You really could not have asked for a better day for cross country at Puhinui International Horse Trials with sun for the spectators and a sea breeze cooling the horses and riders as they galloped around the edge of Manukau Harbour
The overnight leaders in the Veterinary Associates CCI1*and DEVI Heating Systems CCI1* Junior Rider classes both held onto their top positions with Emily Cammock on Impeccable adding just 0.8 penalties to her dressage score to lead the CCI1* and Kate Herdson on Eon staying on her dressage score
Emily Cammock and Impeccable
For Emily the additional 0.8 penalties mean that she has nothing in hand over second placed Aleisha Collett on the 10 year old mare Mi Focus (47.7) but Kate has a little more breathing space in the Junior class
Caroline Howell moved into second position in the CCI1* Junior, also with a double clear cross country round on board Telestory but their score of 58.1 gives Kate 12.8 penalties in hand for tomorrow’s show jumping. Kate is hoping they won’t need them as Eon has been jumping well in the lead up to this event but it’s always a nice position to be in
Kate Herdson
Kate Herdson and Eon
Kate had been held for a while due to the fall of Cherie Jacques from Black Gem, who had been in second place. Black Gem was unhurt in the fall but Cherie was taken to hospital and is reported to be being made comfortable while further assessment is made
While the 1* leaders stayed on top, there was more movement in the iSpy Horses CCI2*as the overnight leader Madison Crowe and second placed Nick Brooks both picked up 20 penalties in the Honda Dream Arena.
Nick’s horse For Fame tripped up coming out of the water and just couldn’t make the distance to the house at Fence 18 while Madison’s Waitangi Pinterest had a problem at the first element of the water complex, grinding to a halt at Fence 16
Clarke Johnstone and Wolf Whistle II
However the combination placed third after the dressage, Clarke Johnstone and Wolf Whistle II, had a smooth ride around the course, coming home with the only double clear round of the class and finishing on top with their dressage score of 47.8.
Angela Lloyd and Lyrical (above) added just 2.8 time penalties to be in second place on 51.5 so it will be another very close finish in the 2* tomorrow
It is also very tight at the top in the Honda NZ CCI2* Young Rider class with Sophie Alexander coming home thrilled with her ride on World Famous. However they added 2.4 time penalties while Jackson Bovill and Beth Wilson both produced double clear rounds so Sophie now leads on 50.1, just 0.2 penalties ahead of Jackson and Beth
Sophie Alexander and World Famous
“I didn’t have a rail in hand before the show jumping so not much has changed there” says Sophie “But I certainly wasn’t going to let Jackson get in front of me!”
