Former Oceania team member Abigail Long and mount Enzo won the New Zealand Young Rider Eventing Championship at Hunua at the weekend.
Leading home the field in a strong two-star class, which included several senior three-star riders, Long, of Levin, rocketed to the top of the Mitavite Young Rider Series to stake a claim to be included in this year's national equivalent team.
Long moved up from eighth place after the dressage to lie second overnight after a clear showjumping round. She took the lead after jumping clear and inside the time over Tich Massey's challenging crosscountry course.
This is the biggest win of Long's career although she was a well-performed junior rider with BMW Advokaat while a pupil at Nga Tawa School, near Marton.
Young riders also filled second and third place in the Troy Wheeler Contracting-sponsored class, with Talent ID squad member Renee Faulkner and Rubinstar HH second, and Jeffrey Amon on My Silver Lining third.