Horse-of-year award

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32525, 8 February 1971, Page 14

Horse-of-year award

Working well for the two judges, Condor won the “champion hack of the year” award when the first of the New Zealand Horse Society South Island circuit shows was held at the Rangiora Showgrounds during the week-end. Second place went to Te Huia with Yeti third. Condor also performed well in other contests of the two-day event. On Saturday morning Condor, with L Bell in the saddle, won the combined competition and shared first place with Miss Helen Kendall on Hawkins in the elementary dress age Yesterday Condor was run-ner-up to Yeti tn the paced and mannered hack competition. The organisers were fortunate to have Mr D. Graham, of Gis borne, a chief course planner, to advise and build some of the courses for the show.

There were 40 entries on Saturday in the improver class and Commando, jumping well throughout, had a deserving win. The Equizole points sash was first worn by Ruth McCall, of Gore, after her win in the Hit and Hurry but later in the day this was worn by B. Anderson, also of Gore, with 11 points. He was followed by Malcolm McCall, of Gore, with 10. and then Mrs A. Chaffey and Mrs A. McCully on Kisema and Gamble, two C grade horses, with eight. In the Beath Cup, Malcolm McCall, on Pegasus, who was in top form, had the only clear round, with Avapeak, Cardiff Lass and Okitu having four faults. These four horses are all on the short list for the team to go north next month. The Puissance once again provided exciting jumping with Cardiff Lass showing her cleverness at getting out of trouble and winning on the fourth round with the wall at sft 7in and the triple at sft 6in. Another team possibility, Kisema, won the C grade hit and hurry with a score of 42 in 60.3 sec.

The highlight of the day was the next event, the bareback jumping competition. After 11 clear rounds, the jump-off was against the clock and hero, Brian Pearce, of Clinton, put up a dashing display on his two horses, taking first and second

places with one-fifth of a second between the two. Fine weather, good organisation, well built courses and some exciting lumping combined towards a very successful second day of the show. Miss H. Crowther, on Yeti, was most successful in winning the two main dressage events and the paced and mannered and ladies’ The top horses again provided an exciting finish to the A grade table A, Cardiff Lass and Okitu jumped clear over a big course but Hunter’s Moon had an unfortunate refusal. Okitu jumped off first over raised fences and collected four faults, and then Cardiff Lass, again showing her cleverness when coming in wrong for the treble managed to go clear. The ponies again provided excellent jumping with E. McGrath on Pharoah having a field day, closely followed by Jane Collett on Silver Arrow. The champion juvenile rider class. In which riders enter and then four with the most points for the show are eligible and each rider jumps each other’s pony, the rider with the least faults over all being the winner. E. McGrath, J. Collett and J. Ford were al! clear after four rounds and they then jumped off against the clock on their own ponies. McGrath won by one-fifth of a second from young Collett.

Results were:— Saturday.—Novice dressage: Mrs A. Crother, Yeti, 1; Miss H. Kendall, Hawkins, 2; Mrs R. McPherson, Romancing, and Mr and Mrs A. L. Dunn, Te Huia (equal) 3. Combined competition: I. Bell and Mrs B. Blackie, Condor, 1; Miss C. Kllley, Imperial Blue, 2; F. Petrie, Sharief, 3. Elementary dressage: Condor and Hawkins (equal) 1; Mrs S. H. Sampson, Morning Spirit, 3. Best mannered and paced pony: Misses S. Mahon and S. Stead, Lorna Doone, 1; Mrs S. H. Sampson, Peter Legend, 2; S. Harvey, Forget-me-not, 3. Canterbury champion pony: Miss S. Daley, Amanda, 1; Lorna Doone, 2; Peter Legend, 3. C grade table A: Mrs A. McCully, Gamble, 1; A. S. and Mrs Chaffey, Kisema, and Mr Pearce, Glentarkin (equal) 2. A grade hit and hurry: McCall family, Harvest Gold, 1; B. Anderson, Cardiff Lass, 2; McCall family, Pegasus, 3. Beath

Cup, A grade: Pegasus, 1; Cardiff Lass, I. Knox, Avapeak and M. Nelson, Okitu (equal) 2. Improver table A: Miss S. Nurse, Commando, 1; Romancing, 2; Mrs P. Clarkson and S. Ritchie, Dowie, 3. A grade Puissance: Cardiff Lass, 1; Pegasus and Okitu (equal) 2. C grade hit and hurry: Kisema, 1; Gamble, 2; Glentarkin, 3. Pony A and C grade handicap: Miss E. McGrath, Pharoah, 1; Miss R. Harvey, Moana, 2; Miss J. Collet, Silver Arrow, and J. Harnett, Bushranger (equal) 3. Bareback jumping competition: Glentarkin, 1; B. Pearce, Lord Mardon, 2; J. Bourne and B. Bussell, Shakes, 3. Sunday.—Dressage competition, medium class: Miss H. Crowther, Yeti, 1; Miss C. Meares, Midshipman, 2; Mrs S. H. Sampson, Morning Spirit, 3. Freestyle competition: Yeti, 1; Miss M. Watkinson. Beau de L’Aire, 2: Morning Spirit, 3. Paced and mannered hack: Yeti, 1; 1. Bell and Mrs B. J. Blackie, Condor, 2; Miss C. Killey, Imperial Blue, 3. Ladies hack: Yeti, 1; Mr and Mrs A. L. Dunn, Te Huia, 2; Imperial Blue, 3. Champion hack of the year: Condor, 1; Te Huia, 2; Yeti, 3. A grade table A: B. Anderson, Cardiff Lass, 1; M. Nelson, Okitu, 2; Mrs R. R. Bain, Hunters Moon, 3. C grade table A: P. Letham, The Rock, 1; Mrs A. McCully, Gamble, 2. Pony hit and hurry: Miss E. McGrath, Pharoah, 1; Miss J. Waters, Master Simon, 2; S. Heppelthwaite, Jonothon, 3. Improver table A: Miss D. Hosklng, Pallardli, 1; J. R. Topp, Tiny McChree, 2; L. Diggs, Regal Gent and Mrs P. Clarkson and Miss S. Ritchie, Dowie (equal) 3. C grade gamblers stakes: The Rock, 1; Gamble, 2; Miss S. Mahon, Lucky Jack, 3. Improver take your own line: Miss M. Watkinson, Beau de L’Aire, I; J. Bourne and B. Bussell. Shakes, 2; Mrs F. West, Dusky Boy, 3. Pony gamblers stakes: Pharoah, 1; Silver Arrow. 2; J. R. Ford, Talisman, 3. A grade gamblers stakes: Cardiff Lass, 1; Glentarkin, 2; Hunter’s Moon, 3. Pairs relay: Miss S. Mahon, Lucky Jack and F. Petrie, Sharief, 1; Miss M. Gould, Ribbonwood and R. Rutherford, Delaware, 2; Pegasus and Harvest Gold, 3. Juvenile Canterbury champion rider of the year: Elizabeth McGrath, 1; Jane Collet, 2; J. R. Ford, 3. Equizole points prize: B. Anderson, Cardiff Lbm.