Blondes the Toast of the Gisborne (NZ) Spring Show

It was victory to the blondes in the horse and pony grand prix classes on the final day of the Poverty Bay A and P Show in Gisborne today (Saturday).

Lisa Coupe (Kumeu) took her third horse grand prix win of the early season aboard Bates Amaretto MVNZ in a hotly-fought class that saw all seven in the jump-off go double clear.

Little pocket rocket Briar Burnett-Grant (Taupo) and Kabo Silver were the stars of the pony grand prix in a cracking time that no-one really came close to.

As the weather bomb hit the rest of the country, Gisborne show-goers were hopeful the threatening clouds and whipping winds would stay away. Unfortunately, the skies waited until the premier class of the show before opening. The winds knocked jumps and whipped rain around the nation’s best horses and riders.

However, it was a quality 14 combinations that lined up in The Gisborne Herald horse grand prix over the Gerrit Beker-designed course.

Coupe and Beetle – as Amaretto is known at home – were first out and while they nudged a rail, everything stayed up and they came home in 41.04 seconds.

Samantha McIntosh (Cambridge) and her newly-imported mare Claire were next, stopping the clock at 49.62, followed by Mathew Gilmour (Matangi) and his imported mare Belize Di Cantero who jumped a lovely big round for 41.9 seconds.

Katie McVean (Mystery Creek) and Dunstan Springfield managed 45.71, followed by Maurice Beatson (Dannevirke) and My Gollywog who gave it their all for 43.65. Next was McVean again, but this time on Dunstan Delilah and as the sun tried to come out, they nudged the first to have it stay in its cups and were home in 41.73. Last to go was McIntosh and the imported Estina who managed 42.99 to round off a brilliant class.

Coupe said Beker’s course had been a pleasure to ride, although technical and no walk in the park.

“It wasn’t really the plan to go out and motorbike it out there,” said the 27-year-old. “I was meant to be just preparing him for next week’s world cup start!”

And she had plenty of praise for her fellow competitors.

“When you look at a start list like that, you have to be happy just to get a ticket. It’s a top end field and really nice to jump against a lot of quality like that.”

Young Burnett-Grant, decked out in her little electric blue jacket, was a popular winner of the pony grand prix, notching her first ever two star grand prix win.

The 12-year-old said she took to heart the advice from her coach Olympian Daniel Meech, who told her to take every turn possible to get the best time.

As it was, she came home clear in 29.84 seconds, with the second-placed Emily Fraser (Takapau) and the beautifully-named Tony the Pony second with their clear round in 33.66 seconds.

Earlier in the show Luke Dee (Ocean Beach) and Ombudsman celebrated an early birthday present with a win in the young rider class, with Melanie Weal (Te Awamutu) and Cross Your Heart continuing their good form with a win in the KiwiSpan junior rider.

Today’s classes wound out three fantastic days of jumping.

 

Results:

Horse grand prix (two star): Lisa Coupe (Kumeu) Bates Amaretto MVNZ 1, Katie McVean (Mystery Creek) Dunstan Delilah 2, Mathew Gilmour (Matangi) Belize Di Cantero 3, Samantha McIntosh (Cambridge) Estina 4, Maurice Beatson (Dannevirke) My Gollywog 5, Katie McVean (Mystery Creek) Dunstan Springfield 6.

Pony grand prix: Briar Burnett-Grant (Taupo) Kabo Silver 1, Emily Fraser (Takapau) Tony the Pony 2, Will Moffett (Napier) Tane Mahuta 3, Rebecca Porter (Hastings) Chobidong 4, Nakeysha Lammers (Hikurangi) Airbourne Magic 5, Nakeysha Lammers (Hikurangi) Meersbrooke Wildcard 6.

Caledonian Amateur Rider Series: Merran Hain (Gisborne) Untouchable 1, Lisa Walker (Gisborne) Miss Serendipity 2, Robbie McKay (Opotiki) Three Oh Eight 3, Sofie Dever (Wairoa) Two Face 4, Chris Peterson (Whakatane) Brodick 5, Stacey Rust (Whakatane) Mangatu Magic 6.

STH Pro Amateur Rider Series: Kirsten McLeod (Gisborne) Vertigo II 1, Lucia Voss (Kawerau) Get Over It 2, Karen Riddle (Cambridge) HR Forever 3, Erin Clark (Opotiki) Reflector 4, Chris Peterson (Whakatane) Black Hawke 5.

Young Rider Series: Luke Dee (Ocean Beach) Ombudsman 1, Lily Tootill (Papakura) Ngahiwi Cruise 2, Natasha Brooks (Cambridge) Hairy McClairy 3, Rebekah Van Tiel (Pukekohe) Adeaze 4, Jake Lambert (Cambridge) Quality NZPH 5, Joshua Barker (Morrinsville) Highlander II 6.

KiwiSpan Junior Rider Series: Melanie Weal (Te Awamutu) Cross Your Heart 1, Emily Fraser (Takapau) Kiwi Relic 2, Lily Tootill (Papakura) Phoebe Nimmerdor 3, Nakeysha Lammers (Hikurangi) Cloud Nine 4, Freya Gordon (Havelock North) Kaipara Beedle 5, Caroline Kennedy (Cambridge) Classic Arrow 6.

Fernhill Stud New Zealand Five Year Old Series: Luke Dee (Ocean Beach) Utah Jazz NZPH, Luke Dee (Ocean Beach) Urban Blue NZPH, Melissa Marriner (Karaka) Cavallo =1.

Mitavite New Zealand Six Year Old Series: Samantha McIntosh (Cambridge) NZ Pow, Samantha McIntosh (Cambridge) NZ Powerful =1.

New Zealand Seven Year Old Series: Katie McVean (Mystery Creek) Dunstan Banderas C 1, Tom Tarver (Kawerau) Supernova NZPH 2, Catherine Cameron (Cambridge) LC Bergia 3, Natasha Brooks (Cambridge) Kapattack 4, Jake Lambert (Cambridge) Kiwi Express 5, Jake Lambert (Cambridge) Eros K 6

Story: Diana Dobson/ESNZ