Gisborne Teenager Takes Lady Rider Of The Year

Gisborne Teenager Takes Lady Rider Of The Year Title

By Diana Dobson

Give Tess Williams a little pressure and she’s happy to rise to the occasion.

The 19-year-old from Gisborne and her beautiful horse Walnut Brown today (Thursday) won the Kelt Capital Horse of the Year Lady Rider of the Year crown – following in the footsteps of her mother Kaye Williams and aunt Joan Mitchell.

Mum won the Merrylegs Cup in 1983 on Mainstream, with her sister Joan taking it in 1971 on Aquaba.

But today belonged to Tess Williams, who headed home a classy 35-strong field, including Olympic gold medal winner Wendy Schaeffer (Australia) and New Zealand’s highest ever ranked showjumper Samantha McIntosh.

Eight went through to the jump off with defending Lady Rider of the Year Anna Trent (Hawke’s Bay) on Cortaflex Muskateer NZPH who set a cracking pace, coming home clear in 44.22. Trent took a real risk slicing corners and a flying gallop into the last. It seemed it was going to be impossible to beat.

But then came 33-year-old McIntosh, who is home just for the show from her German base, riding Steve Cohen’s Lindberg des Hayettes.

The stunning chestnut Selle Francais stallion, who has been in the hands of the world’s top rider Eric Lamaze (Canada) for the past three years, wiped Trent’s time, leaving everything up in 42.87 seconds.

She was followed by Williams who grew up aspiring to the accomplishments of McIntosh. Not at all intimidated by McIntosh’s time she went out with nothing to lose.

“I kind of thrive on that pressure,” she said afterwards, admitting the win hadn’t really sunk in properly.

Galloping into the last she contemplated briefly checking Walnut to slow him slightly but with a glance at time she just went for it and stopped the clock at 42.03 seconds.

“Walnut is such a special horse,” she said of her 12-year-old horse. “It’s awesome to win this cup, and more so because mum and Joan have won it before me.”

Reigning Lady Rider Trent had to settle for third equal with Melanie Purcell (Whakatane) on Billistic.

Earlier in the day Katie McVean (Mystery Creek) and Dunstan Delphi won the seven-year-old of the year crown, with Australian teenager Tom McDermott riding Cortaflex Playtime NZPH taking the six year old crown. He also placed fifth in the seven-year-old class on Cortaflex Ocean Beach NZPH.

The 15-year-old, who has twice been Australian junior champion, has horses in his blood – dad Greg was an Olympian at Seoul, competed at the World Equestrian Games in Aachen, and placed second in the NZ Horse of the Year class on Mr Shrimpton in 1988.

Results –

Dunstan Lady Rider of the Year: Tess Williams (Gisborne) Walnut Brown 1, Samantha McIntosh (Waikato/Germany) Lindberg des Hayettes (owned by Steve Cohen) 2, Anna Trent (Hawke’s Bay) Cortaflex Muskateer NZPH and Melanie Purcell (Whakatane) Billistic =3, Wendy Schaeffer (Australia) Koyuna Sun Storm 5, Claudia Hay (Mosgiel) Euro Sport Valentino Rossi 6.

Merial Ancare six-year-old of the year: Tom McDermott (Australia) Cortaflex Playtime NZPH.

Cortaflex NZ seven-year-old of the year: Katie McVean (Mystery Creek) Dunstan Delphi.

ENDS

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