Bay rider shares Cup title victory
Hawke’s Bay’s Brooke Edgecombe and South Islander Tegan Fitzsimon were the toast of New Zealand’s showjumping fraternity at the weekend as winners at the FEI World Cup (NZ league) final in Auckland. West Melton’s Fitzsimon and Windermere Cappuccino placed second in the final but their form over their four starts in the league saw them win the series overall. Waipukurau’s Edgecombe and LT Holst Andrea picked the right time for their first World Cup win this season, taking out the grand final with the only double clear of the class at the Continental Cars Audi World Cup Festival. Fourteen started the final with the nine combinations on eight faults or less from the opening round coming back for the second. Clears in the first came from New Plymouth’s Nakeysha Lammers aboard Resolution, the bay warmblood gelding bred by her mother Diana, and Edgecombe aboard her mare LT Holst Andrea. Clears in the second round came from Fitzsimon, Rio Olympian Clarke Johnstone of Matangi aboard Quainton Labyrinth and Melody Matheson of Hastings on Graffiti MH. Missing out on coming back for the second round was Taupo¯ teen Briar Burnett-Grant who was the series leader coming into the final. She was hugely proud of her feisty roan gelding Fiber Fresh Veroana who still managed to finish third in the series behind Fitzsimon and Edgecombe. Fitzsimon couldn’t have been happier with her 8-year-old gelding. In their first World Cup season they had just a single rail down over eight rounds. Fitzsimon took full responsibility for the rail. “After that fence I was like ‘that’s it’ so the (series) win is a wee bit unexpected,” she said. “We just put everything on the line and it played out in my favour. The horse really deserves the win . . . I am just so happy.” The long trip and the heat had been taxing on the horse who travelled from the South Island for the final two rounds of the series. “He’s just been absolutely outstanding. I am so thankful to the Parkes Family (breeders and owners of the horse) for giving me the ride.” The series win means she has the opportunity to represent New Zealand at the world final in Sweden in April, but Fitzsimon said that is not on her agenda, with a trip to Australia far more likely. She is the second consecutive South Islander to win the series crown. Edgecombe too was ecstatic and thankful for the grounded words of advice from husband Oliver, a previous winner of the series. And cuddles with Sophie, their 17-month-old daughter had also helped keep things on an even keel.