N.Z. JUMPING TEAM

Press, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 27037, 12 May 1953, Page 2

N.Z. JUMPING TEAM

PERFORMANCE AT SYDNEY SHOW

If the New Zealand jumping team which competed at the Sydney Royal Show last month had met bigger fences in the show ring the horses would have jumped just as well, said Mr Duncan Holden, of Onga Onga, Hawke’s Bay. who travelled with the team as organising secretaiy of the New Zealand Horse Society. Mr Holden was speaking at a meeting of the North Canterbury branch of the society last evening. Jumps at the show were lower than expected, sometimes as small as 3ft Bin. These the New Zealand horses jumped carelessly, as they had been trained by Mr K. Bolgar before leaving the Dominion to jump obstacles up to sft 3in in height. Mr Holden said. Mr Bolgar, who did magnificent work in preparing the horses selected for the team, conducted two gruelling training schools, each of one week, in which he gave them two hours’ solid jumping a day. preceded by a short period of dressage, or obedience training. By the time the horses went on board ship for Australia they were so tired that they settled down well to the journey. They arrived in a hard condition. fit and well-seasoned, he added. “Horses and riders had prepared for the job thoroughly; that is why they met with the success they did,” Mr Holden said. “It was a pity that the owner-riders of the two South Island hordes chosen to compete at the trials were not able to spare the time to take part with the other selected horses. But there will always be someone with a good horse who cannot give the time to prepare his horse for an event.”

In the New Zealand jumping team, Rum (ridden by Miss H. Swarbrick) won two firsts in team contests, four seconds and three thirds, with an average of 2.8 faults in 13 rounds. Mr Holden said. Other performances were: Hopalong (Mr A. White), three firsts and one third in eight rounds, average 3.5 faults'; Starlight (Mr P. Holden), one first, two seconds, one third, and two fifths in seven rounds with an average of 4.4 faults: Optimist (Mr H. Thompson), four first (two team and two individual wins), one second and one third and one fourth in 11 rounds, with an of 4.5 faults: Swallow (Mrs J. R. McKenzie), one first and one third in rounds with an average of 71 faults.

“Though we were pleased with the record of the New Zealand riders and horses we cannot afford to be complacent,” said Mr Holden.