Leading showjumpers due at Taupo Spring Show

The Taupo Spring Show kicks off at the Fiber-Fresh National Equestrian Centre (NEC) today.

Featuring some of the country’s top showjumpers, the Carlene Reid Bayleys-sponsored show, formerly known as the Rotorua Spring Show, runs from today through to Sunday.

As well as the opportunity for horse and rider combinations to pick up valuable series points early in the season, the show hosts the first round of the FEI NZ Category A World Jumping Challenge.

The feature event, the FEI World Jumping Challenge, kicks off in ring one at 8.30am tomorrow.

The field of 32 features several competitive young riders, including Olivia Dalton, Ally Carson, Oliver Croucher, Brayden Aarts and Keean Cooper, who is coming off a win in the Horse Mini Prix at Woodhill Sands last weekend with LT Eloquence.

As well, several eventers will start the class, including CCI3* open national championship titleholders Amanda Pottinger and Just Kidding.

The FEI World Jumping Challenge will be held in both the North and South Islands and run over three events in each island.

In the North Island the first event is at Taupo this weekend, with event two at Equidays, Mystery Creek on October 12 and the final event to be held at the Auckland Area Show, Pukekohe on November 19.

Series classes featured this weekend are the East Coast Performance Horses 5-year-old, Mitavite Speedi Beet 6-year-old, ESNZ 7-year-old, Dunstan Horsefeeds & Equifibre Junior Rider, Hinterland Amateur Rider, Dunstan Horsefeeds & Equifibre Pro Amateur Rider, FMG Young Rider, Bayleys Equissage Horse Grand Prix and Country TV Pony Grand Prix.

The show will host about 460 horses and 260 riders, with 1200 entries all up.