which he discussed how best to approach each obstacle, how the lines should be ridden, and the lines and striding between the elements. For the more complex series of jumps and combinations, the easier options were jumped first, with the horses then progressing onto the bigger options and more technical questions that required more precise riding. This set the riders up for success, and it was notable that difficulties during the session were very few, and minor.

SHOWCIRCUIT MAGAZINE

THE RIDERS

Mark’s ideal warm-up has the horses in front of the riders’ leg, sitting up balanced and relaxed SARAH DALZIELL-CLOUT, Benrose Super Star “It’s reassuring to hear the same principles coming from Mark that you would hear at grass-roots – the importance of rhythm, contact and balance. It’s great to come away thinking that the recipe is ‘that simple’. “Bas is now a fairly experienced 3* horse who knows and loves his job. While a little unorthodox in his action he has an incredible athleticism and energy and a super gallop, so it’s just about ensuring that we get the right measure of each of those elements.” KATE FLEMING, Mendelsshon “I’ve had Felix for five years now; we’ve done a few seasons at 2* and have both just stepped up to 3* for the first time. He’s not super reliable on the flat to say the least but he’s a jumping machine. He’s taught me a huge amount and is super bold on cross country – he knows his job and loves it! “Mark pointed out that I tended to grab on landing after the fences which wouldn’t be helping my time faults as Felix naturally lands and gallops on very well, so I need to learn to trust him more. I was also holding him back a bit too much into the combinations, so I need to work on keeping a bit more leg on to the fence instead of holding him to the base.” CALLA TOYNE, Coleraine Coaltown Known at home as Rain, Calla’s horse is a 16.3hh, bay 16-year-old Irish Hunter x TB. “I purchased Rain four months ago and we have been doing 1* this season. Mark’s analysis of the jumps and combinations before we jumped them meant that 90% of the time we got it right and didn’t have to re-attempt. Rain is quite a large horse compared to the stocky little horses I’ve been used to, and Mark really helped me in getting used to his big stride and setting him up for the jumps without shutting him down.”

CATHERINE TAYLOR, Coljoy Catherine has competed up to 2* level with Kiteroa Lara. Coljoy is an eight-year-old Thoroughbred who has been off the track for two years. “Cole is competing at 1* level and is consistently bold and clear across country. He has a very powerful jump but is still very green and can struggle to relax into a rhythm at times. “Mark was incredibly knowledgeable in looking at lines through combinations and finding the right rhythm to get the striding.”

KARLA WILSON, Stoney Mara “Stoney is 20 years old, and I am 17. We have both recently stepped up to 2*. Stoney is a fantastic cross country ride but can be very bold through combinations. “I found it very helpful going through the first set of combinations (the house jumps) as I always struggle to find the right striding. Mark encouraged us to wait rather than chase, which was very reassuring.”

SHOWCIRCUIT MAGAZINE

WARM-UP

THE

Mark asked the riders to warm up as a group, as though they were at an event, watching out for each other as they circled and popped over the small and straightforward warm-up jumps. This was a chance for him to have a look at each horse and assess its way of going. He urged the riders to make sure their horses were in front of the leg before jumping. “In the warm-up session, the goal is to have the horse sitting up, balanced and relaxed, bending around the rider’s inside leg on the turns,” he instructed. “Jump on a straight line – even if you are ‘angling’ the jump - and give the horse time. Keep the hand quiet so that the horse can focus on the jump – a quiet hand but not a loose rein. “Don’t turn immediately after the jump – re-establish the rhythm and make sure the horse is in front of the leg.”

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“Keep the horse in a good rhythm to the fence and let him back himself off – let him make a mess of it until he works it out!”

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Mark says that with the more laid-back type of horse, the rider needs to be conscious of riding positively, keeping the leg on and the body still rather than ‘pumping’ the body to encourage the horse forward. For the hotter types, he wanted the riders to relax the horse into a nice rhythm, saying that with a forward-going type that likes to jump long, it’s important to relax and let the horse get to the jump. If the rider tries to hold the horse off the fence, he will dive in and jump flat. “Keep the horse in a good rhythm to the fence and let him back himself off – let him make a mess of it until he works it out!” With this type of horse, he explains that it’s particularly important not to catch him in the mouth as he jumps, or when he lands. “Land and think forward, stay positive. Sit up to steady him, don’t use too much hand, as that will encourage the horse to focus back on the rider rather than looking forward to the jump.”

FIRST

SERIES

The first series of jumps was straightforward, with solid, well-built ramps, roll tops and and oxers which encouraged the horses to settle into their work and gave them confidence before moving on to the more difficult combinations. At this stage, Mark concentrated on some ‘tweaking’ and minor positional corrections, urging riders to keep their hands and heels down and their heads up.

“Don’t look down over the horse’s shoulder – keep your eyes looking between the horse’s ears.” SHOWCIRCUIT MAGAZINE

SECOND

SERIES

For the second series, the riders jumped a skinny ramp then cantered over a bank, giving the horses a chance to have a look. At the base of the bank they turned to an angled dog kennel, then cantered back over the bank and around to repeat the circuit. However, on the second time around once the horses had had a look, instead of just cantering over the bank, they jumped a small house sited at the top of the bank before going down over the dog kennel. This combination of jumps required accurate lines and striding. Mark suggested that riders sit quietly in control, keeping the leg on and maintaining the rhythm over the bank to the dog kennel. For the second circuit, he cautioned riders to beware of a big jump over the house at the top.

KEY:

First time around

“Set up your striding, and be careful that the horse doesn’t jump too big over the house. For the turn to the dog kennel, steer with both reins so that the horse doesn’t pop out through the outside shoulder, and keep your leg on. Keep thinking forward, and if you run into problems, just relax and look for the next jump.” Mark also suggested that for trickier combinations, getting in deep to the first obstacle gives more options. The more seasoned combinations made this exercise look relatively easy, with the experienced horses demonstrating their adjustability by popping through with either one stride more or one stride less, having little difficulty, while the less experienced horses needed more help from their riders to stay on track.

Second time around

SKINNY RAMP

THIRD

HOUSE

DOG HOUSE

SERIES

The horses started over a couple of simple brushes before jumping a drop situated under magnificent golden elm trees. The B element of this combination was a skinny brush a short three strides later. Coming into the drop, Mark was looking for the riders to keep the horse together and in a smooth rhythm throughout. “Coming off a more forward gallop the horses will be on a longer stride. For the bolder horses, sit up and steady, but keep the rhythm smooth, not stop/start. It’s going to be a short three strides – don’t go for two or two and a half!“

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4 5

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FOURTH

SERIES

A good gallop with a couple of easier jumps meant that the horses were moving out well before tackling twin skinnies, a fairly imposing pallisade, and a log on top of a mound followed by a turn onto a good-sized oxer. Mark’s riding instructions here were that the twin skinnies were a “quiet” two strides. “At the pallisade, sit up and balance the horse, then coming to the log, get in deep to the base so that the horse just pops over it. You don’t want him to stand off and make a big jump because that will get you into trouble on the landing side. “Then make a flowing line to the oxer – if you look at the oxer and then follow your eye it will be a sharp turn, so you need to look around the turn.”

FIFTH

SERIES

An upright in the fenceline followed by two angled skinnies tested the riders’ accuracy. “For this, keep the same rhythm, but sit up and put the leg on. It’s like changing gears downwards in a car – you want to keep the same speed but increase the power. Mark reminds the riders to put their leg on in to the water for a positive ride

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THE

WATER

COMPLEX

There were plenty of options at the water which gave the riders a chance to try a variation of lines and combinations that ranged in difficulty. “Make your decisions on striding when you walk the course,” Mark advised. “If you see three strides, go for three, don’t go for two and a half! “On the turn into the water, sit the horse up and get it underneath you. Set up the line

and put the leg on for a positive ride through. Then wait – don’t over-ride and don’t chase. You are aiming for ‘quietly through and out’.” “When your jump is at the edge of the water, try to get in quite deep to the base, so that the horse isn’t already in the air when he sees the water. Where the jump is in the water, treat it like a normal jump and ride the best canter you’ve got.” C

“When your jump is at the edge of the water, try to get in quite deep to the base, so that the horse isn’t already in the air when he sees the water.” SHOWCIRCUIT MAGAZINE

TRAINING

BALANCE

+ POWER WORDS Laura Stenberg | PHOTOS Show Circuit Magazine

Olympian Jock Paget puts Waikato-based event rider Sam Felton and her top ride, Ricker Ridge Pico Boo, through their paces in a show jumping training session. It has been a year since Jock last taught this combination, and he focuses on the importance of balance while maintaining a powerful canter to help them hone their jumping skills.

CATCHING UP

It’s a busy Friday at Sam Felton’s Matangi home with her long-time trainer on site all day to work with her on several horses. Lesson four of eight sees Sam on the arena with stable star Bekham for their first lesson with Jock since his last trip to New Zealand. Jock first taught Sam on Bekham not long after she bought him, and has worked with the combination every year since. “I won a 10 day scholarship to Clifton Eventers to work with Jock and took Bekham with me, and every year since then when Jock has been back in the country, Bekham and I have had a lesson with him,” explains Sam. Nine years on from that very first lesson a lot of the hard work has been done, so both rider and trainer agree not to overdo it with Bekham, planning to give him an easy jump so Jock can see how he is going, and work out which areas need his attention.

MEET THE TRAINER: JOCK PAGET • NZ EVENTER OF THE YEAR • OLYMPIC BRONZE MEDALIST • BADMINTON 4* WINNER 66

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Jock is one of New Zealand’s top eventing riders. After moving to the United Kingdom in 2010, shortly after winning Eventer of the Year at NZ’s Horse of the Year Show, Jock went on to finish seventh at the 2010 World Equestrian Games, win team bronze at the 2012 London Olympics and then take the victory in the 2013 Badminton Horses Trials on Clifton Promise. Now back in NZ and based in Taupo, Jock is producing and campaigning a small team of horses while working full-time as a Performance Development Coach for Equestrian Sports New Zealand.

MEET THE RIDER

A simple warm-up to start, checking the horse is supple and listening

SAMANTHA FELTON & RICKER RIDGE PICO BOO: Sam and her stunning 12-year-old 3* eventer Ricker Ridge Pico Boo, known as Bekham at home, have built an incredible partnership over nine years together. Bekham, a half-Thoroughbred, halfwarmblood by Pico Bello, was bought by Sam as a three-year-old from Mount View Sport Horses. It was a bold move at the time, according to Sam, as she was just 15 and had never produced a young horse before. But it’s all worked out for the talented duo, whose competition highlights include placing third at both the CIC3* at Adelaide and CIC3* in Goulburn, Sydney, during their Australian campaign late last year.

EASY WARM-UP

After Sam’s flatwork warm-up, which includes plenty of flexing to the inside and outside, and collection and extension in both trot and canter, Jock asks her to jump a small vertical. “Just start and we’ll see what’s not good enough,” he says. They canter over the vertical a couple of times before cantering on to the related

oxer, six strides ahead, and Jock is happy with that start. “He’s looking good. Let’s give you a decent oxer.” With both upright and oxer raised, Jock is pleased with how they are jumping, but asks Sam for more energy and purpose in the canter before moving on to jump a course. Jock asks Sam to jump a small vertical to start to see what they need to work on

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Jock has set up a course of ‘teardrop’ lines. It includes a related line on the straight down the long side of the arena, two fences placed diagonally back towards the middle of the arena, and another fence sitting directly between them (see right). He explains it’s an exercise designed to work on related distances on both straight and curved lines. It is also built for options, and can be jumped in different directions with consistent rein changes and the option to go inside or outside fences, depending how tight you want your turns and approach to be. Sam jumps Bekham cleanly around the course and when she pulls up, Jock asks her how it went. “It was a bit rusty,” she says. “I definitely felt that I needed to be more committed to staying in the middle of the fence, and I felt a bit unprepared at the start.” Jock mostly agrees. “Yes, once you got going and got into the right gear, then it all started to fall into place. For me the only real mistake was after number one. You landed, didn’t organise the canter and didn’t get your eyes on the next fence, so you only left yourself a couple of strides to make a decision. Then you made the wrong one and did one too many strides, so the fence was a bit weak.” Jock says he’s not worried about Sam making using of the related curved lines to help find her distance. “I don’t have a problem with you using your lines to help with the distance and save killing the canter, but you just have to be straight to it. There’s nothing wrong with jumping right of centre or left of centre – just make sure you’re straight.” The next time around the fences go up and Jock gets Sam to organise the canter at the start and get her eyes on the fences earlier. “You need to feel like you have a canter you can go forward from and then come back from,” he says. He’s not sure she has it, so instructs her to go on to the circle and find the right canter before starting. “Do you feel like you have that balance? Like you could drop the reins and nothing would change? Nope? Then he can’t be balanced, so do a half halt with your leg on. Now do you feel like you want to push him forward?” Sam answers yes, and Jock says he must be balanced and tells her to start. The round is almost picture perfect with every fence coming up beautifully and a great rhythm maintained all the way around.

“

DO YOU FEEL LIKE YOU HAVE THAT BALANCE? LIKE YOU COULD DROP THE REINS AND NOTHING WOULD CHANGE? NOPE? THEN HE MUSTN’T BE BALANCED...”

SHOWCIRCUIT MAGAZINE

First ‘easy’ round jump order: 1, 2, 3, 1, 4, 2, 5, 6 As seen below.

4 3

6 strides / 84ft / 25m

To make the excerxise more difficult, take inside lines, while jumping the fences in the same order as above. As seen below.

4 3

6 strides / 84ft / 25m

FINDING TRUE BALANCE

THE TEARDROP LINES

While Jock doesn’t want Sam to jump much more today, he still wants to improve the canter by finding true balance, so puts her on a circle in the canter again. “I’ve been talking a lot about balance, because I think it’s the most important thing. It’s hard to do anything well without balance and when you truly have it you should have the feeling you can throw the reins at your horse or put your leg on and you still keep the same feeling and rhythm. It’s balance on a soft rein, not balance because you’re holding him. When you have balance, speed is easy, adjustment is easy, everything’s easy.” To get more balance on the circle, Jock gets Sam to do lots of half-halts and then soften and ride forward, before rebalancing with a half-halt to bring Bekham back. Both are soon satisfied that Bekham is well-balanced in his canter.

Quicken the tap from your leg to up the tempo in his hind legs

MAINTAINING POWER

Jock wants Sam to create a bit more power and tempo in the canter while keeping the balance. He explains that the more power you put into a canter, the harder it is to maintain balance, so to get this extra power at the same time, he asks Sam to focus on tapping Bekham with her leg as she half-halts. “As you’re doing your half halt, you’re not just slowing him down and balancing him, you’re slowing him down and tapping him up with your legs to quicken the back legs a bit. If you quicken the tap, you quicken the rhythm. It feels wrong because you’re not going with the rhythm anymore, but that’s the idea and he starts to follow a bit by upping his tempo. Creating the right canter, that’s all it’s about.”

“

AS YOU’RE DOING YOUR HALF HALT, YOU’RE NOT JUST SLOWING HIM DOWN AND BALANCING HIM, YOU’RE SLOWING HIM DOWN AND TAPPING HIM UP WITH YOUR LEGS TO QUICKEN THE BACK LEGS A BIT...”

FEEDBACK

JOCK: Jock is particularly pleased with Sam and Bekham’s progress. “I haven’t seen him for ages but he’s looking really good. Sam has done a good job. He’s an educated horse and we don’t need to over jump him. He’s happy in his work and it’s just about making sure he can do everything. It’s all a bit easy for him now.” SAM: “For me the whole day with Jock (eight lessons in a row) is a fantastic way to make sure you are riding consistently from horse to horse and that your philosophy remains the same no matter what you’re riding. Balance has been the main theme of the day because without it, anything you ask a horse to do becomes difficult. Jock always gives me a great wake-up call and I have lots of homework to do before I see him next! Bekham and I now have all the tools to get it perfect every time. Eliminating mistakes is just about discipline now, as all the training blocks are in place.” C

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INTERVIEW

While based overseas, Jock came home as often as possible. Pictured here riding Henton After Dark in the CIC3* at the 2015 Horse of the Year Show PHOTO kampic.com

JOCK

UP CLOSE AN EXCITING NEW JOB WITH EQUESTRIAN SPORTS NEW ZEALAND PLAYED A BIG ROLE IN ENTICING JOCK PAGET TO RETURN TO BASE HIMSELF IN TAUPO AFTER ALMOST SEVEN YEARS OF EVENTING IN THE UK, BUT IT CERTAINLY WASN’T THE ONLY DRAWCARD. “I’ve been coming back every year for about six years and every time I left I’d think ‘why am I going?’,” he says. “It’s a great lifestyle here and we always liked Taupo, it’s great horse country and where we’ve bought is right on the Waikato River. I’ve always wanted to fly fish so I figure it’s a pretty good place to learn.” Some may wonder why at just 33 years old, with several years ahead of him in top level competition, Jock would choose to come back to New Zealand where he can no longer easily

access the biggest events in the world, but he says it was just the right time. “I had to go to the UK to do what I wanted to do. But I was getting to the point where I was coming to the end of a cycle of horses, and I could either start again or come back. If I started again I’d have needed to stay another eight years to utilise the work, but I didn’t want to be there another eight years. You could argue I’ve come back two or three years early, but that’s better than eight years too late. Plus I really enjoy the coaching and I want to get better at it.” Jock’s full time job as Performance Development Coach is a newly created one which sees him on the road training and working with riders on the NZ eventing squad. “The role is a new initiative to develop a coach to eventually step into the big high performance roles,” says Jock. “I’m loving it, I’ve recently done

SHOWCIRCUIT MAGAZINE

my first week-long camp in the Coach Accelerator Programme with High Performance Sport NZ and it was one of the best weeks of my life.” With the new role comes a dramatic reduction in his team of eventers, and instead of having around 15 in work, as he’s previously been accustomed to, he’ll keep a team of just two or three. In that team already is the promising nine-year-old Angus Blue, who came over from England with Jock. Having jumped his first CCI3* in 2016, Jock has high hopes that this horse will make it to the 2018 World Equestrian Games and beyond. “We’ll see how he goes. Currently I’m aiming for Taupo CIC3*, Melbourne Trans-Tasman in June and Adelaide CCI4* in November, then depending on how that goes, hopefully Badminton and Kentucky, with the major target as the World Championships.

We are looking ahead to the 2020 Olympics too, since he’s the perfect age to aim for that.” In mid-February Jock and his wife Tegan moved into their new 16-acre Taupo property which they have big development plans for. “It’s got a big American-style barn which we’ll convert to stables and a work area. We’ll put in an arena and we need to do fencing work too. The house is 1930s and needs a bit of work, so we’ll do that up.” Jock is trying not to add to his team yet as they are still getting set up, and has just Angus Blue and the retired Clifton Promise at home. When he does start looking though, he’ll only be looking for superstars. “Every horse in my small team will be aimed at World Championships. I have to be ruthless because I’m only going to have a couple. I don’t mind having young green horses, but if I don’t think they are capable of going to a World Champs, they won’t be in the team.” C

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This new rule states that all riders must wear an approved safety helmet in competition from 1 August 2017, so a joint ESNZ/NZPCA branded helmet tag has been produced, which must be wrapped around the harness of compliant helmets. Helmets bearing the new red tag will be allowed to be worn at all events and activities of either organisation. Helmets are being checked and tagged by stewards, gear checkers and officials throughout the 2016-17 season in preparation for the new rule. Helmets tagged under the existing NZPCA blue tag policy can be worn until 1 August 2017, at which time they will need to have a red tag or be replaced with a helmet that meets the approved safety standards.

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Approved helmet standards: • ASTM-F1163 • PAS 015 • Snell E2001 • VG1 • AS/NZS 3838 What not to wear: If your helmet has an ES1384 or BSEN1384 safety standard only, it may NOT be worn at ESNZ/NZPCA events from 1 August 2017 onwards.

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SHOWCIRCUIT MAGAZINE

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SHOWCIRCUIT MAGAZINE

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PHOTO ESSAYS We bring you coverage from your favourite events, big and small, from around New Zealand and overseas

78 Horse of the Year Show Jumping | 90 Horse of the Year Show Hunter 96 Horse of the Year Dressage | 102 Horse of the Year Other Sections 110 Bates New Zealand Dressage National Championships 116 Bruce Forbes North Island NZPCA Team Championship 122 Warkworth A&P Show SHOWCIRCUIT MAGAZINE

PHOTO ESSAY

Horse of the Year

Show Jumping PHOTOS kampic.com

1st

Vicki Wilson - CARETINO JEWEL, 2nd in the Virbac Equine Norwood Gold Cup and 3rd in the Pryde’s EasiFeed NZ Speed Horse

Sophie Scott - BENROSE PLAYTIME, 4th in the Farmlands Pony of the Year

Ruby Mason - MR ACHO, 2nd in the Farmlands Pony of the Year

Katie Meredith - WESTGROVE GNZ, winner of the Stirrups Horse 1.40m

SHOWCIRCUIT MAGAZINE

Nicola Hammond - CARLO I, 7th in the Dunstan Nutrition Young Rider

Rachel Malcolm - HENTON EXCALIBUR, in the Lady Rider of the Year

Daniel Blundell - LAVELLO, 3rd in the Stirrups Horse 1.40m

Tess Clark - SINATRA II, in the Lady Rider of the Year

10. Emma Watson - FUN HOUSE, 3rd in the Pryde’s EasiFeed 1.25m Pony Championship and 5th in the Farmlands Pony of the Year

Briar Burnett-Grant - FIBER FRESH BG LENNOX, winner of the AHD Pony 1.15m and 10th in the Farmlands Pony of the Year

11. Tegan Fitzsimon - ALACAZAM MH, 7th in the Stirrups Horse 1.40m and 7th in the Horse 1.35m

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SHOWCIRCUIT MAGAZINE

“We were fourth equal last year, and fifth the year before. I told Granddad before we left, if I don’t get it this time, I’m never going to get it!” - Steffi Whittaker, Pony of the Year winner

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Steffi Whittaker - MOONLIGHT GLOW, winner of the Farmlands Pony of the Year

Katie Laurie - DUNSTAN CASEBROOKE LOMOND, 5th in the Silver Fern Stakes

Rose Alfeld - MY SUPER NOVA, 4th in the Virbac Equine Norwood Gold Cup

Georgia Percy - SUPRISE ILLUSION, 3rd in the Farmlands Pony of the Year

Kimberleigh McCabe - KACE, in the Lady Rider of the Year

Susie Hayward - ANDRETTI, 8th in the Olympic Cup

Amanda Wilson - SHOWTYM CASSANOVA, 6th in the Silver Fern Stakes and 10th in the Virbac Equine Norwood Gold Cup

Matt Irvine - LA PERLA, winner of the AHD Ltd Six Year Old

Samantha Morrison - BIARRITZ, 5th in the Olympic Cup, 7th in the Virbac Equine Norwood Gold Cup and 8th in the Silver Fern Stakes

10. Phoebe Burns - GALAXY MASTERPIECE, 2nd in the 1m Rising Star Riders 12yrs & under on Ponies and 6th in the Farmlands Pony of the Year

SHOWCIRCUIT MAGAZINE

11. Lucy Fell - TINAPAI in the Lady Rider of the Year

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SHOWCIRCUIT MAGAZINE

“Brian was amazing. Second in the Olympic Cup to well-deserved winner Lily Tootill. He tried his heart out as always. What a good boy. Three years here - second, first, second. Not bad.” - Helen McNaught, 2nd in the Olympic Cup

Maurice Beatson - MANDALAY COVE, 3rd in the Olympic Cup and 7th in the Silver Fern Stakes

Tegan Fitzsimon - DOUBLE J MONARCH, 10th in the Ultra Mox Lady Rider of the Year

Helen McNaught - CARNUTELABRYERE, 2nd in the Olympic Cup

Elle Phillips - RAIBEART BRUIS, in the Lady Rider of the Year

SHOWCIRCUIT MAGAZINE

Mathew Dickey - QUANGO, 3rd in the Silver Fern Stakes

Tayla Hackett - GIN, winner of the Fiber Fresh Junior Rider of the Year

Kirsten Worker - MELANIE’S CHOICE, 2nd in the AHD Ltd Six Year Old

10. Kimberley Bird - NGAHIWI SUMMER, 5th in the Stirrups Horse 1.40m

Georgia Lawrie - SP BLUE EYED GHOST, in the Lady Rider of the Year

11. Olivia Ahlborn - AORANGI RAGTIME, in the Farmlands Pony of the Year

Emily Hayward-Morgan - AP NINJA, 5th in the Virbac Equine Norwood Gold Cup and 6th in the Olympic Cup

1st

SHOWCIRCUIT MAGAZINE

“It is pretty awesome. I started out nice and steady, but when I had the second fence down, I just put the hammer down. I had nothing to lose.” - William Willis, Norwood Gold Cup winner

1st

William Willis - DOLLAR ROLL MS, winner of the Virbac Equine Norwood Gold Cup

Glen Beal - SACRAMENTO, in the Olympic Cup

Claire Wilson - MCMILLANS TIPSY, 6th in the Horse 1.35m and 7th in the Ultra Mox Lady Rider of the Year

Melody Matheson - CONYERS, in the Ultra Mox Lady Rider of the Year

Helen McNaught - LT HOLST AUNTY ANNETTE, winner of the Silver Fern Stakes

Samantha Peters - ZABAMBI, 10th in the Stirrups Horse 1.40m

Duncan McFarlane - BE MINE NZPH, 3rd in the AHD Ltd Six Year Old

Samantha Morrison - FRANGIPANNE DE TOXANDRIA, in the Ultra Mox Lady Rider of the Year Tim Myers - SURREAL, 8th in the Pryde’s EasiFeed Horse 1.25m

SHOWCIRCUIT MAGAZINE

10. Hayley Morris - MISS MONEY PENNY, winner of the Ultra Mox Lady Rider of the Year 11. Emily Fraser - KIWI SUNRAY, in the Ultra Mox Lady Rider of the Year 12. Brooke Edgecombe - LT HOLST ANDREA, 4th in the Ultra Mox Lady Rider of the Year

1st

SHOWCIRCUIT MAGAZINE

“I don’t get all that nervous, more just excited. I definitely get butterflies in my stomach, but they don’t make me worried or scared.” - Lily Tootill, Olympic Cup winner

1st

Lily Tootill - ULYSSES NZPH, winner of the Olympic Cup, 2nd in the Dunstan Nutrition Young Rider and 6th in the Ultra Mox Lady Rider of the Year Clarke Johnstone - QUAINTON LABYRINTH, 4th in the Stirrups Horse 1.40m and 4th in the Silver Fern Stakes

SHOWCIRCUIT MAGAZINE

Abby Hore - BEAUMONT GELDOLF, winner of the Wade Equine Coaches Amateur Rider 1.10m-1.20m

Katie Laurie - DUNSTAN BREEZE, 5th in the Ultra Mox Lady Rider of the Year

1st

Lucinda Askin - PORTOFINO, 3rd in the Ultra Mox Lady Rider of the Year

Emma Gaze - FIRE BUG, winner of the GJ Gardner Homes Pro Am

BREED TO SUCCEED

FOUNDATION Fidertanz - De Vito - Andiamo

STONEYLEA FARM NEW ZEALAND

Orders need to be in by July 31st

Europe’s most outstanding performance stallions through conception method... frozen AI

FURST ROMANCIER Furst Heinrich - Romancier - Winston

BALOU DU ROUET Baloubet du Rouet - Continue - Domino

QUANTENSPRUNG Quando-Quando - Donnerhall - Lauries Crusador xx

FURSTENBALL Furst Heinrich - Donnerhall - Classiker v. Calypso II

DON INDEX Don Crusader - Wolkentanz I - Salvano

Spartan - Pygmalion - Goldstern

STAKKATO

TOTILAS Gribaldi - Glendale - Akteur

DE NIRO Donnerhall - Akzent II - Wiesenbaum xx

DIARADO Diamant de Semily - Corrado I - Contender

BUCKINGHAM Bordeaux - Rousseau - Renville

NZ Agents for IHB go to stoneyleafarm.co.nz to view stallions list. Stoneylea Farm NZ agents for IHB.

To discuss your breeding requirements please contact Angela Smith phone 09 2353996 or 021499734 or email: inquiries@stoneyleafarm.co.nz

Show Jumping Wrap Up

WORDS Kate Lattey Young gun Lily Tootill was show jumping’s big winner, taking home the Horse of the Year Olympic Cup aboard the nine-year-old chestnut gelding, Ulysses NZPH. Jumping the only double clear of the competition, she secured the win ahead of last year’s winners Helen McNaught and Carnutelabryere, with five-time winners Maurice Beatson (Mandalay Cove) and Katie Laurie (Dunstan On The Point Eve) finishing third and fourth respectively. Samantha Morrison was fifth on Biarritz and the youngest competitor in the class, seventeen-year-old Emily Hayward-Morgan, took sixth on AP Ninja. William Willis bagged the first major title of the show in the Virbac Equine Norwood Gold Cup. Riding his homebred gelding, Dollar Roll MS, he was one of just three to jump clear in the first round and zipped around the jumpoff course in a quick time of 42.24 seconds to nose ahead of Vicki Wilson on the Scottish import, Caretino Jewel. Katie Laurie and Dunstan On The Point Sandy closed out the top three. The Ultramox Lady Rider of the Year title went to Hayley Morris riding Miss Money Penny, who won by a whisker after a very competitive nine horse jump-off. Having made the trip from Australia to contest the title Hayley was second out in the jump-off and, putting her foot to the floor, raced around clear in a time of 46.82 seconds, laying down the gauntlet for the rest. Only Lucinda Askin managed a clear jump off round on Portofino, before the final combination, Katie Laurie and Dunstan Springfield returned to defend their title. Katie rode a tight and quick clear round, but not quite quick enough, stopping the clock just 0.16 seconds behind Hayley! Steffi Whittaker made her final shot count when she won the Farmlands Pony of the Year title on her fifth attempt. Aboard seasoned campaigner, Moonlight Glow, Steffi jumped two clear rounds to secure the win. Napier rider, Ruby Mason piloted Mr Acho to second place with just one down in the opening round, before a quick, clear jump-off, and fastest eight faulter, Georgia Percy was third on Surprise Illusion. Sophie Scott finished fourth on Benrose Playtime, Emma Watson rode valiantly into fifth place on Fun House, despite jumping the second round with a broken hand and Hastings local, Phoebe

SHOWCIRCUIT MAGAZINE

Burns took sixth on Galaxy Masterpiece. Helen McNaught rode the sensational grey mare LT Holst Aunty Annette to a win the Silver Fern Stakes, with Katie Laurie second on Carissa McCall’s Esteban MVNZ, a ride she has taken over while Carissa recovers from a head injury. Helen was thrilled with the win on a horse she has also only been riding for three weeks, as the mare was only recently purchased for her young pupil, Brayden Aarts. Mathew Dickey was third on Quango and eventer Clarke Johnstone proved he’s no slouch in the show jumping arena, picking up fourth place on the lovely Quainton Labyrinth. Katie’s second ride, Dunstan Casebrooke Lomond slotted into fifth and crowd favourite Amanda Wilson finished sixth on Showtym Cassanova. Drew Carson went head-to-head with Lily Tootill in the Dunstan Nutrition Young Rider of the Year, with just the two of them progressing to the jump-off. Lily was first to go on Ulysses NZPH and rode for a steady clear, but had one down late in the course. Drew also started steadily, but after taking an early rail, put her foot down to edge home in a faster time and take the title on Winston V Driene. Briar Burnett-Grant finished third on the spunky Fiber Fresh Veroana, with Elmo Jackson fourth on Next. Tyla Hackett had to rush off between her first round and jump-off in the Fiber Fresh Junior Rider of the Year to compete in Pony of the Year. She put a forgettable opening round on her pony, The Dreamer behind her when she blizted around the Junior Rider jump-off to take the title on Gin. Sinead Dolman was second on Kiwi Lansing, with Keean Cooper third on Double J Angelic. In the age group classes, it was Melody Matheson who picked up the win in the Dunstan Nutrition Seven-Year-Old title on Graffiti MH, just scraping ahead of Fraser Tombleson on Mea I in a seven-way jump-off. The class proved to be a successful showcase for New Zealand Performance Horses, with AMS Ajaccio NZPH finishing third for Leeshelle Small, Athena NZPH fourth with Daniel Blundell, and Absolute NZPH sixth for Nakeysha Lammers. Jesse Linton and Popeye slotted in between in fifth. Matt Irvine had a great win in the AHD Ltd Six-Year-Old title with La Perla, in another

tight jump off margin to finish ahead of Kirsten Worker and Melanie’s Choice by 0.5 of a second. . Duncan McFarlane rode Be Mine NZPH into third, while Tegan Fitzsimon made the trip up from Canterbury worthwhile with a fourth place on Windermere Cappuccino. Logan Massie and his sister Georgia’s Double J Beyonce were clear winners of the Harney & Sons Five-Year-Old title, coming home almost four seconds quicker than second-placed Emily Hayward-Morgan and Delicious HM. Charlie NZPH was third for Daniel Blundelland Amanda Wilson’s Gypsy Cob-cross, Showtym Burrow finished fourth. The GJ Gardner Pro-Am Rider title went to Emma Gaze on Fire Bug, and the Wade Equine Amateur Rider of the Year was Abby Hore on Beaumont Geldolf. Nicholas O’Leary edged out a small field to take the Speed Horse of the Year title on Obeone Kanobe, several seconds clear of second placegetter, Sinead Dolman on Kiwi Lansing, with Vicki Wilson on Caretino Jewel settling for third. The Speed Pony of the Year title went to Dunedin youngster, Noah Coutts on the impressive pony stallion, Bizzie Canoodling, with Sarah West placing second on Miss Mae West and Ruby Mason having a brilliant finish to the show with third place on Mr Acho. The Pony 1.25m Championship, also run somewhat controversially as the Pony of the Year Qualifier, was won by Grace Manera on Tallyho Scoundrel. Both Grace and Sophie Scott on Waiotahi Belle carried a single time fault forward to the second round and both took two rails in the jump-off, with Grace going three seconds faster on her big-striding grey to secure the win. It was a three-way tie between Taranaki, Canterbury and Waitemata Rodney for Pony Club Team of the Year, after the second round was abandoned due to the weather. Wellington-Horowhenua won the Saba Sam Shield for the second year in a row, and again this was decided after just one round of competition. Amelia Newsom was the 12 & Under Rider of the Year aboard Apache One in a Million, Noah Coutts won the Rising Star 13-15 Year Old Rider title on his speedy black pony Onisha and Emily Hayward-Morgan took out the Aspiring Rider (16-20 years) on Wasabi. C

BREED TO SUCCEED

VITALIS Vivaldi - Dday - Argus

STONEYLEA FARM NEW ZEALAND

Orders need to be in by July 31st

Europe’s most outstanding performance stallions through conception method... frozen AI

FLORISCOUNT Florencio - Donnerhall - Walldorf

FURSTENLOOK Furstenball - Londonderry - Weltmeyer

CASALLCO Casall - Contender - Carthago

BORDEAUX United - Gribaldi - Donnerhall

CHACOON BLUE Chacco Blue - Cartoon - Domino

ACTION BLUE Action Breaker - Chacco-Blue - Landor S

FOR ROMANCE II Furst Romancier - Sir Donnerhall - Don Schufro

VIVALDI Krack C - Jazz - Ulft

DIACONTINUS Diarado - Contendro I - Argentinus

PERIGUEUX Perpignon - Stakkato - Akzent II

NZ Agents for IHB go to stoneyleafarm.co.nz to view stallions list. Stoneylea Farm NZ agents for IHB.

To discuss your breeding requirements please contact Angela Smith phone 09 2353996 or 021499734 or email: inquiries@stoneyleafarm.co.nz

PHOTO ESSAY

Horse of the Year

Show Hunter PHOTOS

kampic.com |

*BVG Photography

1st

Abby Robinson - HILLMAN HUNTER, winner of the Horse Show Hunter of the Year

Desiree Foxley - JOHNNY DODGE, in the Horse Show Hunter of the Year

11. Lynette Jackson - FORTISSIMO, 2nd in the Open Equitation Championship 1m max

Alice Barrow - CLIEBRIG CLEOPATRA, 5th in the Gyro Plastics Junior High Points

Vicki Sherratt - SIMPLY IRRESISTABLE, 8th in the Prydes EasiFeed Open Horse 1m

12. Jasmine Priest - RED RIVER UPRISING, in the AHD Open Hunter 1.05m

Madison Tibbits - STONE-RIVER RAKAU, in the Horse Show Hunter of the Year,

13. Victoria How - KIWI ICON, 3rd in the AHD Ltd Open Hunter 1.10m max

Vicki Knight - CELTIC ROSE, in the Virbac Equine Open Horse 1m

Janette Liefting - MEERSBROOKE SPARKLING RIPPLES, winner of the ESNZ Open Horse High Points 1.10-1.15m

Ashleigh Forde - MY GUMMI BEAR, 2nd in the Handy Hunter 1.05-1.10m and 4th in the ESNZ Open Horse High Points 1.10-1.15m

SHOWCIRCUIT MAGAZINE

Laura Madden - SEDBURY’S PADDINGTON in the Horse Show Hunter of the Year

10. Macey Gill - ASTIN MARTIN II, winner of the AHD Open Hunter 1.05m max

14. Mollie Moffett - KIWI DULA, 2nd in the Gyro Plastics Junior High Points 15. Stephie Joustra-Smith - DISNEY, winner of the Amateur Show Hunter of the Year 1m

1st

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1st

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SHOWCIRCUIT MAGAZINE

“Super happy with the outcome of HOY 2017! Galley was a superstar taking out Junior Show Hunter of the year for the second consecutive time. The weather was a bit rough, but it did allow for a fun mud fight!” - Claudia Thomas, Junior Show Hunter of the Year

1st

Chloe Hansen - ENJA MVNZ, winner of the Open Equitation Championship 1m max

Catherine Dixon - CRACKERJACK, 5th in the Handy Hunter 1m-1.05m

Kirsten Hence - JACKS A HEARTBREAKER, 6th in the Pryde’s EasiFeed Open Horse 1.00m

Vanessa Veart-Smith - BALMORAL CORLANDO, 5th= in the Open Championship 1.15m-1.20m

Melanie Dudding - COUNTRY VOGUE, 2nd in the ESNZ Open Horse High Points 1.10-1.15m

Jono Smith - DISNEY, in the Horse Show Hunter of the Year

SHOWCIRCUIT MAGAZINE

1st

Claudia Thomas - KINNORDY GO GIRL, winner of the Virbac Equine Junior Show Hunter of the Year

Sharyn Goodwin - SHOWTYM DUCHESS, ESNZ Adult Rider Equitation Series 1m

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“I just wanted it to all go right, and for all of the fences to stay up! I was absolutely stoked with him. He didn’t put a foot wrong and he tried really hard for me.” - Abby Robinson, Horse Show Hunter of the Year

1st

Laura Van Velthooven - SIROCCO DAISY, winner of the AHD Ltd Open Hunter 1.10m max

Merran Hain - UNTOUCHABLE, 7th in the Amateur Hunter 1.00m max

SHOWCIRCUIT MAGAZINE

1st

Sally Ward - PARADOX, winner of the Gyro Plastics Junior High Points Class 1m

Emily Twort - CAMEO KSNZ, 3rd in the Junior Hunter 1m max

Karen Riddle - LC TELEPATHY, winner of the Open Championship 1.15m-1.20m

Margot Wilde - REGENT LAD, 8th in the Virbac Equine Junior Show Hunter of the Year

Paxton Conder - YOUR ROYAL HIGHNESS, winner of the Amateur Hunter 1m

Show Hunter Wrap Up

WORDS Rebecca Harper The decision to purchase Hillman Hunter as a yearling, off the hills of Weiti Station, paid off for Ohaupo rider Abby Robinson when the combination clinched the Horse Show Hunter of the Year title for 2017. Hilly, as he is known at home, is just six years old, and Abby has done all the work breaking in and producing him herself. They jumped a lovely first round and went into the callback in second place, where another foot-perfect round elevated them to first overall. It was a fabulous show for Abby, who also did well all week with her other horse, Lost in Translation, including taking second place in the Amateur Show Hunter of the Year title. She has plenty of experience competing in the discipline, but this was her first crack at Show Hunter of the Year, and her biggest win to date. Karen Riddle and the lovely, relaxedlooking stallion, LC Telepathy, were second in the title class after earlier taking out the 1.15-1.20m championship. Third went to Jesse Linton and Wishing Crown, and Chloe Hansen was fourth with her seasoned campaigner, Kiwi Motto. Judges Jennie Pike, Rosalie Haddock and Marilyn Thompson said the overall standard, particularly of the top 10, was very high. The wet conditions made it tough going and they made the rare decision to change the callback course at the last minute, in an attempt to find fresh ground. The judges said that the entire callback group received high scores and it was a tight competition. “They were all deserving of being in the top ten, and it was nice to have a good standard throughout the callback.” They were also pleased to see new combinations and promising young horses coming through. In the Amateur Show Hunter of the Year class, new mum Stephie Joustra-Smith (Auckland) made a return to the ring in style, winning the title with Disney, just seven weeks after giving birth to her daughter, Stella. Disney was campaigned and qualified for Horse of the Year by a pretty handy stand-in jockey – Stephie’s husband, Jono Smith. Jono also rode Disney in the main title class. “I had an unexpected C-section and I wasn’t really meant to be riding. This is my first show since HOY last year,” Stephie explains. “I was still extremely rusty, but we managed to pull it off.

Disney was really good and looked after me.” The combination has a good track record in this class, placing second last year and winning it the year before. Stephie says that daughter Stella has already taken to show life. “She’s been amazing, the world’s best behaved baby. Although, it was a bit different riding today without much sleep!” In the Junior Show Hunter of the Year it was a bittersweet moment for the Thomas family, as Claudia and Kinnordy Go Girl won in style. Kinnordy Go Girl, or Galley, is owned by long time Show Hunter supporter, Trudi Duncan, who is due to have her second child. Galley has been campaigned by the Thomas family from Rotorua for several years, and Claudia’s brother Tristan won the same title with her last year. Claudia, 15, was meant to be competing at Horse of the Year on her pony Libby Pops Gift (aptly named as she was a gift from their Pop), when the pony unexpectedly died the week before the show. “It made the lead-up hard, so we decided that this show would be for fun, and it didn’t matter what happened. Libby was so cool, she taught me how to ride. I’m really grateful to have had her, she was a good friend,” Claudia says. But in a way, Libby was with Claudia as she rode at the show, as she’d had a special bracelet made from the pony’s hair. Mum Rachel says the family is grateful to Trudi for loaning such a special horse and wanted to thank her. “Without Trudi, Claudia wouldn’t be riding at HOY.” Claudia was thrilled to win. “She was so good and smooth, she just feels like such a schoolmaster. I feel honoured that Trudi lets me ride her.” In the pony categories, large entries and stiff competition characterised all three title classes. In the Category C Pony Show Hunter of the Year, relative newcomer Rebecca Williamson, 14, was excited to win with her new pony, He’s Pryceless. The Williamson name is perhaps more synonymous with a different discipline – Rebecca’s mum Wendi is currently away overseas flying the New Zealand flag in the dressage arena. But dad Jon was on hand to help his daughter, who rushed off to compete in her Level 1 dressage test on

the same pony straight after the prizegiving. “We know a bit about dressage but not so much about jumping,” he says. “This is very new for her.” Rebecca was surprised to win and very proud of the pony, who she has only had for about three months. “This is only my fourth show on him, so I’m very happy. We also compete in dressage and show jumping.” Maddie Smith and her delightful pony, Starlight India, turned in a near flawless performance to earn them the crown of Category B Pony Show Hunter of the Year. “I was really surprised how well Indy went in the horrible weather,” Maddie said. The win was very special to her as it was the first time she’d ever been placed at Horse of the Year in the three years she has competed there. “It just made my day!” Maddie had to overcome some health and confidence issues to make it into the ring. Eighteen months ago she was kicked in the face by a horse, and fractured her jaw and nose, lost eight adult teeth and needed over 100 stitches. She was determined to get back on her ponies, but after qualifying for Horse of the Year last year, she struggled to do well at the show. “I have put a lot of time into my riding since then and have even been helping my coaches start young ponies that have not been ridden before, which really helped my confidence. I think my accident has increased my determination to do well,” she said. Maddie also placed eighth in the class on her second ride, Jigsaw Jake. She was part of a team that travelled down from Starlight Farm with their coach Julia Johnston, and they had a very successful trip, with four out of the five placing in the Cat B title class. In the tiny Category A Pony Show Hunter of the Year, Maddi Davidson, 12, from Te Awamutu was delighted to take the title with her dun pony, Rhythm N Gold. Trainer Leigh Taylor said there was a strong bond between pony and rider. “She has worked extremely hard. The rider has really stepped up to the mark. It’s the first title for the pony, and she’s done all the work herself.” Maddi said it meant an “awful lot” to her to win as it was her last show on the pony, who is now going to a new home. “She’s come such a long way, and I couldn’t even jump a jump when I got her. It’s been my dream to win this ever since I found out about Show Hunter.” C

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PHOTO ESSAY

Horse of the Year

Dressage PHOTOS Dark Horse Photography

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Mackenzie Sim – NORTH EAST, Level 3 Pony of the Year

Abbie Deken – KH AMBROSE, Dressage Horse of the Year 2017

Lilly Jefferies - PRIMA MAGNETO, Reserve Level 4 Pony of the Year.

Nicky Pope – SASKATOON, competing in Level 8

Anna Wilson – PEPEE, Level 3 Reserve

Caitlin Benzie – ROSARI ROYAL GEM, Young Rider of the Year

Gaylene Lennard – JAX JOHNSON, Level 1 Horse of the Year

Peter Barke – PARKRIDGE DONNAMOUR, competing in Level 5

Vay Snyman – LIMONIT, competing in Level 6/7

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10. Lorraine Ward-Smith – FERNLEA DIAMOND DAY, Level 2 Horse of the Year

11. Paula Stuart – AZTEC LAD, Level 8 Reserve 12. Jody Hartstone – ALI BABA, competing in Grand Prix 13. Vanessa Way – NRM ANDREAS, Level 6/7 Horse of the Year 14. Abbie Deken – GUILIANI, Level 3 Horse of the Year 15. Hannah Van der Horst – MOBY’LL DO, competing in the Young Rider

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“Winning the title feels amazing! I’m still on a high that comes over me in waves. I’m at home now going about my normal day-to-day life, and every so often I think, ‘Wow, we really did it!” - Abbie Deken - Dressage Horse of the Year

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Susan Tomlin – DANCEALONG, Level 8 Horse of the Year

Emily Lawrie – APHRODITE, competing in the FEI Prix St Georges

11. Kieryn Walton – ROSARI DON CARLOS, working in for Level 5

Alex Matheson – FURSTANGO, Level 2 Reserve Champion

John Thompson – JHT ANTONELLO, Reserve Grand Prix

12. Cassandra Dally – D’MOVISTAR, competing in the FEI Prix St Georges

Melissa Galloway – WINDEMERE J’OBEI W, Level 4 Horse of the Year

Diane Wallace – KP DEXTER, competing in Level 2

13. Alex Macnamara – DONNERBLITZEN, competing in Level 3

Vanessa Way – NSC PRONTO, Level 4 Reserve Champion

Rebecca Rowlands – SOLO, Level 3 Reserve Champion

14. Penny Castle – MAGNUS SPERO, 3rd place in the Grand Prix

Greg Smith – CRYSTAL MT CRUZEIRO, competing in Level 3

10. Alison Addis – WHISTLEDOWN KRISTOPHA, Dressage Pony of the Year (Level 4)

15. Victoria Middleton – MY SHADES OF GREY, competing in Level 5

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Alex Matheson – LINGH II, Level 6/7 Reserve, FEI Prix St Georges winner

John Thompson – JHT REPLAY, Level 1 Reserve Champion

Joanna Harrison – VALID POINT, competing in the Level 2

Jo Jackson – JD FLASH, IV Para Equestrian Horse of the Year

Dressage Wrap Up

WORDS Pip Hume Besides the weather, which made life difficult for competitors and kept spectators away, the talking point around the Dressage Oval at the Horse of the Year Show in 2017 was Abbie Deken’s outstanding victory in taking her first major title, the Dressage Horse of the Year. The competition was intense. John Thompson riding JHT Antonello looked confident and assured as he took the honours in the first two Grand Prix classes, with Abbie on KH Ambrose having to be content with second position both times. Penny Castle finished third aboard Magnus Spero on the first day, while in the CDI FEI Grand Prix Special, third place went to William Millar with Raukura Satori MH. However, in the CDI*** FEI Grand Prix Freestyle, KH Ambrose performed with grace and precision to finish in the top position on 72.9%, ahead of John Thompson (71.825%) and Penny Castle (70.95%). It says much for the strength of the sport at this level that despite having Julie Brougham’s

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Olympic mount Vom Feinsten out of action with an injury, and Wendi Williamson off-shore with Dejavu MH, the Grand Prix competition was a hard-fought and thrilling one, with the top three riders all scoring over 70%. Abbie was also successful in taking the Level 3 Horse of the Year on her second mount Guiliani, while John Thompson was the Level 1 Reserve aboard JHT Replay. Gaylene Lennard’s lovely big young horse Jax Johnson was the Level 1 Horse of the Year, while in Level 2 Lorraine Ward-Smith made the trek up from Canterbury to take the title ahead of Alex Matheson on Furstango. Alex was also the Reserve for Level 6/7 on Lingh II. Susan Tomlin with her aptly-named Dancealong claimed the Level 8 title, with Paula Stuart and Aztec Lad performing consistently for the Reserve. In the capable hands of Vanessa Way, NRM Andreas was the Level 6/7 winner, while NRM Arion was the Level 5 Reserve, and NSC Pronto the Reserve for Level 4.

The Level 5 winner was Julie Flintoff with Belladonna MH, and Melissa Galloway riding Windemere J’Obei W was the Level 4 winner. In the Young Rider, Caitlin Benzie on Rosari Royal Gem was a deserving Young Rider of the Year title winner, despite being left as the sole competitor when injury ruled out both of the other contenders, Lucarne Dolley (Devils Chocolate) and Hannah Van der Horst (Moby’ll Do). The Dressage Pony of the Year (Level 4) winner was Alison Addis riding Whistledown Kristopha, while Lilly Jefferies on Prima Magneto was Reserve. Mackenzie Sim riding North East took the Level 3 Pony of the Year title ahead of Anna Wilson and Pepee, while the Level 2 Pony of the Year went to Isabella Chatfield with AD Dennache, ahead of Antonia Verissimo and Picture Me Painted. In the Level 1 competition, Bella Small took the honours with Kingslea Busy Bee, with Paris Masterson and KS Rose D’Or in Reserve. C

PHOTO ESSAY

Horse of the Year

Other Sections PHOTOS showcircuit.photoshelter.com

1. 2. 3. 4.

Vanessa Everton - LADY’S HONOUR RP, Hack of the Year Marin Vujcich - FALCONHURST FIRST CYTE, Led Broodmare or Stallion of the Year Megan Lozell - PERFECT FIT, in the Pleasure section Corey Miln - AVANTE GARDE, Senior Rider of the Year 21yrs & over and Paced & Mannered Saddle Hunter Horse of the Year Lillie Wallace - NALA NICHOLAI’S HOLLY, First Ridden Pony Rider of the Year and First Ridden Pony of the Year

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7. 8. 9.

Rebecca Aplin - WOODLANDS PARK LIGHT O DAY, Show Pony of the Year over 138cm & n.e. 148cm, Paced & Mannered Show Pony of the Year over 138cm & n.e. 148cm. Pictured with Julie Wilson, David Bartram and Harry Tunniclife Georgie Smith - MR CLYDE OF WAIRAMARAMA, Rising Star Saddle Hunter Horse of the Year Sarah Wadworth - FAEMOSS B.W, Saddle Hunter Horse of the Year Grace Thomson - GANGSTAR, Junior Rider of the Year 15 & 16 years.

10. Phoebe Brown - NORTHERN LIGHTS, in the Pleasure section 11. TC Equestrian - KS HONEY BOO BOO, Rising Star Show Pony of the Year over 138cm & n.e. 148cm. Ridden by Ella Hansen. 12. Toni Louisson - HAWK ARROW, Champion Saddle Hunter Pinto of the Year 13. Holly Thompson - GV JACKSON, Rising Star Riding Horse of the Year 14. Billie Roach - LINDEN JUST A DREAM, Rising Star Show Pony of the Year n.e. 138cm 15. Brooke Cadwallader - EASTDALE DIVA, Show Pony of the Year n.e. 128cm.

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“This wasn’t just any win... everyone close to me knows how much this means and how I so badly wanted this for Woody, more than I even wanted it for myself. Now I know dreams really can come true!” - Amanda Berridge, Park Hack of the Year

Amanda Berridge - WOODY GOODWIN, Park Hack of the Year

Emily Shepherd - MY MUNCHKIN, Pleasure Pony of the Year

10. Richard Otto - DOLLY BLUE, Supreme Led Senior NZ Sport Horse of the Year

Kendra Peart-Anderson - WILLOWMEAD COURT JESTER, Ridden Open Partbred Welsh Exhibit of the Year

Natalie Short - GOLDEN CONQUEST, Pleasure Horse of the Year

Andrea Shore - BRAEBURN PARK SPRING DANCE, Led Youngstock Pony of the Year. Led by Natacha Otto

Georgia Linton - ZAK SMITH, Supreme Led Performance Pony of the Year. Pictured with judge Mitch Fox

11. Leesa Anderson - ROSEHILL PARK SAPPHIRE, Supreme Led Junior NZ Sport Horse of the Year. Led by Brandon East

Ella Rankin - SHERWOODS MARK II, Saddle Hunter Pony of the Year n.e. 128cm and Ridden Purebred Welsh Pony or Cob Exhibit of the Year

Mindy Malone - CHARLIE BOY, in the Pleasure section

Caitlin Rennie - HESASUPERSTAR, Rising Star Saddle Hunter Pony of the Year, over 138cm & n.e. 148cm and Ridden Pinto Pony of the Year

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12. Grace Tripe - BEECHCROFT PLAYBOY, Saddle Hunter Pony of the Year over 138cm & n.e. 148cm. Pictured with Sue Thomas 13. Trey Cadwallader - LEEARA PARK FIRST EDITION, Show Pony of the Year over 128cm & n.e. 138cm

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“There’s a tinge of sadness at leaving the lead rein ring behind but I’m incredibly proud of my children who, in the eight years we’ve been in this section, have shared six Horse of the Year titles between them on three different ponies.” - Nannette Cadwallader, Lead Rein Pony of the Year

Amanda Gordon - GREENMOOR DOLCETTO, Rising Star Park Hack of the Year

Mia Cadwallader - EASTDALE DIVA, Lead Rein Rider of the Year and Lead Rein Pony of the Year. Led by Nannette Cadwallader

Fiona Gott - BRECON BACH SEAL, Purebred Welsh Adult Exhibit of the Year. Pictured with Mark Brown and Paul Quin

Andrea Shore - HIGHCROFT HEAVENLY, Led Adult Pony of the Year. Led by Natacha Otto

Lynaire Cottle - NGALAIRE FINAL LIGHT, Partbred Welsh Youngstock Exhibit of the Year. Led by Brandon East.

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Meg Fleming - MANSFIELD PARK MAGNOLIA, winner of the Wonder Memorial Junior Equestrian Turnout and Paced & Mannered Show Pony of the Year n.e. 138cm Sue Reynolds - X FACTOR, Paced & Mannered Riding Horse of the Year, Thoroughbred Show Horse of the Year and Gee Whizz Memorial Equestrian Turnout winner

Natacha Otto - XANT’E, Led Adult Show Horse of the Year

Katie Readings - WAIORA BLACK LATTE, Junior Rider of the Year, 11 years & under

10. Jayna Dinneen - SANSIBAR, Riding Horse of the Year 11. Fiona Honeyman - PLAYBOY, Paced and Mannered Park Hack of the Year 12. Paris Masterson - ASCOT DA VINCI, Rising Star Saddle Hunter Pony of the Year n.e. 138cm 13. Billie Roach - WILLOWCROFT GRAND MIKADO, Saddle Hunter Pony of the Year n.e. 138cm and Paced & Mannered Saddle Hunter Pony of the Year n.e. 138cm. Pictured with Di Tunniclife, Cara O’Connor and Chris Lawton.

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Other Sections

SHORT DEFENDS PLEASURE HORSE TITLE | Dannevirke’s Natalie Short and her special chestnut gelding, Golden Conquest, won the Pleasure Horse of the Year title for the second year running. “I was excited to be taking Quest to HOY again, I wasn’t nervous until the final line-up. I knew the calibre of horses was very high, so I wasn’t convinced that we’d be able to win again. I was very pleased when he did a lovely workout,” she says. Heavy rain had turned the Hawke’s Bay show grounds in Hastings into a quagmire, but Pleasure section organiser Tamara Savage was determined that the show would go on. “They were trying conditions but the horses all coped well…it never even crossed my mind to cancel. The biggest thing for us was to find a space, as we could no longer use the Polo Grounds.” When the Working Hunter classes were cancelled, the Pleasure section had the opportunity to move to the main showing arenas. Entries were up from last year and, despite the weather, there were no scratchings. The quality of horses and ponies contesting the

Wrap Up

WORDS Rebecca Harper Pleasure classes seems to go up a notch every year and competition was tight. It was Natalie and Quest who again came out on top in the Pleasure Horse section, performing a fabulous workout in the title class. Quest is barefoot and, initially, Natalie didn’t realise how slippery it was in the ring. The cute chestnut was struggling with the ground conditions and Natalie did consider pulling out, as she didn’t want to risk injuring him. “We nearly fell over in the warm-up at one point. He didn’t enjoy the mud flicking out of his front hooves and hitting him either! But we had put so much effort in to get to HOY, so instead I chose to try riding where the ground had the most grass cover left and to walk when I had to cross the worst of the mud. He was more confident in going after that, so I continued – it was lucky I did!” Natalie says Quest is “incredibly special” to her. “My heart would have a hole in it if he wasn’t around. He’s the easiest horse to do anything with and I trust him completely. I was there when he was born and have done all his training since then. He tries so hard and doesn’t say no, he is

such a cute, smoochy dude.” Reserve Champion in the Horse section went to Megan Lozell and Perfect Fit. In the Pleasure Pony section it was clear that 21-year-old My Munchkin, ridden by 12-year-old Emily Shepherd, was a popular winner of the Pleasure Pony of the Year title. The cute pony endeared himself to everyone as he cantered around on a long rein without batting an eyelid. “I think it was my canter on the long rein [that won it]. I gave everything away and he didn’t speed up or slow down,” she said. Emily, from Wellington, has owned Munchkin for four years and winning the title was a fitting farewell, as the pony is now off to a new home. The pair also contested the Level 1 dressage classes while at HOY. Reserve Champion went to last year’s winner, Madeleine Leslie and Classic Beauty, also from Wellington. Four of the top six ponies came from the Wellington region, and have been competing against one another all season, proving that Pleasure is going strong in the lower North Island. C

DIAMONDS IN THE MUD | WORDS Ryan Teece If you didn’t experience it first-hand, you and were worthy winners, and gave us an certainly would have heard just how challenging insight into what the judges might be looking the weather was at Horse of the Year 2017. So for in the days to follow. X Factor continued his great week for Sue much so, that the only events to keep running Reynolds to be awarded the Paced and on the Saturday were showing and dressage. It must be said what an amazing job everyone Mannered Riding Horse of the Year, and Fiona did to get their horses in the ring, and they were Honeyman’s flashy mover Playboy took out the a real credit to every owner, producer and rider. Paced and Mannered Park Hack of the Year. Last There was a bit of a change to the schedule year’s Paced and Mannered Hack of the Year, JS this year, and from what I saw it seemed to Leonardo ridden by Jayna Dinneen, successfully be a positive one. Perhaps having the formal defended their title, as did Corey Miln and Avante turnouts exhibit first-up proved a challenge Garde, again awarded the Paced and Mannered for fresher horses, not having had a chance Saddle Hunter of the Year. Splitting the Lead Rein and First Ridden to get in the ring earlier as in previous years, which led to some not so ‘polished’ sections into two days seemed to be a great workouts. But the first titles of the show went initiative from the R.A.S. this year. It kept to experienced combinations, with the Gee ponies who were competing in more than one Whizz Memorial Equestrian Turnout being section a little fresher and no doubt it took a taken out by Sue Reynolds and X Factor, lot of stress off the parents! Eastdale Diva took and Mansfield Park Magnolia, ridden by out the Lead Rein Pony of the Year, and her Meg Fleming, being awarded the Wonder rider Mia Cadwallader was sashed Lead Rein Rider of the Year. It was a fitting end to the Memorial Junior Equestrian Turnout. The led classes are always a great opportunity Cadwalladers’ reign of this section – as a family, to see not only the youngstock coming through they have competed in the Lead Rein Pony of but also to have a closer look at the adults the Year title eight times and won it six times. It’s always pleasing to see young riders without saddles. Andrea Shore had a great day with her homebred Braeburn Park Spring moving successfully through the sections and Dance being awarded the Led Youngstock Lillie Wallace, last year’s Lead Rein Pony of the Pony of the Year, and then with Highcroft Year winner is no exception, being awarded Heavenly, a previous winner of the youngstock First Ridden rider of the Year and First Ridden title, being sashed Led Adult Pony of the Year Pony of the Year on Nala Nicholai’s Holly. Back over in ring one, things were starting (both led by Natacha Otto). The Vujich family’s recent import, Falconhurst First Cyte, has to get serious. Beechcroft Playboy and made an impressive entrance into the New Woodlands Park Light O Day must be two Zealand show scene and was sashed the Led of the most consistent performers of recent times and 2017 was certainly no exception with Broodmare or Stallion of the Year. KS Show Horses have made a real name Playboy lifting the Saddle Hunter Pony of the for themselves within the pony ring, and now Year (over 138cm n.e. 148cm) for rider Grace they are putting their stamp on the hack ring Tripe and Light O Day sashed Show Pony of too, with KS Bee Keeper being sashed Led the Year (over 138cm n.e. 148cm) for Rebecca Youngstock Show Horse of the Year (owned Aplin. Moving down the heights, two Australian by Lily Moss). Continuing a fabulous day for imports took out the titles with Leeara Park the Otto camp, Xant’e was sashed Led Adult First Edition (Trey Cadwallader) sashed Show Pony of the Year over 128cm n.e. 138cm and Show Horse of the Year. One of my favorite sections at HOY must Willowcroft Grand Mikado (Billie Roach) named be the Rising Stars and Wednesday was no Saddle Hunter Pony of the Year over 128cm disappointment. All eight winners made it n.e. 138cm. Eastdale Diva was back for another clear they had put the schooling in at home title, taking out Show Pony of the Year n.e.

128cm for Brooke Cadwallader, with the Saddle Hunter Pony of the Year n.e. 128cm going to Ella Rankin on Sherwood’s Mark II. Saturday proved to be a challenge from the onset. Rumours went around that perhaps classes would change days or even be cancelled, but after the cross-country phase of the eventing was canned, the R.A.S. made a bold decision to get the classes started as soon as possible, bringing them forward by two hours. The horse classes got underway, and continued with the theme set for the week, that workouts really did count! Jayna Dinneen’s lovely chestnut horse Sansibar looked comfortable in the mud and performed a foot perfect workout to be awarded the Riding Horse of the Year. No stranger to the winner’s circle, Vanessa Everton added yet another title to her impressive resume, claiming the Hack of the Year for the second time, riding Lady’s Honour RP. The Saddle Hunter of the Year title went to Sarah Wadworth and Faemoss B.W. The last class in ring one was the hotly contested Park Hack of the Year title. Previous six-time winner Cuv’ee couldn’t quite hold onto his title one last time with the four-time runner up Park Hack of the Year, Woody Goodwin, finally claiming the big one for an emotional Amanda Berridge. Ring two had what looked to be the worst of the mud which made it a challenge for the Paced and Mannered ponies to show off, with some uncharacteristic mistakes turning up from some of the more experienced combinations. But as a whole, the ponies worked well in the harrowing conditions and the deserving winners were rewarded. Sadly, as conditions worsened and after discussion with competitors, the R.A.S. made the hard decision to cancel the Working Hunter Section, much to the disappointment of riders and spectators alike. This was a decision not made lightly, but in the best interests of safety for horses and riders. Well done to the R.A.S. who did an amazing job throughout a challenging week to keep all the classes to time and the rings in the best possible condition, all things considered. C

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PHOTO ESSAY

NATIONAL DRESSAGE CHAMPIONSHIPS PHOTOS Pip Hume

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1. Wendi Williamson – DEJAVU MH, Grand Prix Champion 2. Lucarne Dolley – DEVILS CHOCOLATE, winner of the FEI CDI-Y Freestyle, Young Rider FEI Medal 3. John Thompson – JHT REPLAY, Level 1 Champion 4. Alex Matheson – PSL LINGH II, Level 7 Champion, Level 7 Amateur Champion 5. Zoie Gray – STONEYLEA WELT PRINCESS, Elite Equine Young Dressage Horse 4YO Champion & Overall Champion. Pictured with (from left) Sponsor - Victoria Wall from Elite Equine, Breeder - Angela Smith, Judges Katrina Weust (GER), Linda Warren-Davey, Mary Seefried (AUS), Helen Hughes Keen 6. Penny Castle – BL ABOUT TIME, winner of the Superior Rubber Surfaces North Island Super 5 Final L9 (National) FEI Intermediate II 7. Sophie de Clifford – KINNORDY GOLDA 8. Melissa Galloway – ZELLINGER

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1. Rhiannon Leak – LUMINO, Level 5 Amateur Reserve Champion 2. Jacqui Thompson – GEORGIO, Level 6 Amateur Champion (right), and Sara White – ROCK OF CASHEL, Level 6 Amateur Reserve Champion 3. Isabella Chatfield – AD DENNACHE, Level 2 Amateur Reserve Champion 4. Sheena Ross – PARKRIDGE DISCO SW, Level 8 Champion 5. Alison Addis – WHISTLEDOWN KRISTOPHA, Level 4 Amateur Champion 6. Kathryn Corry - BOOM CHICA BOOM 7. Melissa Galloway – WINDEMERE JOHANSON W, Level 7 Reserve Champion

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4 1. Jo Jackson – JD FLASH, 2nd in the Boeckmann Horsefloats IV Para-Equestrian Championship Test 2. Susan Tomlin – DANCEALONG, Level 8 Reserve Champion 3. Kieryn Walton – ROSARI DON CARLOS 4. Jody Hartstone – ALI BABA 5. Sarah Wadworth – FAERMOSS BW 6. Isabella Chatfield – PRIMA BELLA, Pony Rider FEI Medal

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Bruce Forbes

NORTH ISLAND NZPCA

Team Championship In early January, riders from across the North Island gathered at Clareville, near Carterton, for the Bruce Forbes North Island Pony Club Eventing Championship. The event is hosted annually by the Wairarapa-Wellington Pony Club, and has two divisions, at NZPCA95 and NZPCA80. It is designed to enable Pony Club riders who do not necessarily aspire to compete at Timberlands or NZPC Eventing Championships level, or who have not yet reached that level, to have the experience of competing as part of a team. Teams are made up of four to six riders, with the top four scores making up the team score. In teams of four riders, there must be at least one rider from each division. To ensure the competition is truly set at grassroots level, there are strict criteria around rider eligibility. The event is open to Pony Club riders under 25 years old, and riders competing in the NZPCA95 division must not have posted a score at NZPCA/CNC105 or above (but must have posted a score at NZPCA/CNC95 level). Riders in the NZPCA80

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division must have posted two scores at that level within the last season, but must not have posted a score at NZPCA/CNC95 or higher. This eligibility criteria relates to the rider only, not the horse and rider combination. At the 2017 event, 12 teams and 66 riders took part, with teams coming from as far afield as Waitara and Rotorua. Horowhenua Pony Club were the winners on the day, taking home the Bruce Forbes Team Trophy for the best overall team. The Fred McKinstry Memorial Cup for the best team dressage score was won by North Wairarapa, while the Hodder Cup for the top two NZPCA80 riders in a team was won by Lucy Marshall and Charlotte Smith of South Wairarapa. The Burkhart Tray for the top two NZPCA95 riders in a team was won by Olivia Thomson-Booth and Janelle Rankin from New Plymouth White. The Hamish Cameron Memorial Trophy for the NZPCA80 rider closest to the optimum time across country was won by Ella Miranda (Manawatu) and the trophy for the NZPCA95 rider closest to the optimum time across country was Maddison Hale (Rotorua).

TEAMS RESULTS 1st – Horowhenua Megan Davies, Daniel Bitchener, Jacob Walker, Lexi Rutherford, Kaitlyn Freeman, Meg Dempster 2nd – New Plymouth White Charley Schrider, Rebecca Spindler, Sienna Parr, Janelle Rankin, Karis Spurway, Olivia Thomson-Booth 3rd – North Wairarapa Rosie Thomas, Maisie Mann, Emma Gibb, Grace Gray, Hollie Falloon, Amelia Gordon 4th – South Wairarapa Charlotte Smith, Lucy Marshall, Piper Marshall, Xanthe Furkert, Jeremy Thurston, Gabrielle Bell 5th – Taupo Bayley Weal, Emily Marett, Daisy Morgan, Alyssa Harrison, Aimee Janssen, Bria Fitzgerald 6th – Waitara Warriors Nicole Barrett, West Hutton, Brendon Terrill, Kelsey Chesswas, Jessie Sith, Sammie Smith C

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PHOTOS Pip Hume 1. Kate Logan – MY TOM BOY, 5th in the NZPCA95 Div B for New Plymouth Green 2. Jeremy Thurston – ISEEAREDDOOR, 8th in the NZPCA95 Div A for South Wairarapa 3. Emma Gibb – A PATCHY PONY, 2nd in the NZPCA95 Div A for North Wairarapa 4. Anthony Walsh – JUSTA BANDIT, 6th in the NZPCA80 Div A for Rotorua 5. Hollie Falloon – PHOENICIAN SOHO, 3rd in the NZPCA95 Div C for North Wairarapa 6. Olivia Thomson-Booth – CLEARWATER PERFECLYDUN, winner of the NZPCA95 Div C for New Plymouth White

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1. The winning Horowhenua team fro left: Meg Dempster - BOMBAY SAPPHIRE II, Lexi Rutherford MEERSBROOKE HOT ICE, Megan Davies - THE PRINCE OF POP, Jacob Walker - AUTHENTICATE, Daniel Bitchener - HARLEY, Kaitlyn Freeman - RHAPSODY II. 2. Megan Davies – THE PRINCE OF POP, winner of the NZPCA80 Div A for Horowhenua 3. Maddie Fraser – MOJO BANJO, 8th in the NZPCA80 Div A for Wellington Gold 4. Lexi Rutherford – MEERSBROOKE HOT ICE, winner of the NZPCA80 Div D for Horowhenua 5. Lucy Marshall – JUST BENJI, winner of the NZPCA80 Div B for South Wairarapa

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the Hanley Formula on a yearling colt. When 'Sid' arrived at our place in early December, he was severely underweight and had a huge worm burden. I immediately wormed him and started Tested by the Human Nutrition Laboratory at Massey Universityhim on the Hanley Formula. Six weeks later, he is a totally different horse... glossy coat, bright eyes, fat over his ribs, a great topline - and now he spends a lot of time playing SHOWCIRCUIT MAGAZINE in his paddock because he feels so well.

0800 HANLEY (0800 426 539) www.hanley.co.nz 119

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1. Alyssa Strachan – KYREWOOD HULA, 9th in the NZPCA80 Div A for HV/CHB/ Rotorua Composite 2. Emma Matches – SOUTH, 7th in the NZPCA95 Div B for Heretaunga 3. Charlotte Sowry – GLOBUG, 6th in the NZPCA80 Div B for Manawatu 4. Gabrielle Bell – ONSLAUGHT, 4th in the NZPCA95 Div B for South Wairarapa 5. Kendyll Miller – COPPER WITH A TWIST, 9th in the NZPCA95 Div A for Heretaunga 6. Jeremy Walsh – HARLEY, 6th in the NZPCA95 Div C for Rotorua

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PHOTO ESSAY

Warkworth A&P Show th y r a s r e v i n n A 0 15 PHOTOS Show Circuit Magazine

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Laura McNab - SIR DUKE, Reserve Champion Park Hack

TC Equestrian - KS HONEY BOO BOO, ridden by Ella Hansen, Champion Show Pony over 138cm and Supreme Champion Pony

Fiona Honeyman - PLAYBOY, Champion Park Hack

Lucas Bremner - TRIPLE STAR PICTURE ME NOW, Champion Working Hunter Pony

Alannah Flannagan - BELVEDERE, Champion Adult Led Show Horse, Champion Adult Led Peformance Horse, Supreme Champion Led Horse and Champion Novice Riding Horse

Liam Murphy - LINDEN HEAVENLY MUSIC, Champion Novice Show Pony over 128cm and not exceeding 138cm and Reserve Champion Show Pony over 128cm and not exceeding 138cm

Jayna Dinneen - SANSIBAR, Champion Riding Horse and Champion Paced and Mannered Horse

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Corey Miln - TUI’S RED DRAGON, Supreme Champion Morgan

Brooke Cadwallader - EASTDALE DIVA, Champion Junior Rider, Champion Show Pony not exceeding 128cm

Natalie Toeke - HIGH CLASS, 2nd in the Ridden Thoroughbred Show Horse over 148cm

Olivia Baker - AROSA TOP TOWN, 2nd in the Open Paced & Mannered Show pony over 138cm not exceeding 148cm

Trey Cadwallader - LEEARA PARK FIRST EDITION, Champion Show Pony over 128cm & not exceeding 138cm

Angela Pivac - TY GWYN ROYAL MONARCH, winner of the Novice First Ridden Pony not exceeding 138cm 0-5 wins

Airlie Holley - WINDERMERE IN MEMORY, Champion Novice Saddle Hunter Pony over 138cm

TC Equestrian - BEECHCROFT CHABLIS, ridden by Ruby Hansen, Champion First Ridden Pony

Shanae Savannah - DUSTY, winner of the Open Pony Hunter over fences not exceeding 138cm

10. Kira Gilmour - VELOCITY, Champion Hack and Supreme Champion Horse 11. Vujcich Family/Janine Palmer - EASTDALE ESCAPADE, Reserve Champion Junior Rider and Reserve Champion Show Pony not exceeding 128cm

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Erika Ciprian - CALL ME SPOT, Champion Inhand Standardbred

Mia Cadwallader - NANTEOS AUTUMN GUARDSMAN, led by Nanette Cadwallader, Champion Lead Rein Pony

Heather and James Bond - DOUBLE O SPRING BOUND, Reserve Champion Pinto Youngstock Horse

Sarah Turner - BELLADINA RS, Champion Novice Park Hack

Danika Marshall - FIACHRA, Champion Saddle Hunter

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HEALTH

Keep your horse and yourself happy and healthy with our tips for achieving peak performance

132 EQUINE METABOLIC SYNDROME

138 A DAY IN THE LIFE OF...

142 THE ROLE OF YOUR PSOAS

144 SAUTÉED PORTOBELLO MUSHROOMS

EMS is one of the most common and insidious causes of We spend a day with Equine Charopractitioner Joy White. laminitis in horses. Veterinarian,Kelley Barrington shares She plays a major role in improving equine performance how to manage it and avoid the onset of laminitis. and supporting horses to perform at optimum level.

Posture and balance go hand in hand when you’re riding. Nicola Smith explains the importance of knowing which muscles can really impact your position in the saddle. 130

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This quick and easy recipe tastes so good and is a must try! Think of a jumbo stuffed mushroom with healthy fats and all the flavour.

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EQUINE METABOLIC SYNDROME:

How to manage it and avoid laminitis Equine Metabolic Syndrome (EMS) is one of the most common and insidious causes of laminitis in horses. Metabolic Syndrome is a term taken from human medical literature, in which obesity results in a pro-inflammatory state and insulin resistance, which both negatively affect cellular processes. In humans this commonly results in type II diabetes or heart disease. In horses, it causes laminitis. WORDS Kelley Barrington

ABOUT KELLEY Kelley graduated from Massey University in 1996 with a Bachelor of Veterinary Science in Equine Medicine, and is a member of the Australian and New Zealand College of Veterinary Scientists (MANZCVS) in Equine Medicine. In 2015, Kelley started her own business, Equine Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation Centre, in Clevedon where she specialises in veterinary care and rehabilitation for sport horses. Kelley is currently studying for a Certificate in Equine Rehabilitation through the University of Tennessee and Colorado State University.

quine Metabolic Syndrome describes a group of horses characterised by obesity or fat deposits, insulin resistance, and previous or existing laminitis. EMS is most often seen in obese horses, but the degree of obesity can vary enormously. There appears to be a genetic susceptibility in different breeds, and it is most commonly seen in ponies, miniature horses and Shetland ponies. However, it has also been recognised in Thoroughbreds, Arabs, Quarter Horses and warmbloods. Generally, the horses and ponies affected are the “easy keepers” of the horse world. Horses and ponies with Equine Metabolic Syndrome tend to be obese, or show signs of regional adipose (fat) deposits, such as a cresty neck, or fat pads over the rump or in the sheath. Insulin resistance is broadly defined as a decrease in tissue responses to circulating insulin, which causes a decrease in the insulin-mediated glucose uptake into skeletal muscle, fat and the liver. The reduced tissue response to circulating insulin essentially means that more insulin is secreted by the pancreas. Insulin’s role is to regulate blood sugar, so high blood insulin levels result in episodes of laminitis in the horse. When the horse grazes on lush green pasture, there is an increase in the concentration of glucose (sugar) in the bloodstream. In the normal horse, this increase in blood glucose results in a slight increase in insulin levels which normalises the blood glucose levels. The insulin levels then return to normal.

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THINGS TO LOOK FOR: Noticeably cresty neck Localised fat deposits

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Diet and exercise are the most important factors in managing EMS. Horses should be fed according to their individual metabolic needs. Obese horses or “easy keepers” do not need concentrate feeds and are often best managed on a diet of hay and poor quality pasture along with a mineral and vitamin supplement.

In a horse with Equine Metabolic Syndrome, the body doesn’t respond as it should to the initial insulin release (to counteract the high blood sugar), and even more insulin is released as a result. This can trigger a dangerous cascade of high blood glucose and insulin levels, which results in episodes of laminitis for the horse. Blood tests to measure blood glucose and insulin levels can be useful in horses suspected of being insulin-resistant or falling into the Equine Metabolic Syndrome group. High serum insulin levels in horses held off pasture overnight are detected in horses with moderate to severe insulin resistance. We often also take bloods to measure the ACTH levels to assess Pituitary Pars Intermedia Dysfunction (PPID, more commonly known as Cushing’s Disease). It is suggested that chronic obesity and insulin resistance increase the risk of pituitary dysfunction in horses. Interestingly, neck circumference has been negatively correlated

with insulin sensitivity. That is, horses with cresty necks have a much higher prevalence of insulin resistance than those without. The onset of laminitis in horses with Equine Metabolic Syndrome is often insidious. This is likely due to the chronic, low grade nature of the inflammation caused by increased insulin levels and increased sugar intake, when compared to the dramatic, intense inflammatory response seen in horses developing laminitis caused by

acute sepsis, e.g. acute grain overload, acute endometritis due to a retained placenta following foaling, or endocolitis and severe diarrhoea. Equine Metabolic Syndrome horses may likely be in a constant fluctuating state of systemic inflammation, depending on seasonal and other diet variations, which means acute attacks or recurrences of laminitis can develop whenever these horses are exposed to high quality pasture or grain feed.

BODY SCORE CHART

Sunken rump and deep cavity under tail; e.g. older horse not eating or starvation. (Call your veterinarian urgently.) NECK: Bone structure felt easily, no muscle shelf where neck meets shoulder area. WITHER: Bone structure easily felt and visible. BACK & LOIN: 3 points of vertebrae easily felt. RIBS: Ribs felt easily, skin tight. HINDQUARTERS: Tailhead and hip bones projecting.

Very thin with prominent pelvis and croup, ribs visible. NECK & WITHER: Can feel & see bone structure. RIBS: Easily visible. BACK & LOIN: Spinous process can be easily felt, transverse processes have slight fat covering. HINDQUARTERS: Prominence of hip bones, overall appearance is pointy.

Thin with flat rump, croup well defined, some fat; e.g. a fit eventer, polo pony or endurance horse. NECK: Fat covering over bone structure. WITHER: Fat deposits over withers, dependent on conformation. BACK & LOIN: Fat over spinous processes. RIBS: Can’t see ribs, but ribs can still be felt. HINDQUARTERS: Hip bones covered with light layer of fat.

Ribs and pelvis covered with fat and rounded; e.g. a horse in show condition. NECK: Neck flows smoothly into shoulder. WITHER: Neck rounds out wither area. BACK & LOIN: Back is level. RIBS: Layer of fat over ribs. HINDQUARTERS: Can’t feel hip bones.

Excessive fat covering ribs and pelvis; e.g. a mature horse with too much feed and too little work. CREST: Slight crest, wide and firm. NECK: Fat deposited along the crest and neck. WITHER: Fat padded around withers, giving a flat appearance. BACK & LOIN: Positive crease along back. RIBS: Spongy over and between ribs. HINDQUARTERS: Can’t feel hip bones.

Severe over-condition with ribs and pelvis that cannot be felt, deep gutter in back; e.g. a fat pony prone to founder/laminitis. NECK: Bulging fat. CREST: Wide and hard. WITHER: Bulging fat. BACK & LOIN: Deep crease. RIBS: Pockets of fat and difficult to feel or see. HINDQUARTERS: Pockets of fat deposits often appearing lumpy.

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Obese horses should be placed on a diet until their ideal body weight is reached. Often, restricting access to all pasture and feeding hay to meet their daily energy needs is an effective way of encouraging weight loss.

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Obese horses should be placed on a diet until their ideal body weight is reached. Often, restricting access to all pasture and feeding hay to meet their daily energy needs (roughly 1.5 – 2% of body weight or 6-10kg of hay for a 450kg horse) is an effective way of encouraging weight loss. Horses with Equine Metabolic Syndrome are best fed hay with a low (less than 12%) non-structural carbohydrate content (NSC). Non-structural carbohydrates are simple sugars, starch and fructans. Soaking hay in cold water for 30 minutes prior to feeding has been shown to lower the sugar content of the hay significantly. The largest and often least controllable source of sugar in a horse’s diet is pasture or grass. The pasture sugar content (NSC) varies between regions, time

of year, soil types, soil quality, climate, rainfall, daylight hours, and grass species in the pasture. Generally it is recommended that ad-lib grazing of pasture be restricted or completely eliminated for horses and ponies with Equine Metabolic Syndrome. This is particularly important in seasons with increased grass growth, such as late summer/ autumn and in the spring, or immediately after rain in summer. The grass sugar content can be assumed to be high when the grass is bright green in colour, so it may be safer for a horse with EMS to graze taller old, rank pasture, rather than a short paddock that has flushed green due to recent rain and warm weather. Grazing muzzles are another approach to limit the grass intake which can be well tolerated by some horses, and which allow a

lower maintenance approach to management. Any suggestion of laminitis, e.g. increased digital pulse, lameness, etc. should be addressed immediately by taking the horse off grass and yarding or stabling them on a soft supportive surface such as sand or deep bed shavings. All exercise should be stopped as our primary aim is to control the pain, support the hoof and turn off the inflammation in the laminar of the feet as quickly as possible. Cold hosing or icing of the feet may also help with this. Medication with phenylbutazone (bute) on the advice of your vet can be very helpful in the treatment of EMS. Other drugs have been explored as aids to help control this potentially devastating disease. Drugs such as Levothyroxine sodium, and Metformin, a human drug used in treatment of type II diabetes, are looking at routes of improving insulin sensitivity in insulinresistant horses. There has been the suggestion that dietary supplementation with chromium and magnesium may help increase tissue sensitivity to insulin. There is also on going research into omega-3 fatty acids in regulating blood insulin in horses. Most of this research has been prompted by findings in the management and control of human type II diabetes, but there is hope that there will be some useful cross-over to help manage Equine Metabolic Syndrome and insulin resistance. C

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A day in the life of..

HEALTH

an equine chiropractor Since Joy White qualified as an Equine Chiropractitioner, horse owners have become much more aware of the role of equine health professionals in improving equine performance and supporting their horses to perform at optimum level. WORDS Pip Hume | PHOTOS Michelle Clarke

ABOUT JOY WHITE Joy is based in North Canterbury, where she lives with her husband Darren and two

boys, Alex (9) and Taylor (6). Originally from Hinesburg, Vermont, USA, Joy’s New Zealand heritage (her father is a Kiwi) brought her here with her parents when she was 16 years old. She had previously holidayed in New Zealand with her grandparents. Always passionate about horses, Joy had worked at an eventing stable in Vermont, where she learnt to ride and how to handle and be around horses. She says that with around forty horses coming and going each day, it was very intensive and gave her a base of knowledge that would never have come from having had a couple of ponies at home. Joy originally planned to return to the USA for Chiropractic study after secondary school. However, the New Zealand College of Chiropractic opened in Auckland so she studied there for five years, completing a double degree (BSC and Bachelor of Chiropractic). She followed these human chiropractic qualifications by returning to the USA to gain certification as an equine chiropractitioner (CVCP) and is a member of the International Association of Veterinary Chiropractitioners (IAVCP). Joy’s practice in Rangiora, North Canterbury is multi-faceted, and she and her associates share a holistic perspective that sees them engaging with other equine health professionals to provide the best possible care for their patients. A regular on the dressage scene, Joy is currently competing her Hanoverian x Thoroughbred Gamon KS at Level 7. “I’ve had him since he was three years old, and I’ve learnt a lot along the way,” she laughs. “He wasn’t easy as a young horse but he’s physically very athletic and elastic with good hock action. Mentally though he comes and goes – he likes to take over at times! But he’s got a good temperament, although cheeky. “My younger mare is Astek Gangster Girl. She’s by Gym Bello out of a Ramirez mare and is an elegant type with a pretty front and head. She’s six years old now, has been out showing this season and will go out and do some autumn and winter series dressage, aiming for Level 2 by the end of the season.” “These days, people are far more discriminating than they were when I qualified almost 20 years ago,” explains Joy. “They want their equine health practitioners to be suitably qualified and experienced. More often now, they won’t trust their horses’ well-being to anyone who doesn’t meet those expectations.” In her field as an equine chiropractor, Joy has seen practitioners move from the ‘old school’ techniques involving yanking and pulling, to modern-day practices where adjustments are specific, accurate, and carried out with more finesse. In the past, Joy recalls that there was considerable bad press around chiropractic care, but feels that people are more educated and practitioners are more willing to explain their work than was previously the case. “I’m passionate about what I do. It’s very rewarding, and part of that is helping to educate horse owners, for the sake of the horses’ well-being.”

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There is a lot of science behind what Joy does, but it’s also an art. The chiropractic science is based on the spine’s relationship with all areas of the body. Joy explains that initially, she tests the twitch response. “The twitch response is the panniculus reflex, which is a quick twitch of the subcutaneous muscle along the back, for example in response to a pin prick or a fly in the thoracic lumbar region (from the wither to the loin). I use this reflex to gauge how tight a muscle is, or the fascia over it, or if the nerve itself is under too much contraction. We want to see the twitch, but we don’t want an over-reaction or an under-reaction. An over-reaction can indicate pain, while little or no reaction can point to a serious problem. A limited response combined with muscle wastage may indicate a longstanding problem. “Different trigger points are associated with different nerve roots at the spine.

“So, simply put, I’m seeking those muscles where there’s too much or not enough contraction, and then adjusting the part of the spine that relates to the specific muscle.” Along with her ‘healing hands’, Joy uses a small, spring-loaded activator, which is one of the most gentle methods of performing adjustments to restore mobility to the spinal joints and take pressure off the nervous system. “It’s a very quick (27 lbs of pressure firing at 10 milliseconds) method that relaxes the multifidi muscle and releases seratonin, raising endorphins (the ‘feel good’ hormones). The horses just completely relax, and start to yawn and chew.” Joy’s chiropractic practice in North Canterbury looks after both human and equine patients. She sees people two days a week, while horses occupy the other three days. Joy says that the feedback from her human patients has helped her to hone her skills in the equine practice.

Horses are athletes.

The better you treat them the better they go for you and the better the rapport that builds. To make them feel better is a reward for them; it’s giving something back.

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Once I’ve finished a session, the horses

want my hands all over them!

“The verbal feedback from my human patients has definitely translated through to the horses. When I’m using hand palpation I’m looking for what feels normal and what doesn’t. Fluid, oedema and tightness feel similar whether the patient is human or equine – but people can guide me vocally and tell me specifically how something feels. I have then been able to take that knowledge through to my equine patients.” On the ‘people’ side, Joy likes to use the skills she learned in the five years she spent qualifying, and has a good, loyal clientele who look to her for mainly maintenance care. “I used to take care of quite a few high profile sports people, but with my family and my competition horses, there’s not so much flexibility now. I have some marathon runners on my books and I do pre-event check-ups before major sports events. I also help a number of riders to keep straight and balanced.” Joy says that compared with humans, horses have a phenomenal response to treatment – they respond more quickly, as their nervous system is wired more simply. “Horses are very rewarding to treat – their speed of recovery is seven times faster than it is for people! For most horses, chiropractic treatment seems to be enjoyable. The hands have a very nurturing quality that they really respond to, and as I go through the treatment, you can see the horses start to relax, with soft eyes, chewing and yawning. “Some horses are less tactile, and I’m very aware of how each horse reacts. It does depend on the individual horse’s character, and whether the horse has had treatment previously. “If there is a high level of pain, we will look at pain relief or sedation to make the job easier. Most of them enjoy it once they sense the purpose behind the touch and sometimes owners are surprised to find that I can touch their horse’s ears or its poll area where the horse may have have been uncomfortable for years. “Horses should be tactile and love to be scratched, itched, touched and brushed. Once I’ve finished a session, the horses want my hands all over them!” On each of her ‘horse’ days, Joy usually assesses and treats between eight and ten horses. About 70% of these are for owners wanting to make sure that their horses are in optimal condition for competitions,

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while the other 30% are horses who may have suffered a tweak or an injury. “Many of my horse visits are regular maintenance checks. With performance horses such as show jumpers, eventers, racehorses and dressage horses, people like to have them checked a week or so out from a big event. When milliseconds count or the movement must be absolutely correct, making sure that all of the muscles are working freely can be the difference in making that tight turn in the jump-off, producing the longer lengthened stride or getting the nose in front at the finish line.” She also sees many of her high performance clients on a monthly basis – especially the show jumpers, who have a lot of competitions weekend after weekend. However her practice is not confined to high performance equines, and Joy says that many pleasure riders also like to get their horses checked over at the start of the season, and then again before they are turned out for winter. Along with providing ongoing maintenance, Joy is often called to deal with injuries, either those caused by sudden trauma or ones that have occurred more gradually over time. The main trauma events where horses hurt themselves are tweaks and falls when out competing, or from slips in the paddock (for instance when it has been raining), floating and pulling-back accidents, and fence incidents. Joy prefers to evaluate injured horses as soon as possible once the vet has been, to work out an appropriate treatment schedule.

Sometimes when a horse is in significant pain, it will be necessary for the vet to administer sedation or pain relief before Joy can begin her work. Joy says that injuries around the head area are particularly painful for horses; for example, where a horse suffers a pullback injury and damages their poll area, or falls on concrete, as can happen with young Thoroughbreds being prepared for the sales. If she does get a negative pain response from a horse, Joy prefers to get back to work on that horse as quickly as she can safely do so. “Horses are a flight animal – if we give them the option then that flight response will always come to the fore.” Joy also sees a number of horses whose injuries have had a more gradual onset. “Horses are very forgiving and will put up with a lot, but by being aware of subtle signs and changes, we can pick up on the small signals that something isn’t quite right. “For example, if the horse is locked up behind, he may not be able to strike off in canter, or there may be discomfort when he strikes off on a particular lead. He may be able to do a flying change one way, but not the other. “It’s the same with neck flexion. If the poll is locked on one side, it can lead to the horse trying to counter-balance by tilting the head, which can become a habit very quickly!” She notes that head tilting can also be related to teeth problems. In Joy’s experience, if a horse suddenly starts scrambling in the float, it can often be traced back to a pelvic injury so that the horse is having difficulty balancing, although

she says that another cause for this type of problem can be grass staggers. Problems related to saddle fit are also a common issue. “I deal with injuries related to saddle fitting more often than I would like! I see quite a lot of horses who have saddles which are too tight, leading to compression and wasting in the back muscles. It’s also fairly common for the saddle to be too long for the horse’s back, so that the cantle sits beyond the horse’s last rib and the rider’s weight is not supported by the horse’s rib cage. “If the rider is sitting too far back with their weight behind that last rib, the horse’s lumbar area becomes concave and the horse can become quite sore. When the lumbar area is rounded correctly, the horse can move correctly and the show jumper can bascule properly.” Riders can keep an eye out for saddle problems by checking their horses’ backs after riding. The horse should sweat evenly, with no dry patches. White hairs and patches are also a tell-tale sign of too much compression. These days, the adjustability of saddles means that there are plenty of options for riders, and Joy personally loves to use sheepskin under her horses’ saddles and girths, for its comfort and breathability. For Joy, the value in what she does goes beyond enhancing athletic performance. “Our horses are athletes. The better you treat them, the better they go for you and the better the rapport that builds. To make them feel better is a reward for them; it’s giving something back.” C

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HEALTH

THE ROLE OF YOUR

PSOAS

IN RIDING POSTURE Posture and balance go hand in hand when you’re riding, so it’s important to have a good understanding of which muscles can really impact your position in the saddle. One particularly important muscle is your psoas, which controls the alignment of your lower back. A tight psoas can make riding a lot harder than it needs to be! WORDS Nicola Smith

In this picture I demonstrate what a tight psoas can look like. Check out the gap between my knee and saddle and how my toes turn outwards. This is often a sign of a tight psoas and hip flexors.

THE FUNCTION OF THE PSOAS

The psoas muscle is often classified as a hip flexor, or you may hear it referred to as the iliopsoas, which is a combination of both the psoas muscles and the iliacus. Until recently they were often referred to as one and the same, as they have similar actions; however the truth is the psoas muscle does much more than just flex the hip. In fact, its major role is more about the position of the pelvis and lower back. The psoas helps you to control your neutral spine and maintain proper alignment of your lower back.

WHERE EXACTLY IS THE PSOAS?

The psoas attaches around your pelvis and is located deep within the abdomen. It originates along the sides of the vertebral bodies of the 12th thoracic vertebrae to the 5th lumbar vertebrae, and along the sides of the intervertebral spinal discs. The muscle then travels down to attach below the lesser trochanter of the femur. These attachments mean that it has a huge impact on your ability to absorb the movement of the horse. When your psoas muscles is tight, it tilts your pelvis forwards and lifts it up and away from the flow of the horse’s movement, which may be referred to as a hollow and/or braced back. Also, when the psoas is tight and contracted it doesn’t have its natural flexibility and length, which then affects your range of motion and mobility. Often a tight psoas muscle means the rider’s pelvis is tipped forward and this can cause the knee to be pulled away from the horse and the toes to point outwards.

WHAT CAUSES A TIGHT PSOAS?

Many things, but the most obvious is the environment that you put your body into repetitively each day. Sitting at a desk and driving your car long distances, for example, will cause your psoas to become tight and contracted. If your psoas has become short and tight, and if you’re not working to release it, you may end up bouncing and feeling stiff in the saddle.

HOW TO RELEASE A TIGHT PSOAS?

There are a few ways to release your psoas muscle, but it’s important to note that continuing to place your body into an environment every day that shortens and tightens your psoas will continue to provide you with the same niggly problems. The key is to be really honest and start to look at ways you can improve your day-to-day activities that enhance your riding posture. If you work at a desk all day, can you spend some of your day at a standing desk? Can you have walking meetings? Can you work out in the middle of your working day? Can you walk more? What about trying some yoga and exercises to help balance the body out? The more you work on your riding fitness, balance and alignment, the more your horse will thank you for it.

A QUICK RELEASE

Here’s a quick and simple way to stretch your psoas muscle. Lie over the edge of your bed or the bonnet of your car, and pull one leg into your chest while the other leg hangs down. Hold this stretch for a minimum of 2 minutes before repeating on the other side. C

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THE PSOAS ATTACHES AROUND YOUR PELVIS, LOCATED DEEP WITHIN THE ADBOMEN

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DID

Sautéed

RECIPE

PORTOBELLO Mushrooms

This quick and easy recipe tastes so good! Think of a jumbo stuffed mushroom with healthy fats and all the flavour. Prep time: 5 minutes

Cooking time: 15-20 minutes

We all have those recipes that we go to when we are in a time crunch or at an event and scratching around for a quick meal cooked in one pan – and this is ours. This is a reliable meal you cannot fail at. This recipe works well as a main meal or even as an impressive side dish. Mushrooms cooked in butter with Worcestershire sauce are simple yet insanely decadent. They can be enjoyed alone or make a sophisticated addition to any meal. We love them with a salad and toasted Vogel’s toast.

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YO The UK m NO n u spe utrit shro W? iou cie o vita s ca s fo m is av od. nb mi e min n B al e a go Differ ry o o i e ng n d and ra g pot ls suc with sourc e e car a h boh ssium as co ssent of i al y p , con d a p ten rates nd its er t is a f ver nd sa at, y lo lt w.

Serves: 6

Ingredients: 12 Portobello mushrooms 2 cloves of garlic, sliced 3 T butter 2 T olive oil 3 T Lea & Perrins Worcestershire sauce Flat leaf parsley, coarsely chopped 1 tsp chopped rosemary Salt & ground pepper to taste Toasted Vogels bread (optional) Diced feta (optional)

Method: 1. Heat a non-stick skillet over medium heat, then add olive oil and butter. 2. Add mushrooms and garlic and toss a few times. 3. Allow to cook for approx. 8 minutes until the mushrooms have released their juices and are becoming tender. 4. Add the Worcestershire sauce. 5. Cover and reduce heat to low. 6. Cook for another 4-5 minutes and remove from heat. 7. Plate and garnish with feta (optional) and fresh parsley. C

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