Showjumping Championships held at Foxton
The WellingtonHorowhenua Showjumping and Showhunter Championships, held on November 24 and 25 at the Foxton Racecourse, attracted riders from around the country, including riders and horses who have represented New Zealand.
One of those competing with several horses was Hamilton equestrian Clarke Johnstone. He won Horse 1.35m Championship on Dolly Blue (36.30), came third in Horse 1.40m and fourth in the Equissage/Vets on Riverbank Horse Grand Prix held on Sunday afternoon..
At the Rio Olympics Johnston was part of the New Zealand eventing team, which came fourth, while he bagged sixth place in the individual event.
Johnston said he does both eventing and showjumping and had put together a great team for showjumping. Winning horse Dolly Blue was a young horse with a great future, he said. Johnston also rode three horses in the Grand Prix.
He said he has great expectations for the future when it comes to show jumping, something he plans to do more. He’s spend the last 10 years riding in the Waikato, the horse capital of New Zealand, and said he had won his fair share of championships over the years.
“Getting into the Olympic team is tough and so are the Olympics themselves. I am hoping to make the team for Tokyo 2020.”
The Wellington Horowhenua Championship fitted into his calendar this year, and since his partner lives in Wellington there was an added incentive to come down to Foxton, which had a great surface to ride on .
Wellington rider Ike Baker won a bronze medal recently with a team of under-19 riders who went to Thailand, and he’s been coming to his local competition for five or six years now. His mother is on the organising committee and is a horse breeder. Baker rides a lot of different horses, which is an advantage for the Thailand event.
He said he preferred consistent performance over the odd win and then no spot on the podium for a while.
He was invited to join the team for Thailand, by the selectors who had picked 35 participants out of 150 hopefuls.
“That competition is so different because you need to be able to ride any horse. We did not bring our own horses, the ones we are used, to with us. You need to be able to cope with a borrowed horse.”
It was no easy fit, as temperatures were high (40 degrees) and riders were still required to wear the usual riding gear. Even a few minutes out in the heat and dressed to the hilt, put a strain on the riders, he said. It was his first time competing in Thailand.
Baker made fifth in the Horse 1.35m Championship at Foxton on Sunday.
Results:
Equissage/Vets on Riverbank Horse Grand Prix: Tegan Fitzsimon (West Melton) Windermere Cappuccino 1. Maurice Beatson (Dannevirke) Mandalay Cove 2. Tegan Fitzsimon (West Melton) Double J Monarch 3. Simon Wilson (Waipukurau) McMillans Ariados 4. Clarke Johnstone (Hamilton) Deo Volente 5. Blake Davis (Palmerston North) Giggles 6.
Country TV/Versatile Pony Grand Prix: Katie Bridgeman (Auckland) Tallyho Scoundrel 1. Samantha Carrington (Takapau) Colours of Lansing 2. Lucy Buchanan (Hastings) Redcliffs Colour Me Quick 3. Chantelle Smith (Palmerston North) My Hummingbird 4. Kaitlyn Freeman (Otaki) ¯ Rum Tum Tui 5. Luke Myers (Turakina) Te Urewera Magic 6. FMG/Versatile Young Rider: Oliver Croucher (Rotorua) Waitangi Wifi 1. Blake Davis (Palmerston North) Giggles 2. Oliver Croucher (Rotorua) Waitangi Surf 3. Nicholas O’Leary (Palmerston North) Obeone Kanobe 4. Sophie Scott (Wellington) Lakota 5. Sophie Scott (Wellington) Glenbrooke Centarose 6. Dunstan Horsefeeds and EquiFibre/ Xtreme Sport Horses Junior Rider Series:Samantha Carrington (Waipukurau) Double J Breeze On
1. Katie Bridgeman (Auckland) Centino 2. Sophie Scott (Wellington) Glenbrooke Rich as Roses 3. Ike Baker (Wellington) Vidal NZPH 5. Kimberly Carrington (Takapau) Doube J Barmaid 5. Dylan Bibby (Waipukurau) Wenrose Vertigo 6. Junior Rider Equitation: Sophie Scott 1. Ike Baker 2. Claudia Parker
3. Ella Baigent-Brown 4. Grace Greig 5. Samantha Carrington 6. Dunstan Horsefeeds and EquiFibre/ Century Distributors Pro Amateur Rider Series: Emily Fraser (Palmerston North) Kiwi Sunray 1. Harvey Nelson (Havelock North) Ngahiwi Loone 2.
Tracy Mason (Napier) WP Stella 3. Melanie Cooper (Stratford) Zarlo 4. Sally Clark (Dannevirke) Victorias Secret 5. Laura Knight (Palmerston North) Aria 6. Hinterland/Gee Gee’s Equestrian Wear Amateur Rider: Kayleigh Kent (Hastings) Double J Spongebob Square Pants 1. Marcus Rose (Dannevirke) Kaipara Hold Up 2. Jess Giles (Wellington) Dining at Dusk 3. Graeme Isaacson (Dannevirke) Pokere 4. Taryn Beattie (Nelson) Crusader Xtreme 5. Cindy Dames (Hastings) Chimney Creek 6.
Main-Events University Series: Emily Fraser 1. Brigette Smith 2. Caitlin Bulls 3. Jamie Walters 4. Lucy Rowe 5.
ESNZ 7 Year Old: Harvey Nelson (Havelock North) Ngahiwi Loone 1, Jesse Linton (Hastings) Vitess 2, Maurice Beatson (Dannevirke) Central Park 3, Amanda Illston (Masterton) Iguazu 4, Nicholas O’Leary (Palmerston North) Centiare 5, Sophie Scott (Wellington) Glenbrooke Centarose 6.
Miavite Speedi-Beet 6 Year Old: Georgia Percy (Wairarapa) Double J Image, Kim Best (Hastings) LT Holst Teachers Pet, Maurice Beatson (Dannevirke) Clearview, Jesse Linton (Hastings) Dangermouse NZPH, Tegan Fitzsimon (West Melton) Campari Jesse Linton (Hastings) LT Holst Elsbeth 1= East Coast Performance Horses 5 Year Old: Lucy Olphert (Tauranga) Atlanta WWPH 1st.
Horse 1.35m Championship: Clarke Johnstone (Hamilton) Dolly Blue 1. Jesse Linton (Hastings) Vitess 2. Julie Davey (Hastings) Ngahiwi Stone 3. Claire Wilson (Waipukurau) McMillan’s Chuck 4.
Horse 1.40m: Tegan Fitzsimon (West Melton) Windermere Cappuccino 1, Maurice Beatson (Dannevirke) Gold Locks 2, Timothy Myers (Ha¯ wera) Surreal 3, Clarke Johnstone (Hamilton) Watermill Glenneagle 4.