Equestrian: Beatson's day in Gisborne

Maurice Beatson reckons Schimmel Warrior's grand prix win was long overdue. Photo / File

Seven hundredths of a second was all it took for Hawke's Bay showjumping veteran Maurice Beatson to take the honours in the Equissage Horse Grand Prix at the Poverty Bay A and P Show in Gisborne.

It was a smallish field that lined up for the "big" class of the show on Saturday - a mixture of experience and youth duelling it out.

Just three made it through to the jump-off over the Roger Laplanche-designed course. First out was Jesse Linton (Hastings) and Strathcarron Zaurak, the chestnut he co-owns with Sue Thompson.

Despite a gentle nudge of the last fence, they left everything up and staked a claim on the Hikurangi Memorial Cup and Graeme and Bruce Hansen Cup, stopping the clock at 41.63secs.

Next out was young gun Emily Hayward-Morgan (Te Awamutu) and AP Ninja.

She and mum Rachel Holdsworth had opted to travel from Waikato for the 140-year-old provincial show and it paid big dividends for them. The 16-year-old won both the Telford Junior Rider and Canterbury Equestrian Young Rider classes.

She was in the big league in the grand prix but rode a great jump-off, finishing with four faults in 43.38 after taking a rail mid-course.

Former Olympian and World Cup representative Beatson (Dannevirke) can never be underestimated, and he came out flying aboard the big grey home-bred horse, Schimmel Warrior, taking the win in 41.56, thanks to an inside turn midway through the course.

Beatson, of Dannevirke, was rapt.

"Schimmel hasn't won a grand prix for a while," he said, "so this is great. It was his day I guess."

It turned out to be a good show for Beatson and his partner Sally Clark - Beatson won both 1.4m classes with Schimmel's half brother Mandalay Cove and Clark won the 1.2m aboard Victoria's Secret.

All seven of the horses in their truck headed home with at least a single ribbon.

"This is a great show," said Beatson, who has been making the trip to Gisborne for more years than he cares to count.

"It's always nice weather, good grounds and fabulous facilities - and it's the perfect run-up for Hastings and the opening World Cup round."

Leeshelle Small (Auckland) and Tallyho Bandit won the Country TV Open Pony Grand Prix ahead of local hope Sinead Dolman and Strawberry Fields.