Brit Bags Olympic Cup at HOY

Brit Bags Olympic Cup at HOY

Helen McNaught-McFarlane made history today as the first British rider to the Olympic Cup at the Farmlands Horse of the Year Show in Hastings, while Rio hopeful, dressage rider Julie Brougham notched another Australasian record with her musical freestyle.

McNaught-McFarlane and her Polish import Carnutelabryere won the Showjumper of the Year crown ahead of 14 other combinations and before thousands who packed the grounds for the final day of the six-day show.

It topped off an excellent season for the two, and their edge today in hot Hawke’s Bay summer conditions, could have been thanks to the bananas fed to the 10-year-old horse before and during the class.

“He loves them,” said McNaught-McFarlane, who is married to Kiwi Olympic showjumper Duncan McFarlane.

Fifteen started the class, with 12 combinations with four faults or less, coming back for the second round. Seven went clear in the first round – McNaught-McFarlane (Taupo), Amanda Wilson (Hikurangi) aboard Showtym Cassanova, Clint Beresford (Aus) on Emmaville Jittberbug, Katie Laurie (Mystery Creek) on Dunstan On The Point Eve, Maurice Beatson (Dannevirke) aboard Conyers, Tash Brooks (Cambridge) on Kapattack and Olivia Robinson (Christchurch) on Ngahiwi Cisco.

International course designer Werner Deeg raised the ante in the second round, with fences up to 1.57m.

In the second round, clears were far less forthcoming, with just Wilson, McNaught-McFarlane and James Arkins (Aus) on his Kiwi bred Rosthwaite Vigilante II leaving everything in place. However, Arkins carried four faults from his opener.

That meant 23-year-old Wilson would take on the 40-something-year-old McNaught-McFarlane in the jump-off. The more experienced McNaught-McFarlane and her quirky 10-year-old grey knew she had to put as much pressure on the younger rider as possible. Despite a good rattle at the last, they were clear.

A very nervous Wilson and her 11-year-old pinto started with gusto but took a brick from the wall, jumped the third and then retired.

“He was incredible out there,” said a very proud Wilson. “That whoopsie wasn’t his fault – it was a bit of a miscommunication between us. He is a very extraordinary horse.”

It is just their fourth season competing. Wilson bought the horse sight unseen as an eight-year-old off Trade Me. He is called Cassanova for the perfectly shaped heart on his neck.

McNaught-McFarlane had plenty of praise for her younger rival, and particularly the horse.

“That was a great class out there,” she said. “This is the show we all gear up for. This is where it is at.”

The dressage was tightly contested, particularly between Rio hopefuls Julie Brougham (Palmerston North) aboard Vom Feinsten and John Thompson (Hamilton) on JHT Antonello.

Brougham had to concede her Dressage Horse of the Year crown to Thompson, riding in his first HOY, but she did set a new Australasian mark for the musical freestyle, bettering her year-old effort from the 2015 HOY. She also nabbed her last necessary qualifying score that will make her eligible for Rio selection.

Thompson was chuffed to score two personal best scores, and particularly as just six weeks ago he nearly lost the horse to colic. He now has just one more mark to make him eligible for selection, and next week heads to Australia.

“This show is fantastic,” said Thompson. “Creative chaos I think!”

In show hunter, Chloe Akers set a new record when she and Kiwi Motto won their fifth open title – the sixth for the horse.

It is estimated up to 60,000 people streamed through the gates at HOY to watch the best horse and riders from across 14 disciplines battle it out for top dog titles.

ENDS

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