Eventing: Final fling promotes Pottinger to third

Amanda Pottinger and Just Kidding pre-dunk. Photo / Barbara Thomson Photography

The top two spots in the ESNZ Eventing Super League were all tied up prior to the last competition, the NRM CCI3* National Championship at Taupo over the weekend.

But it was a fascinating tussle for third place in the year-long series, with the result going down to the wire on the final day's showjumping.

Amanda Pottinger, of Waipukurau, who was sixth equal on Just Kidding in the year-long series going into the NRM Three-day Event, produced a top performance in all three phases to win the national title on the 9-year-old thoroughbred gelding by Fusaichi Pegasus, in his first season at top level, and leap into third place in the Super League.

They took the lead after Friday's dressage, despite a course error, and survived a "life" on Saturday's cross country when Just Kidding stumbled on landing in the last water, both disappearing in the resulting splash but emerging together to complete a clear round, but with 16 time penalties.

This allowed ESNZ high performance director Sarah Dalziell-Clout, Masterton, to take the lead on Benrose Super Star by a narrow margin. Super League winners Katharine Van Tuyl and Double J Sunshine were a close third after the fastest round of the day, making up for the worst dressage performance of their career, which saw them tail the 16-strong field.

They put pressure on the two leaders by showjumping clear on Sunday but Pottinger has been training with Jeff McVean and improving this phase throughout the season, and produced her first clear showjumping round at this level to hold her place, meaning Dalziell-Clout had to do likewise.

They had one rail down to finish second, their best result to date, but it allowed Pottinger to take the title and the spoils.

Amanda Pottinger with the Wills Trophy.

Pottinger's mother Tinks won the title in 1985 on another thoroughbred, the former steeplechaser Graphic, raced by her parents Eric and Tiny White.

Tinks now grooms for Amanda, while a very proud Tiny was there to see her granddaughter make history, no other families having two generations of winners on the Wills Trophy.

The presentation was made by Anton Koolman, who won the first three-day event in New Zealand, at Rotorua in 1966.

He had travelled from Sydney and was impressed by the technical demands of the sport now, although it is no longer a test of real stamina, after the removal of the steeplechase and roads and tracks phases from cross country day.

Final standings:

Katharine Van Tuyl (Palmerston Nth), Double J Sunshine, 306 pts, 1; Clarke Johnstone (Matangi/UK), Balmoral Sensation, 210 pts, 2; Amanda Pottinger (Waipukurau), Just Kidding, 108 pts, 3; Virginia Thompson (Kaukapakapa), Star Nouveau, 102 pts, 4; Andrew Daines (Kumeu), Spring Panorama, 96 pts, 5; Giles Gormack (Rangiora), Lucero, 84 pts, 6.