Dressage at South Hagley

Press, 5 December 1985, Page 51

Dressage at South Hagley

HORSE

TALK

Two riders from Canterbury and one from Nelson will vie for top honours in the intermediate and Prix St George classes at the John McEwings dressage tournament at South Hagley park this week-end. The rivals will be Sally Field-Dodgson, on Huntaway, Jennifer Stobart, on The Black Douglas, and Nelson’s Sue Wells, on Aztec.

The tournament has attracted 96 entries, with, as usual, up to 40 horses being nominated for the novice and elementary classes. Eight horses have been entered in the restricted medium classes, and up to 17 in the elementary division.

Ponies will also be catered for, and the two classes have each drawn seven entries.

The first indoor jumping shows were held by the Wyndham Equestrian Society on Non-graoing days for novice ponies and horses in the town’s new facility. A new set of gear has been made, and the course of eight fences looked attractive and proved a good test. Some riders and their mounts were apprehensive at first, but, by the end of the day there were all jumping confidently, secure in the footing and confines of the arena.

The building was originally a dairy factory. About 18 months ago a group of eastern Southland equestrians thought that it would make a suitable indoor school.

The owners were approached, and. after a publicmeeting a steering committee was formed and the raising of money to buy the building began. Funds were received from donations from interested people all over Southland and grants from the Trusteebank Southland and Ministry of Sports and Recreation. Money was also raised by selling single and family life memberships, dismantling, cleaning and selling about 7000 bricks which was the dividing wall in the building, and cutting flax. Steel purlins were put in to stay the roof where the middle wall had been removed, and the concrete floor was removed; suitable flooring of sand was put in, levelled and rolled. A wooden fence was built between the public gallery and the arena, a judges’ box built and seating for the public provided. The members plan to level the parking area, put in a bark working-in arena, complete the kitchen with cooking facilities .and make a secretary's office in the near future. The indoor arena will also be used for private training and all types of equestrian activities. The lesson should not be lost on Canterbury.

The English autumn horse trials season closed at Castle Ashby, in Northhamptonshire, in October, with Mark Todd gaining three wins, to make a total of 19 wins this year. He has won with every horse in his stable.

Charisma won his advanced division by an overwhelming margin. After an outstanding dressage score of just 45, he had a showjumping fence

down, and the inevitable time faults across country, to finish on 27 points. Mike Tucker rode General Bugle into a.distant second place, with a score of 43. The other advanced division was won by Rachael Hunt on Piglet. Todd also had wins with Woolrest’s new novice, Balmoral, and Miss A. Builder’s Jack of Diamonds.

Results of the Bayer Rintal circuit points round held in conjunction with the Timaru A and P show were:

Horses: C. Honeywell’s Buckingham 1; K. Donney’s Guideline 2; R. Hampton’s Rich Hill

Ponies: P. Honeywell’s Navaho 1; P. Pile’s Hotspur 2; F. Lloyd’s Kirkwood Fanlight 3.

The New Zealand Driving Society will hold a national allharness show at the Leeston Showgrounds this Saturday at 9 a.m. There will be hackney, non hackney and donkey classes, and admission is free.

Another event this Saturday is the Ashburton Pony Club’s jumping show at Ashburton Domain. This annual event is extremely well organised, and caters for all grades of horse and pony. If wet and postponement is necessary, it will be held the next day.

The Wellington area of the New Zealand Horse Society held a trial for the national junior championships, open to any registered horse for riders between 14 and 21 years. A new cross-country course was built at Queen Elizabeth Park, Paikakariki for this prestigious event The overall winner was T. Smale’s MaxMillian, 43 points, from V. Hammond’s Amigo, 62, C. Young’s Ryvahd, 63.07, and V. Nelson’s Sandlewood, 65.10. The winning team from the South Island consisted of T. Powell’s Lonnie Donegan, Nelson’s Sandlewood, D, Latham’s Holcombe and Hammond’s Amigo.