Showjumping kicks off at Mills Reef Classic

Tauranga Show Jumping Premier Show at Mills Reef Winery. Philllip Steiner, Bay of Plenty Photo by George Novak 26 Feb 2015

A switch back proved to be a winning move for Cambridge's Lisa Cubitt who rode Bates Amaretto to the combination's third win at the Mills Reef Classic tonight.

Cubitt had originally entered Bates Amaretto in the showcase event, part of the four-day festival of showjumping in Tauranga.

On Monday, however she changed her mind, switching one of her two horses entered in the event.

On Wednesday she had a second change of heart, calling the event secretary to ask if she could revert to her original entry.

"I just had an inkling that he might have been on," she said.

Eleven riders went clear in the first round, only Olympian Katie Laurie achieving the feat on two mounts, Carlotta and Dunstan Springfield.

Cubitt was the third into the ring and the first to go clear. She faced a nervous wait, with three riders then going clear, but none bettering her time. Laurie was closest with 44.07 riding Horse of the Year Champion Dunstan Springfield.

Mills Reef Classic Results: 1, Lisa Cubitt, Bates Amaretto 42.91s; 2, Katie Laurie, Dunstan Springfield 44.07s; 3, Olivia Robertson Ngahiwi Cisco 48.11s; 4, Rose Alfeld, My Super Nova 48.86s; 5, Mathew Gilmour, Cuba D Esqueimes Z 45.55s, 4 penalties.