Beatson And Golly Show Age No Barrier

Beatson And Golly Show Age No Barrier

Maurice Beatson has topped off a stellar season with the ultimate win in Hastings today at the New Zealand Horse of the Year Show.

The 59-year-old farmer from Dannevirke rode his 18-year-old home-bred horse to victory in the $200,000 JB Olympic Cup.

It's not the first time the former Olympian and World Games representative has held the Olympic Cup aloft, but it is 30 years since he first did.

It was a record-sized field that started the cup on the final day of the week-long Horse of the Year Show at the Hawke's Bay Showgrounds. The 28-strong field included 15 Australian combinations, keen to take New Zealand's most prestigious trophy back across the Tasman.

Beatson, Tim Myers (Taranaki) on Pick Me NZPH and Alison Rowland (Australia) on Bickley Brook Bella (owned by Peter Cooke, Nicol Taylor and Rowland) were the only ones to go clear inside time in the fault-stacked first round. Jamie Kermond (Australia) on Yandoo Laughton's Legacy (owned by Kerrie Winning) went clear but had a single time fault.

Thirteen combinations – with 12 faults and less – came back for the second round.

Kermond, who memorably finished second to Katie McVean in 2011, added another single time fault to his tally, to sit on two faults.

The pressure was on Beatson to go clear. The thousands packed into every spare space around the Land Rover Premier Arena rode each fence with him. He went clear, but had a single time fault.

Last to go was Rowland, who couldn't match him, slipping her to third, with Kermond once again second.

Beatson last won the cup in 1991, and three previous times. He's been carefully managing My Gollywog this season, focusing on the World Cup series, which he won, and the Horse of the Year Show. It paid dividends.

“He felt the best today as ever in his life,” said an ecstatic Beatson. “I just had to get out and do my job.”

He admitted that Gollywog – by Ironclad and out of a trotting mare – was not the easiest ride and just this morning had tried to buck him off.

Missing from the line-up was four time Olympic Cup winner Katie McVean, who was without her star Dunstan Daffodil and started two youngsters in the class.

Kermond, who has been in New Zealand on the Long White Cloud Tour for nearly two months, was full of praise for everyone – particularly HOY show director Kevin Hansen.

“I have so much respect for Kevin and what he is doing.”

Kermond won two $50,000 grand prix at the beginning of the tour, and his second today was just his second Olympic Cup start.

Taranaki's Vanessa Way again won the Dressage Horse of the Year with NRM KH Arvan, who she took to the UK last year in an effort to make the London Olympics. It is their second top title at HOY.

Way showed the benefit of her months training with world-class dressage rider Carl Hester. She also won the level five title with NRM KH Allandro and was reserve in level six with NRM Arawn.

Earlier in the show Katie McVean (Mystery Creek) won the BetaVet NZ Speed Championship aboard Dunstan Zasjany D.

HOY show director Kevin Hansen has big plans for the show in the future, and hopes to offer larger prize money in the dressage in the hope of attracting top Australian combinations, as he has in the showjumping.

The 2013 show was a huge success, with record numbers of people attending over the six days.

Results -

Showjumping,

JB Olympic Cup: Maurice Beatson (Dannevirke) My Gollywog 1, Jamie Kermond (Australia) Yandoo Laughton's Legacy (owned by Kerrie Winning) 2, Alison Rowland (Australia) Bickley Brook Bella (owned by Peter Cooke, Nicol Taylor and Rowland) 3, Tom McDermott (Australia) Romantic Dream 4, Tim Myers (Taranaki) Pick Me NZPH 5, Lucy Akers (Opiki) Cortaflex Tinapai 6, Ross Smith (Canterbury) Quite Cassini 7.

BetaVet NZ Speed Championship: Katie McVean (Mystery Creek) Dunstan Zasjany D 61.11 1, Tom McDermott (Australia) Quickstep NZPH 63.39 2, Katie McVean (Mystery Creek) Dunstan Zehrenland 66.15 3, Nicole White (Invercargill) Cricklewood Ace 67.29 4, Logan Massie (Dannnevirke) Double J Angelique 68.83 5, Vicki Wilson (Hikurangi) Wurlitzer 69.34 6.

NZ Pony Club Team of the Year: Northland (Alexa Dodson, Showtym Victori; Alex McKenzie, Ngahiwi Warrior; Ella Poole-Cowe, Gizbo; Sharnaye Lammers, Arrow's Flight).

Intermediate Rider of the Year: Natasha Brooks (Cambridge) Uranda 1, Megan Lindermann-Cohen (Clevedon) Yum Yum 2, Amanda Pottinger (Masterton) Achilles II 3, Isabella Harley (Wellington) Gold Dust 4, Claudia Porter (Hawke's Bay) Mr Harrison 5, Emily Fraser (Takapau) Maximillion II 6.

Speed Pony of the Year: Olivia Ahlborn (Napier) Aorangi Ragtime 1, Melanie Weal (Te Awamutu) Hopeful Illusion 2, Nakeysha Lammers (Northland) Airborne Magic 3, Briar Burnett-Grant (Taupo) Kabo Silver 4, Megan O'Grady (Tauranga) The Dreamer 5, Maddison Bult (Waitemata) Mr Black Magic 6.

Dressage,

CDIY FEI Young Rider of the Year: Catherine Tobin (Wellington) Riverndell Romeo.

CDI*** FEI Grand Prix Freestyle Dressage Horse of the Year: Vanessa Way (Taranaki) NRM KH Arvan.

ENDS

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