The 2015 Junior Rider Champion Lucy Turner is stepping up to Young Riders at Puhinui this year
An Eventful Life is filming all competitors on the cross country at Puhinui – click here to find out more
Both the Young and Junior Rider National Three-day Event titles are contested at Puhinui, with valuable points on offer for the Mitavite Young Rider and PGG Wrightson Junior Rider series. Some Junior Riders (under 18) opt to contest the Young Rider (under 21) title as it is run at 2* level, whereas the Junior Rider is run at 1* level.
One of these is South Islander Lucy Turner, who has Carbon, on whom she won the Junior Rider title last year, stepping up to the Young Rider class this year, as well as Mercedes in the Junior Rider class. Fellow mainlander Maria van Kuijk on Antara Whiskey Mac is another Junior to step up to the Young Rider class.
Sarah Young will defend her Young Rider title riding Leo Degas, but former Oceania team mate Abigail Long will challenge her with Enzo, the former 3* ride of Annabel Wigley. The Honda Young Rider class has a small but quality field of six starters, as some Young Riders have elected to test themselves at 3* level, including Bovill and Faulkner. The points they earn in the classes they contest all count in their series tally.
Greer Caddigan and Gymnastik Showdown, who won the Junior Rider series last year, must be favoured to take the DEVI Heating Junior title at Puhinui this year, although it is a strong field of nineteen starters. South Islander Mikayla Green on Star’s Ransom, currently lying second in the series, will be hoping to close the big gap on the leader, Isaac Twigg on The Juggler, who has a family wedding to attend.
MITAVITE YOUNG RIDER SERIES (current standings): Greer Caddigan, Gymnastik Showdown, 78 pts; Sarah Young, Equador MW, 74 pts; Elise Power, Arctic Cielo, 63 pts; Sarah Young, Leo Degas, 62 pts; Jackson Bovill, Visionnaire, 60 pts.
PGG WRIGHTSON JUNIOR RIDER SERIES (current standings): Isaac Twigg, The Juggler, 104 pts; Mikayla Green, Star’s Ransom, 72 pts; Lily Patterson, Milika, 71 pts; Kate Herdson, Eon, 68 pts; Samuel Amon, Trojan Warrior, 67 pts; Lucy Turner, Carbon, 65 pts; Maria van Kuijk, Antara Whiskey Mac, 65 pts.
Article by Virginia Caro
