Leading Ladies Take World Cup Honours

Leading Ladies Take World Cup Honours

The Ultra•Mox FEI World Cup produced plenty of drama at the Continental Cars Audi World Cup Festival at Woodhill Sands today with the leading ladies of New Zealand showjumping taking top honours.

Four-time winner Katie Laurie (Mystery Creek) added another series title to her cabinet, despite riding with a suspected broken hand and an extra passenger on board, while Helen McNaught-McFarlane (Taupo) aboard her Polish import Carnutelabryere took out the final.

Several thousand people filled the banks around the popular and very picturesque award-winning Show Jumping Waitemata hosted show.

Ten combinations started the two round competition over the tough but fitting Gerrit Beker (Tauranga) designed course.

It was Laurie and Dunstan Breeze who produced the first clear round followed five combinations later by McNaught-McFarlane. Laurie backed that up with another clear a round later on Dunstan On The Point Eve.

Eight came back for the second round where Laurie, who is four months pregnant, almost dashed her series chances.

To win the series, she had to finish in the top two of the class aboard Breeze, her nominated horse. She took a rail early in the course and stepped on the gas to put the pressure on those following her.

However, she and Breeze scrambled through the last fence with Laurie dislodged from the saddle but holding on tightly to ensure they passed through the finish flags before her feet touched the ground, which would mean immediate disqualification.

They managed to stay together – just, finishing with eight faults from the two rounds.

Lucy Akers (Opiki) and Tinapai notched the round of their lives to go clear and finish on an accumulative tally of eight faults and take fourth in the class and third in the series.

McNaught-McFarlane knew she had to go clear and fast to put the pressure on Laurie and her next horse Dunstan On The Point Eve, who was also still on zero.

In a brilliantly-ridden round, they did just that, with the 17.3hh grey finishing the class all clear in 69.22 seconds. Laurie did her best with Eve, but took a rail at the last fence to stop the clock at 68.12 with four faults, giving McNaught-McFarlane the win.

“That course was tough but good,” says McNaught-McFarlane, who finished second to Laurie at last year’s final. “Gerrit didn’t give us much of a break right throughout it, but that’s as it should be for a World Cup final.”

She was rapt with her 10-year-old horse who she said had been happy and on form for the show.

Laurie said she had only herself to blame for the two rails Breeze took.

“They were both my fault entirely,” she said.

And she was very pleased with the efforts of Eve, who was in just her second World Cup start.

“She’s only nine and has really stepped right up.”

At 10, Breeze had a little more experience but was only in her second season of World Cup competition – the highest grade in New Zealand showjumping.

Despite the series win giving her the option of heading to the Longines FEI World Cup Jumping 2015/2016 Final in Gothenburg, Sweden from March 23-28, 2016, Laurie has no intention of taking it up.

She has twice represented New Zealand at a world final and is the nation’s best-performed with her sixth equal placing in 2011 aboard Dunstan Delphi.

Akers was rapt with her third place efforts in the series.

“I am just so happy,” said the 30-year-old. “I was unsure whether to come or not because it is such a long way for us, but the trip was well worth it.”

Designer Gerrit Beker received plenty of praise from riders for his course.

“I am very pleased,” he said. “The initial feedback I had from riders when they walked the course was that it was very tough, but it jumped extremely well.”

The biggest jumps in the class were 1.6m, some with a spread of 1.8m

Results – Ultra Mox World Cup Final: Helen McNaught-McFarlane (Taupo) Carnutelabryere 1, Katie Laurie (Mystery Creek) Dunstan On The Point Eve 2, Katie Laurie (Mystery Creek) Dunstan Breeze 3, Lucy Akers (Opiki) Tinapai 4, Sam Morrison (Tauranga) Biarritz 5, Josh Barker (Auckland) Eros K 6.

Ultra Mox World Cup Series (best four rounds to count): Katie Laurie (Mystery Creek) 83 1, Helen McNaught-McFarlane (Taupo) 81 2, Lucy Akers (Opiki) 71 3, Sam Morrison (Tauranga) 68 4, Tash Brooks (Cambridge) and Olivia Robertson (Christchurch) 59 =5, Josh Barker (Auckland) 46 7, Maurice Beatson (Dannevirke) 40 8, Vicki Wilson (Hikurangi) 33 9, Amanda Wilson (Hikurangi) 21 10, Paula Mussen (Pukekohe) 18 11, Ryan Lim (Auckland) and Rose Alfeld (Leeston) 12 =12.

ESNZ Seven Year Old Series: Katie Laurie (Mystery Creek) Dunstan Casebrooke Lomond 1, Victoria Rattray (Mangatangi) Versace NZPH 2, Samantha Felton (Matangi) Ricker Ridge Rui 3, Briar Burnett-Grant (Taupo) Fiber Fresh Veroana 4, Edward Bullock (Auckland) High Jump 5, Oliver Croucher (Rotorua) Delta Fasteuex 6.

Telford Junior Rider Series: Briar Burnett-Grant (Taupo) Dunstan Carlo 1, Drew Carson (Putaruru) Winston V Driene 2, Drew Carson (Putaruru) Double Shott 3, Oliver Croucher (Rotorua) Kiwi Rocket 4, Laura Hilhorst (Pukeatua) Boulevard II 5, Lucy Bull (Taupo) Westhay Grace 6.

Caledonian Amateur Rider Series: Laura Farmilo (Tauranga) Dressed To Kill 1, Kelly Hawkeswood (Whitford) Guardsman III 2, Kate Hewlett (Kerikeri) Capatino GNZ 3, Carol Stewart (Tokoroa) Hit Parade 4, Leisha Gent (Ruawai) Poledancer 5, Nicola Shore (Auckland) Chanel GNZ 6.

Main Events University Series: Samantha Bult (Kumeu) Samuel Something 1, Melody Matheson (Hastings) Landenfeld 2, Bryony Smith (Waitemata) Ngahiwi Warrior 3, Sophie Burling (Kerikeri) Detailed MSH 4, India Causebrook (Pukekohe) Westminster Rock 5.

Canterbury Equestrian Young Rider Series: Emily Hayward-Morgan (Te Awamutu) AP Ninja, Dominique Visini (Auckland) Don Perignon II 2, Melody Matheson (Hastings) Landenfeld 3, Samantha Morrison (Tauranga) Frangipanne de Toxandria 4, Olivia Robertson (Christchurch) Ngahiwi Cisco 5, Olivia Robertson (Christchurch) DH’s Ceniki 6.

East Coast Performance Horses Five Year Old Series: Vicki Wilson (Northland) LC Showtym Cassinii and Kirsten McLeod (Clevedon) Melanies Choice =1.

Mitavite Six Year Old Series: Leeshelle Small (Ramarama) AMS Ajaccio NZPH, Kate Hewlett (Kerikeri) Capatino GNZ and Cerys Tarr (Rotorua) Madam Coco =1.

Country TV Pony Grand Prix: Briar Burnett-Grant (Taupo) Fiber Fresh Mighty Maximus 1, Ally Carson (Putaruru) Tiger Tale LS 2, Olivia Dalton (Coatsville) Simply Samantha HH 3, Emma Watson (Morrinsville) Fun House 4, Bronte Sewell (Kumeu) SkyHi Even Better 5, Joshua Bremner (Hikurangi) Triple Star Curious George 6.

Let's Bale Pro Amateur Rider Series: Victoria Rattray (Mangatangi) Versace NZPH 1, Samantha Felton (Matangi) Ricker Ridge Rui 2, Lucia Voss (Kawerau) Roxy NZPH 3, Alexa Randall (Auckland) Chairman IV 4, Ella Varcoe (Karaka) Astek Incahoots 5, Amy Gravatt (Kamo) Casali 6.

ENDS

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