Hard to Go Past The Ladies for WC Series Final   7 Jan 2015

Hard to Go Past The Ladies for WC Series Final

The Ultra•Mox FEI World Cup New Zealand series final is gearing up to be a battle royale between two of the nation’s top riders.

Katie Laurie (Mystery Creek) and Helen McNaught-McFarlane (Taupo) are two of a nine strong field to line up at Sunday’s Imake Showjumping World Cup Final Show being held at the Woodhill Sands Equestrian Centre in Auckland.

Laurie, a three-times series winner, is New Zealand’s best performed World Cup finalist, finishing sixth equal in 2011 aboard Dunstan Delphi. The 28-year-old, who had her first child in July, is already planning to take at least two horses to North America for the New Zealand winter, so is doubly keen to win the series and the right to ride at the world final later this year.

The winner of the series has the opportunity to represent New Zealand at theLongines FEI World Cup Jumping Final Las Vegas, being held April.15-19.

On Sunday she will start the very consistent Dunstan Kiwi Iron Mark (owned by June Berrington), who has been in the first two in every World Cup start this season.

“I have taken him really lightly though,” she says of the 10-year-old. “He has a big winter coming up so I didn’t want him to be tired from our New Zealand season.”

She will also start nine-year-old Dunstan Breeze on Sunday, a horse she rates for the future.

“It’s going to be a really exciting final,” she says. “I plan to go out and ride the course, and not worry about the points at all.”

Laurie has won two of the five rounds, with McNaught-McFarlane, Vicki Wilson (Hikurangi) and Bridget Hansen (Ocean Beach) taking one apiece.

Laurie spearheads the leaderboard, with 74 points, McNaught-McFarlane is on 67, Maurice Beatson (Dannevirke) 57 and Jesse Linton (Hastings) 40. With points-and-a-half up for grabs in the series final, there is plenty of opportunity for a reshuffle of the board.

McNaught-McFarlane is rapt to be duelling with Laurie for the final, but it’s all a bit of a surprise. She never intended to campaign her quirky grey Carnutelabryere – Brian for short.

“This is his growing year,” she says of the nine-year-old.

But he was jumping so well, that they decided to start him in the World Cup opener back in October – since then he has bagged three thirds, a second and a win.

He jumped his biggest track ever at the North Island Championships at the weekend when he won the World Cup qualifier.

“He’s just a big baby with a huge heart. Everything he does it to please you, and you can’t go wrong with a horse like that,” says McNaught-McFarlane. “He is the kindest horse to ever look through a bridle.”

If she did win the New Zealand series, McNaught-McFarlane says she wouldn’t take up the offer of competing at the final.

“It’s just too soon for Brian – he just isn’t ready for it.”

She and husband Duncan McFarlane, who has ridden at top level for New Zealand, moved back from the United States in June, and are loving their new home.

Also lining up in the final is Vicki Wilson (Hikurangi) aboard Ngahiwi Showtym Premier and Showtym Cadet MVNZ, her younger sister Amanda on Showtym Cassanova, Linton on Strathcarron Zaurak, Hansen on Shakespear NZPH and Paula Mussen (Auckland) on KK Tane Mahuta.

Missing from Sunday’s final is Maurice Beatson (Dannevirke), a former series winner who currently sits in third place on the leaderboard.

The final will be created by FEI level 3 course designer Gerrit Beker (Tauranga) – one of five of New Zealand’s highest ranked designers.

While he keeps track of other World Cup courses around the globe, most of those are held indoors in very tight arenas. New Zealand is quite different in running most of its World Cups outdoors, including Sunday’s final.

He’s promising nothing smaller than 1.4m jumps, with a number of 1.6m uprights and oxers likely to be 1.5m with 1.7m spread.

“There is a bit of excitement there with a field that can change,” said Beker, who has been designing grand prix courses since 1999.

The two day show has attracted record entries, with more than 550 combinations competing across all levels in both showjumping and show hunter in six arenas.

Live streaming is available through http://www.equestrianlive.co.nz/woodhillsandsonce the show gets underway. For more information on the show, head towww.sjwaitemata.co.nz ..

Ultra•Mox FEI World Cup (NZ series) after five rounds (best four to count): Katie Laurie (Mystery Creek) 74 points, Helen McNaught-McFarlane (Taupo) 67, Maurice Beatson (Dannevirke) 57, Jesse Linton (Hastings) 40, Vicki Wilson (Hikurangi) 33, Bridget Hansen (Ocean Beach) 32, Lucy Akers (Opiki) 25, Lydia Quay (Taranaki) 24, Bernard Denton (Feilding) and Sally Steiner (Tauranga) 20.

ends

NOTES TO EDITORS

The Ultra•Mox FEI World Cup (NZ series) is being hosted by Waitemata Showjumping. The final is a two-round class, and scheduled to go at 12.45pm on Sunday. Please contact me should you like to send anyone along to cover the event.

This is the most prestigious series held in New Zealand.

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