Three times a lady for Mcvean
A BIG rattle at the last fence didn’t stop Katie Mcvean winning her third Lady Rider of the Year title at the 2012 New Zealand Horse of the Year Show in Hastings yesterday.
The 25-year-old Olympian had two horses through to the seven-strong jump-off. A classy 43 combinations rode the first round but few managed to go inside a tight time over the course designed by Leopoldo Palacios (Venezuela).
Clear rounds were scant, so those through to the jump-off deserved the honour.
Mcvean and her imported chestnut mare, Zimorena, were first out and simply flew around. A big gallop into the last was beautifully judged and although the fence took a bit of a whack, it stayed in place, with the combination stopping the clock at a speedy 42.54.
Next out was Rosie Commons (Auckland) and her pretty grey, Glenara Chandon, who shifted up a gear midway through the course and came home in 43.84.
Australian visitor Evie Buller and Yalambi’s Landor were also clear in a steady 45.25 round, with Claire Wilson (Waipukurau) and Tipsey throwing everything at it to finish on four faults in 42.66.
Carissa Mcgregor (Christchurch) and Chatterton had some big air over most of the jumps but came unstuck at a chequered upright, leaving them with four faults in 47.44.
Kim Best (Otane) and Giggles looked on track for a good time until
Katie Mcvean on her way to winning her third Lady Rider title on Zimorena in Hastings yesterday. Her next big test is the Olympic Cup on Sunday. that same chequered fence, which put them off stride for the next jump leaving them on eight faults in 47.86.
Last to go was Mcvean and the lovely grey, Dunstan Zasjany D, who left everything up in 47.08 to claim fourth spot.
‘‘I thought if I tried to go flat out, I would do something stupid,’’ said Mcvean, who previously won the title in 2007 with Dunstan Hairy Mcclairy and 2010 with Dunstan Daffodil.
Both Zasjany and Zimorena are coowned by Mcvean with Theo Griffin and Henk Smit, and were imported from Holland.
Zimorena was a late starter in the world of showjumping, having been broken in as a 5-year-old on her arrival in New Zealand. ‘‘She’s good if I can keep her rolling on, but she is green at this level,’’ Mcvean said.
She said she had expected the Palacios course to be tight on time.
‘‘I have ridden his courses here and at Spruce Meadows [in Canada] so am used to them. He makes us turn tighter, which is good for us to be challenged like that.’’
Mcvean said her heart stopped when the last fence rattled and she had turned to check it had stayed in place.
‘‘I love riding her,’’ she says of Zimorena. ‘‘She’s a really funny redhead.’’
Mcvean’s eight-year-olds have now finished their main events, leaving the rest to Daffodil, who will start in the $50,000 Silver Fern Stakes and the $200,000 Olympic Cup. ‘‘It’s all up to her now.’’
The Horse of the Year Show finishes on Sunday when the Olympic Cup will be presented to the showjumper of the year. Australia and New Zealand go head to head tonight in the second of a two-test Trans Tasman Series.