HORSE TALK

Press, 16 February 1980, Page 20

HORSE TALK

The touring riders from New South Wales and the North Island showed they were going to be hard to beat when competing at the Southland Show, the first on the South Island jumping circuit. The Grand Prix, after a two-horse jump-off Iretween John Fahey’s Red Cedar (Australia) and Tony Cosgrove’s Anzac (North Island), resulted in a win for Red Cedar; Anzac had a time fault. Kathie Wightman (Australia) on Bonanza won the A grade T.A.2, with Red Cedar, Tom Cruse’s Ho and Richard Hansen’s Red Jet, both North Island, equal second. Red Cedar won the “Take your line” from Playboy, ridden by Bruce Anderson, from South Canterbury. Richard Hansen’s second horse, Red Lodge, won the A grade T.A.4 from Red Cedar and Red Jet. '

The B grade championship resulted in a popular win for Haldon Road, ridden by Mrs Tracy McCall (Southland) a member of last- year’s South Island team, from a fellow Southlander, Ernie Mite, ridden by Mrs Donna Smith and Australia’s T.N.T., ridden by Maree Gordon. The Southland Stakes was won by the North Island team horse, Ho Hum. ridden by Tom Cruse, with Ernie Mite second. The next week at Dunedin, jumping in very wet and muddy conditions, John Fahey again showed his supremacy in achieving the only two clear rounds in the Grand Prix, on Red Cedar and his former horse, Bonanza. To save his horses, Fahey did not jump again and nominated Red Cedar the winner. Thjrd equal was another Australian team member, Janelle Waters on Blue Jinx, with the North Island team members lan Campbell on Calico Joe and Ho. Calico Joe won the A grade T.A.2, from Ho, second, Bonanza, this time ridden by his present rider, Kathie Wightman, third, and Blue Jinx and Red Lodge equal fourth. Blue Jinx won the Top Score from Calico Joe, with Red Cedar third and Red Lodge fourth. Red Cedar, again showing his supremacy, won the A grade T.A.4 from Red Lodge, Bonanza and Southland’s Kowhai Ridge, ridden by Lynne Collins, a member of last year’s South Island team. Blue Jinx striking top form, also won the junior jumping class.