HORSE TALK

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33965, 4 October 1975, Page 4

HORSE TALK

Horses in Japan A Christchurch rider, Helen Kendall, who is working in Japan, recently sent home news of the Canterbury horses which were sold to Japan earlier in the year. At their first show last month, Hawkins, ridden by Miss Kendall was fourth in the Lady rider competition with two clear rounds, and Rafferty, which she also rode, was second in the A grade table A event, over a course which was equivalent to a New Zealand B grade course. Andalusia, which has been renamed Maria Terasa, was third in the Puissance w'hen ridden by Mrs Sakarai. Love From Bert, knowm as Cindy, was entered in a junior class and apart from one refusal, she jumped well for her 10-year-old rider. Ben, who jumped so well last season, is not a competition horse, being used only as a hack. The Sugitani Club, ; which Miss Kendall ; works for, had 21 horses ' out of the 100 competing ’ at the show, and the club members won the points prize by more than 100 points. Every competition at the show was won by New Zealand horses. Miss Kendall has two more shows competing on Hawkins and Rafferty, before she hands these two horses over to their owners, prior to returning home in December. Olympic trials Although some of the Japanese riders have been buying overseas show jumpers lately for large sums of money, Miss Kendall’s employer, Mr Sugitani is taking his usual team of Mary Mary, Anke, Manhatten and Rafferty — the last two geing former New

Zealand horses — to the Olympic trials. The team of eight horses and four riders is being selected on just one competition. Training The four South Island horses in the New Zealand training squad for horse trials — D’Arcy (R. Meares, Waimate), Silver Idol (M. McCall, Gore), Tapioca (Miss A. McHardy, Balclutha) and Vladivostock (W. Reid, Nelson) — finish a sixday course with the New Zealand Horse Society’s instructor, Mr L. Richards, at Kennels Park today. It has been a busy week for Mr Richards, who has also been taking dressage, show jumping, novice and more experienced combined training courses as well as private lessons. A course planner’s seminar will take place this evening and Sunday morning, with course planners coming from as far afield as Southland and Motueka. If the overall standard of riding in all phases is to improve in New Zealand, the riders taking part in these courses must continue their work at home. Only through such schooling at home, will riders be able to progress to more advanced work at future courses. Team games Ninety riders gathered at Kennels Park for the Christchurch Pony Club’s gymkhana and team games competition day. The cup winners were Mary Leigh, Diane Newfield and Lynette Purdon. The Crowther Trophy for the winning branch was claimed by Riccar-ton-Fendalton No. 1, scoring 21 points.