Dusky Bay triumphs

Press, 3 June 1981, Page 26

Dusky Bay triumphs

The hardy veteran of horse jumping in New Zealand. Dusky Bay. was ridden to a popular win by Mrs Florence West (Rangiora) in the Forest Gate trophy event at Otaio. The 15-year-old jumper's victory came in the main contest of the Wills New Zealand one day horse trials on Mr R. P. Terinent's property. An Auckland rider. Joanne Abram, the recent winner of the A.l. Cup at the New Zealand pony club championships, led on Raszarda after the dressage phase with a good score of 29,16 penalties. Last year's national three-day event winner. Sharon McFarlane (Southland) on Callan Light was second, with Mrs Ngaire Lamb (Southland) on Naudu third, and Dusky Bay fourth, with six penalties more than Raszarda. The cross-country was well built and solid with a number of combination fences and drops. The course planner, Mr C. Meares. had made good use of the banks and river bed, and with excellent going, the course rode well. All riders in the Forest Gate incurred time penal-

ties with a tricky post and rails onto a bank, with a steep drop. Two riders fell here, with one, Lyn Inglis (Nelson), being taken to hospital with a badly cut wrist. This same fence caused problems when the Forest Gate trophy was last held at Otaio in 1975. Malcolm McCall (Southland) will certainly not remember this fence kindly, having fallen in 1975 when on Silver Idol, and last week-end when riding Cyclone. The pressure was on the leader, after the cross-country. Dusky Bay, in the show, jumping where the horses with the fewest penalties jumped last. He could afford to drop only one rail. However, true to form. Dusky Bay jumped a good clear for a popular win. Jacqui Fountain (Auckland) on Balyndene produced a good cross-country and clear show jumping to move up to second place. Abram and Raszarda, the dressage leader, collected crosscountry and show jumping penalties to slip down to third, a game effort for this young rider and her small horse. The promising novice eventer, the thoroughbred, Barney Mac, well ridden by Brendon Smith (Kaikoura), was nominated to run in the Waiteko Trophy, conducted under intermediate conditions. Fourth in the dressage, the best cross-country of only 9.2 time penalties and a clear show jumping round resulted in a well-deserved win for Barney Mac, and up-graded him to intermediate. Keighly, another novice, ridden by Sally Hurle (Christchurch), went well for second place, with the Southland combination of Sharon McFarlane and Caladam third.

The Ferndale Trophy, run under novice conditions, had a very close finish with Debbie Nelson (Geraldine) on Sandalwood, snatching the lead with a clear show jumping round from the Palmerston North rider, M. Knighton, on Comment, which dropped a rail for a further five penalties. Sandalwood and Comment were the only two horses which had a penalty-free crosscountry for the whole day. Third was Julie Srhoy on Mr Hagen. Only 6.64 penalties separated the first six place-getters in the Ferndale Trophy:

Victory went to the South Island team in the inter-island team competition, with a score of 212.74 penalties against the North's 232.47. The South Island team was L. Inglis. N. Lamb, S. McFarlane and F. West. At next week's Wills New Zealand threeday event, the North will try to win the Atlantic Silver Spurs team trophy. Results:— Forest Gate Trophy.—Dressage: J. Abram (Auckland) Raszarda (29.16) 1, S. McFarlane (Southland) Callan Light (30) 2, Mrs N. Lamb (Southland) Naudu (31.83) 3, Mrs F. West (Canterbury) Dusky Bay (35.16) 4. Overall: Dusky Bay (56.76) 1. J. Fountain (Auckland) Balyndene (64.66) 2. Raszarda (66.01) 3. Callan Light (78.6) 4, K. Boyce (Waikato) Odette (82.63) 5, Naudu (83.38) 6. Waiteko Trophy.—Dressage: S., McFarlane (Southland) Caladam (22.50) 1, S. Hurle (Canterbury) Keighley (22.83) 2, A. Murrel (Southland) Spartacus (29.58) 3, B. Smith (Marlborough) Barney Mac (31) 4. Overall: Barney Mac (40.92) 1. Keighley (55.23) 2. Caladam (59.3) 3, Spartacus (63.10)-4. Ferndale Trophy:—Dressage: S. Deardon (Canterbury) Charisma (22.66) 1, J. Srhoy (MidCanterbury) Mr Hagen (24.66) 2, M. Knighton (Manawatu) Comment (26.16) 3. D. Nelson (South Canterbury) Sandalwood and V. Hammond (Southland) Offensive (28.16) (equal) 4. Overall: Sandalwood (28.16) 1, Comment (31.16) 2, Mr Hagen (3226) 3, V. Wilding (Canterbury) Pendulum (33.4) 4.