Aussie Onslaught for Ride the Rhythm

Evie Buller - pictured with Yalambi's Landor at 2012 Equitana - will be just one of 14 Aussies competing at Ride the Rhythm (photo: Jo Johnson/Horsezone)

Dunedin’s Ride The Rhythm event will boast the strongest line-up of Australian show jumpers ever to compete in New Zealand before.

More than a dozen Australian high fliers have confirmed they’ll make the trip to New Zealand to compete on February 1 at the Forsyth Barr Stadium in either the $50,000 McMillan Feeds Super Grand Prix or the $70,000 GJ Gardner Homes Puissance – or both.

“The response from the Australians has been overwhelming. I have been blown away. It is undoubtedly the most impressive line-up ever to compete on New Zealand shores. I had hoped we might get four to five Australians, but to get 14 confirmed and more in the pipeline is unbelievable. It is going to change the face of show jumping in New Zealand,” says show organiser, EventPro’s Kevin Hansen.

“It will be a tough competition, and unlike anything we’ve witnessed here in New Zealand before, with the added attraction of it being held in the world’s only permanent grass indoor stadium. It will be great to see the top Australians and Kiwis in action, ensuring it’s a true trans-Tasman battle, and even better that we’ve managed to bring them to Dunedin,” adds Hansen.

The huge interest had meant the class would be split into two sections with all horses able to qualify for the all-important second round.

Recent FEI World Cup Australian League winner Alison Rowland, from Perth, Western Australia, leads the Aussie onslaught with her starry nine-year-old Brickley Brook Bella.

Rowland rides for Equestrian Australia High Performance Chairman Peter Cook, and together with fellow West Australian Rory Hovell, the pair are bringing a big team to New Zealand as their first stop of a world tour aiming to qualify for the Australian team for the 2014 World Equestrian Games in Normandy, France, and the 2016 Olympics in Rio De Janero. They will head to England directly from Auckland following the Horse of the Year show in March. Horvell’s top ride is the ultra-smart imported stallion, Yalambi’s Val D’Isere VDL.

Another making the long journey from WA is the ultra-talented young rider Evie Buller with Yalambi’s Landor. No stranger to New Zealand, Buller was a member of the winning Australian team that competed in the Mitavite Trans-Tasman team’s two-test series last year. She was the best performed Australian rider at the Horse of the Year Show last year (2012) finishing third in the Lady Rider of the Year, third in the Silver Fern Stakes and third in the Olympic Cup, and finished second in the FEI World Cup Australian League standings, just behind Rowland.

Joining Buller is Trans-Tasman 2012 teammate Jamie Winning (NSW) as well as Jamie Kermod (NSW), Paula Hamood (Queensland) and Queensland’s Billy Raymont, all familiar faces in New Zealand.

Completing the line-up are a number of riders making their first appearance in New Zealand including Mark Lindh (South Australia) Merrick Ubank (Queensland), Sam Williams (Victoria), Sarah Isbister (WA), Tyrone Latham (Queensland), Nicole Bruggemann (South Australia) and Sharon Slater (NWS). It is also possible that Australian London Olympian Matt Williams is also looking at competing.

Hansen said the quality of those coming from Australia was second to none but they would have their work cut out against an all-star Kiwi line-up which includes Olympians Katie McVean, Maurice Beatson and Samantha McIntosh, each with two horses apiece, as well as leading South Island hopes Cantabrians Ross Smith, Tegan Fitszimon, Kate Cavanagh and Susie Hayward as well as local stars Brittany Whelan and Claudia Hay, amongst others.

The equestrian action will complete a magical night of music and entertainment, which gets underway at the Forsyth Barr Stadium at 3.30pm. Following the McMillan Feeds Super Grand Prix, iconic UK band The Hollies will take to the stage as part of their 50^th Anniversary tour with two hours of unadulterated hits.

Tickets are available through www.ticketdirect.co.nzor directly from www.ridetherhythm.co.nz. Corporate hospitality packages are also available from Event Pro by phoning 06 8448714.