There was also a Gisborne connection in the Pony of the Year. The McCann family own the winner, Kabo Fortune Cookie, ridden by Molly Smith of Timaru. Cookie, as he is known, was previously ridden by Jessica McCann, who had success at pony grand prix level.
Georgie Coop and her pony Barney Rubble made their Horse of the Year competition debut an event to remember. Georgie won the ESNZ (Equestrian Sports New Zealand) Equitation Medal Class for riders under 13 years of age, and was fourth in the 1.10-metre showjumping championships and fifth in the showjumping 1.10m qualifier. In the show hunter ring, she was third in the Category B Show Hunter of the Year, first in the Fiber Fresh Category B High Points and second in the Category B championship.
Untouchable, owned by Merran Hain and ridden by Hollie Falloon of Masterton, competed in the show hunter ring where the combination picked up several placings, including third in the 1.10m championship and fifth in the Horse Show Hunter of the Year.
Ella Rouse and MJK Durham were placed third in the handy hunter 1m, sixth in the EquiMatch Junior Highpoints 1m, fifth in the open hunter 1.15m and seventh in the New Zealand Show Hunter of the Year class.
Sam Brook and The Lone Ranger were placed fifth in the pony 1.05m championship. Sam and The Tontonator were placed third in the pony 1.05m speed class.
Iyve Speirs and Ace placed sixth in the ESNZ Equitation Medal Class for riders under 13 years of age and fifth in the pony 1.15m showjumping.
Isobel Jayne Bevitt was placed second in the pony 1.05m showjumping, and was selected for the Hawke’s Bay team in the New Zealand Pony Club teams event. Hawke’s Bay finished in second-equal place.
Molly McEwan and Wembleybrook Giovanni were placed fifth in the pony 1.05m speed class.
The Horse of the Year was also the final round for the National Show Hunter Series. Zoe McNaught and Nitro Pandora were placed third in the Brave Pants Company Category C High Points Series. Zoe was also placed fifth in the Big on Writing Pony Equitation.
Ella Rouse and MJK Durham were fourth in the Equimatch Junior High Points, and Ella was second in the Auckland and Waitematā Show Hunter Groups Junior Equitation.
Georgie Rubble was fifth in the Fiber Fresh Category B High Points Series.
Untouchable and Hollie Falloon were placed third in the Thoroughbreds in Equestrian Sports Show Hunter Series.
SHOWING
Poverty Bay “showies” were preened to perfection and keen to make their mark on Horse of the Year after a long absence from the event calendar.
The showing started with a bang on Tuesday — the opening day of the Horse of the Year — with Brecon Bach Seal, a little grey Section A Welsh pony, taking home the trifecta of titles and one runner-up placing in very large in-hand and ridden classes for the Welsh breeds. It was a feat never seen before.
The evergreen Untouchable, owned by Merran Hain, was expertly piloted by Masterton rider Hollie Falloon to pick up the Hunter Jumping Horse of the Year title among other placings in the working hunter classes.
Briar Herries had three rides in three classes on three ponies, scooping up two titles and a third placing.
Results —
Hollie Falloon and Untouchable were fifth in the working hunter preliminary class, second in the Working Hunter of the Year and first in the Hunter Horse of the Year over fences.
Henrike Puketapu and HSP Soe were fourth in the Senior Rider of the Year, sixth in the Riding Horse of the Year and third in the Paced & Mannered Riding Horse of the Year
Molly McEwan and Wembleybrook Giovanni were fifth in the Open Hunter Pony over 138cm not exceeding 148cm over fences and third in the Hunter Pony of the Year not exceeding 148cm over fences.
Hazel Cheetham and Brecon Bach Seal were second in the Open Ridden Purebred Welsh Pony of the Year and fourth in the Saddle Hunter Pony of the Year not exceeding 128cm.
Hazel Cheetham and Rivermill Clementine were third in the Saddle Hunter Pony of the Year over 128cm to 138cm, Elodie Cheetham and Brecon Bach Seal were the winners of the Purebred Welsh Lead-Rein Pony of the Year, Melanie Cheetham and Brecon Bach Seal were the winners of the Led Adult Purebred Welsh Pony of the Year, and Melanie Cheetham and Rivermill Clementine were third in the Led Adult Partbred Welsh Pony of the Year.
Briar Herries and Rivermill Clementine were third in the Partbred Welsh First-year-ridden Pony of the Year, and Briar Herries and Brecon Bach Seal were the winners of the Purebred Welsh First-year-ridden Pony of the Year.
Briar Herries and KS B-Witched were the winners of the First-year-ridden Rider of the Year.
Zoe McNaught and Nitro Pandora received the award for best presented in the Hunter Pony of the Year over fences.
