Honeywill takes show jumping double

Press, 23 April 1984, Page 3

Honeywill takes show jumping double

The Southland rider, Claire Honeywill, achieved a unique double yesterday when she won both the South Island Pony of the Year and Horse of the Year show jumping titles at the National Equestrian Centre at McLeans Island, Christchurch.

Honeywill rode Dollarman to the only clear round of the premier pony competition, and then guided Buckingham to victory in the final round of the South Island Bayer Amdax grand prix circuit.

It was the first time the feat had been achieved, and the last time Honeywill had the chance to do it, for next season, at the age of 17, she will be too old for pony classes.

Buckingham’s success was well deserved. The big bay, newly upgraded, was the first to go clear, and Honeywill then watched Jill Woodham (King’s Eulogy), Julie Srhoy (Silamond), Glen Pearce (Ups and Downs) and Ngaire Lamb (Naudu) complete faultless first rounds. Her wait was extended as horses- jumped in reverse order, high faults to low, in the second round over a

raised course, after which only the experienced Naudu remained clear.

Buckingham was first to go over a shortened course against the clock, but he put a foot wrong at the first element of the treble and brought down a rail. That mistake lessened the pressure on Lamb, who, it seemed, would have had time to ride a calculated round without worrying about seconds ticking by on the clock. But Naudu too knocked a fence down, and although Lamb urged her mount on, he could not better the 37.5 s set by Buckingham. Naudu proved one of the most consistent horses over the two days of competition, finishing second in three of the four A-grade contests, while Glen Pearce, of Christchurch, recorded two wins and shared third equal with Srhoy’s mounts, Samuel and Silamond, in the final competition. Srhoy also won the South Island junior show jumping championship on Silamond, with Mark Crean (Hawarden) second on Missouri and Honeywill third with Buckingham.

Results: Saturday A grade A2: Zargos (D. Hutton, Timaru) 1, Ernie Mite (D. Smith, Southland) 2, Naudu (N. Lamb, Southland) 3. AM3: Ups and Downs (G. Pearce, Christchurch), 1, Samuel (J. Srhoy, Ashburton) 2, Missouri 3.

B grade A2: King’s Eulogy (J. Woodham, Christchurch) 1; Fox Hunter (R. Moore, Timaru) 2, Slow Coach (J. Carroll, Kaiapoi) 3. AM3: Silamond 1, Beaumont (N. Lamb) 2, Flipper (D. Hutton) 3. Ponies: A and B grade, A2: Dollarman (C. Honeywill, Invercargill) 1, Marcus (S. McKay, Mosgiel) 2, Navaho (P. Honeywill, Invercargill) 3. AMS: Dollarman 1, Cascade (H. Pain, Christchurch) 2, Navaho 3. Sunday A grade, power and speed: Ups and Downs 1, Naudu 2, Ernie Mite 3. S.I. Bayer Rintal Horse of the Year: Buckingham 1, Naudu 2, Samuel, Silamond and Ups and Downs 3 equal. B grade, power and speed: Slow Coach 1, Merry Orbit (B. Costello, Christchurch) 2, Beaumont 3. Championship AM4: Squadron Leader (G. Richardson, Christchurch) 1, Beaumont 2, Slow Coach 3. C grade, championship: Smirnoff (A. Murrell) 1, Lord Sunnybrooke (V. Hansen) 2, Stratos (J. Spark) 3. Novice, championship: Lute Song (H. Ensor, Blenheim) 1, Imrhan (J. Forrester) 2, Monarch (M. Breach) 3. Ponies — A and B grade, power and speed: Dollarman 1, Marcus 2, Charity (D. Garrick, Gore) 3. S.I. Pony of the Year: Dollarman 1, Falconite (K. Horn, Cheviot) and Charity 2 equal. South Island junior chameiip, AM4: Silamond 1, uri 2, Buckingham 3.