Stephen carries hopes in Horse Grand Prix

Martinborough horsewoman Anna Stephen will carry Wairarapa's hopes in the two star Horse Grand Prix, feature event at the Wairarapa show jumping and show hunter championships to be held at Solway Showgrounds, Masterton over Labour weekend.
Stephen will ride the highly promising Constantine in what will be the eight-year-old's stiffest test to date and while she has no doubts about his ability to rise to the occasion she admits his preparation has not been ideal.
This is because Stephen herself has been battling a knee injury suffered some five weeks ago and has consequently not been able to give him the solid jumping practice she would have liked.
"He's fit enough but whether he's quite ready to take on this sort of company & that's the question," Stephen said of Constantine, who won the New Zealand seven-year-old show jumping series last season. "He's got plenty of class though so you never know, he could surprise."
Constantine has been placed several times in one star Grand Prix company in the past but this will be his debut at two star level and he will be up against opposition spearheaded by one of the most accomplished riders in the country, Maurice Beatson of Dannevirke. Among his mounts will be World Cup prospect My Gollywog.
Other well-known riders likely to be in the field are Bernard Denton (Gisborne), Paula Mussen (Auckland), Doug Isaacson (Dannevirke) and Melanie Powell (Whakatane).
The Horse Grand Prix will be held early on Monday afternoon and will be preceded by another of the show jumping highlights, the Pony Grand Prix, in which one of the leading competitors is expected to be Tinui's Amanda Pottinger.
Total entries for the championships are expected to reach about 200, slightly up on last year, and there will be 61 show jumping or show hunter classes held over the three days.