Thousands Enjoy Inaugural Rwts in Hamilton   13 Feb 2016

RWTS

Thousands Enjoy Inaugural RWTS in Hamilton

Rio dressage hopeful John Thompson danced his way to victory at the inaugural Riding with the Stars in Hamilton tonight while honours in the showjumping went to the Australians . . . riding New Zealand bred horses.

The two fields, vying for a slice of the $16,000 prize purse, included top combinations from both sides of the Tasman, with all riders keen to come back for more to an event that looks set to change equestrian entertainment for the future.

Twelve combinations started the two round grand prix over a tight Gerrit Beker-designed course. The only clears in the first round came from James Arkins (AUS) aboard the New Zealand bred Rosthewiate Vigilante II, crowd favourite Amanda Wilson (Hikurangi) aboard Showtym Cassanova and Clem Smith (AUS) on his Kiwi bred horse Delilah.

The second round against the clock saw just Vicki Wilson (Hikurangi) and Ngahiwi Showtym Premier leave all the rails up but she collected a single time fault for her care.

Running in reverse order, it came down to Smith – riding a horse bred by Katie Laurie – to go clear to take the win but it wasn’t to be as the first of the double came crashing down.

However, he had nothing but praise for the event.

Arkins, whose horse is by New Zealand stallion Voltaire II and bred by Cherie Robinson, said he worried his second round rail had cost him the win.

“I thought Clem or Vicki would catch me,” he said. “It’s a real pleasure to come here and win. It was a really lovely track out there, and flowed well. The second round being a lot bigger suited my horse as he’s very scopey.”

The 24-year-old is in New Zealand for a month and will compete at the Farmlands Horse of the Year Show, before heading to France to try and make the Australian team for the Rio Olympics.

The dressage freestyle to music featured everything from classical to rock with a little bit of 1980s thrown in for good measure.

Hometown hero John Thompson (Hamilton) and JHT Antonello wowed the crowd with their exuberance and were rewarded for their efforts with 71.87%.

Much weighed on the shoulders of Brett Parbery (AUS) and his young horse PPH Zeppelin but a few costly mistakes saw them finish second with 68.8%.

For Thompson, it was a particularly sweet victory – just 10 weeks ago he nearly lost the horse to colic, but last weekend won the New Zealand National Dressage crown and are just two marks away from getting their necessary qualifying scores to make them available for selection for Rio.

“This is what our sport is all about,” said Thompson.

Parbery and Rozzie Ryan (AUS) both said how thrilled they were to part of the inaugural event.
“This is the future of equestrian,” said Parbery.

During the show it was also announced Equitana would be coming to New Zealand – the international equestrian event will be held November 16-19, 2017 in Auckland.

RWTS event director Andrew Hansen said to bring such a calibre of event back to the centre of Auckland was “critical for the development of the sport in New Zealand and Australia”.

“We are very excited to be expanding the Equitana brand that is so strong throughout Australia and the rest of the world,” said Hansen, who is also Equitana Auckland general manager.

“Tonight has been a revelation in equestrian entertainment – the support from the equestrian community, riders, grooms and the heart of the sport has been second to none.”

Equitana is a wrap of entertainment, education, competition and shopping, and will run over four days at the ASB Showgrounds.

Results –
Showjumping: James Arkins (AUS) Rosthwaite Vigilante II 1, Clem Smith (AUS) Delilah 2, Vicki Wilson (Hikurangi) Ngahiwi Showtym Premier 3, Helen McNaught-McFarlane (Taupo) Carnutelabryere 4, Vicki Roycroft (AUS) Congo Z 5, Amanda Wilson (Hikurangi) Showtym Cassanova.
Dressage – freestyle to music: John Thompson (Hamilton) JHT Antonello 1, Brett Parbery (AUS) PPH Zeppelin 2, Abbie Deken (New Plymouth) KH Ambrose 3, Anya Noble (Hamilton) Airthrey Highlander 4, Jody Hartstone (Raglan) Ali Baba 5, Rozzie Ryan (AUS) Jarrah R 6.

ENDS

Add a comment

News

Hilary Timmins' Award-Winning UK Documentary Series To Inspire NZ Students

29 Jun 2020 Education
Dream Catchers, produced and directed by Hilary Timmins, celebrates the success stories of more than thirty inspirational New... more

New Zealand reaffirms support for Flight MH17 judicial process

7 Mar 2020 News By Rt HON WINSTON PETERS
Ahead of the start of the criminal trial in the Netherlands on 9 March, Foreign Minister Winston Peters has reaffirmed the need to... more

Business

NZ Government's Economic package to fight COVID-19

17 Mar 2020 Business News By RT HON JACINDA ARDERN
The Coalition Government has launched the most significant peace-time economic plan in modern New Zealand history to cushion the... more

NZ Government announces aviation relief package

19 Mar 2020 Business News By Hon Phil Twyford
Transport Minister Phil Twyford today outlined the first tranche of the $600 million aviation sector relief package announced earlier... more

Living

Diversity was Key at New Zealand Trade Tasting in London

6 Jun 2022 Food & Wine
New Zealand Winegrowers Annual Trade Tasting was recently held in London, on Wednesday 4 May, in Lindley Hall. It was the first... more

Kiwi author stuns Behind the Butterfly Gate

12 Jan 2022 Arts By Charlotte Everett
Hidden behind the Butterfly Gate is where the secret has been kept for 76 years...  New Zealand writer Merryn Corcoran’s... more

Property

Fairer rules for tenants and landlords

17 Nov 2019 Property By Minister Kris Faafoi
17 NOVEMBER 2019 The Government has delivered on its promise to the over one million New Zealanders who now rent to make it fairer... more

New Zealand Government will not implement a Capital Gains Tax

17 Apr 2019 Property By RT HON JACINDA ARDERN
The Coalition Government will not proceed with the Tax Working Group’s recommendation for a capital gains tax, Jacinda Ardern... more

Migration

Boosting border security with electronic travel authority – now over 500,000 issued

19 Nov 2019 Migration By Hon Iain Lees-Galloway
19 NOVEMBER 2019 We’ve improved border security with the NZeTA, New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority, which helps us to... more

Christchurch reinstated as refugee settlement location

18 Aug 2018 Migration
18 AUGUST 2018 HON IAIN LEES-GALLOWAY The announcement that Christchurch can once again be a settlement location for refugees... more

Travel

Gallipoli Anzac Day services cancelled

19 Mar 2020 Travel & Tourism By RT HON JACINDA ARDERN
The New Zealand and Australian Governments have announced this year’s joint Anzac Day services at Gallipoli will be cancelled... more

New Zealanders advised not to travel overseas

19 Mar 2020 Travel & Tourism
New Zealanders advised not to travel overseas more

Sport

The Skipper's Diary: Sir Richard Hadlee honouring his father and NZ's Forty-Niners

27 Oct 2019 Cricket By Charlotte Everett
NZNewsUK London Editor Charlotte Everett spoke to Sir Richard Hadlee about why he’s chosen to publish his father’s... more

PREVIEW: All Blacks v England semi-final

26 Oct 2019 Rugby
The two most convincing quarterfinals winners are set to square off in a semifinal showdown for the ages when the All Blacks meet old... more

Columns

Gordon Campbell on the Gareth Morgan crusade

11 Nov 2016 Opinion
Gordon Campbell on the Gareth Morgan crusade First published on Werewolf The ghastly likes of Marine Le Pen in France and Geert ... more

Gordon Campbell on the US election outcome

10 Nov 2016 Opinion
Column - Gordon Campbell   Gordon Campbell on the US election outcome Well um.. on the bright side, there (probably)... more

Kiwi Success

Congratulations to Loder Cup winner

26 Sep 2018 People By Hon Eugenie Sage
25 SEPTEMBER 2018 The Loder Cup, one of New Zealand’s oldest conservation awards, has been awarded to Robert McGowan for 2018... more

Appointments to New Zealand National Commission for UNESCO

16 Aug 2018 Appointments
16 AUGUST 2018Appointments to New Zealand National Commission for UNESCO HON JENNY SALESA Associate Education Minister Jenny Salesa is... more

Recruitment

Historic pay equity settlement for education support workers

14 Aug 2018 Recruitment By RT HON JACINDA ARDERN
14 AUGUST 2018Historic pay equity settlement for education support workers RT HON JACINDA ARDERN HON CHRIS HIPKINS Prime Minister The... more

Historic pay equity settlement for education support workers

22 Aug 2018 Recruitment By RT HON JACINDA ARDERN
14 AUGUST 2018Historic pay equity settlement for education support workers RT HON JACINDA ARDERN HON CHRIS HIPKINS Prime Minister The... more