A group of officials gather for a photo at an event at the Fiber-Fresh Dunstan National Equestrian Centre last year. Photo / www.takethemoment.co.nz
A group of officials gather for a photo at an event at the Fiber-Fresh Dunstan National Equestrian Centre last year. Photo / www.takethemoment.co.nz
Equestrian eventing officials from all over the world are jumping at the chance to refresh their qualifications.
Covid-19 has seen the cancellation of many International Equestrian Federation (FEI) seminars around the world which officials are required to attend in order to maintain their status as judges or upgrade to the next level.
As a result, the Fiber-Fresh Dunstan National Equestrian Centre near Taupō will host the biggest FEI seminar ever held in New Zealand this weekend.
The seminar will take place at the same time as the Reyna Equestrian Spring Horse Trials, from November 18-20.
Equestrian Centre spokeswoman Virginia Caro said FEI seminars are usually regional, with New Zealand in the Asia/Pacific region, so a global event was rare but necessary for a lot of officials.
Forty-two participants from Australia, Japan, the US, Finland, Germany, and Great Britain, as well as New Zealand, will be attending.
Caro said 11 of those were hoping to upgrade and 31 would be completing their maintenance course to retain their FEI status. Course designers, technical delegates, and judges will participate from November 17-20, and stewards from November 18-20.
Seminar directors are appointed by the FEI, and feature two New Zealanders; Helen Christie from Southland and Susan O’Brien from Waikato.
The others are former international eventer Ian Stark UK, Philine Ganders-Meyer Germany, Christian Landholt Switzerland, Stuart Buntine UK and Geoff Sinclair Australia.
“It is huge recognition of New Zealand’s standing in eventing to host this international seminar.”
Adding to the prestige of the event, the 2022 New Zealand Young and Junior Rider National Eventing titles will be awarded at the horse trials.
The young riders will contest the Portage Cars CCI3* and the junior riders the Coast NZ CCN2*. The top class, the Reyna Equestrian CCI4*, is the first 4* event of the season, so the first opportunity to earn points in the year-long Eventing Super League.
More than 300 horses will descend on the equestrian centre, with the event catering for six levels of competition.
Three phases of dressage, showjumping, and cross-country are spread over three days, with the dressage starting at noon on Friday, continuing on Saturday, and the two jumping phases taking place on both Saturday and Sunday.
“One to watch out for is local rider Monica Spencer, a member of the bronze medal team at the FEI World Eventing Championships in Italy in September.
“The horse she rode there has recently returned after quarantining in Australia, but she has other up-and-coming mounts in a number of classes. Her working pupil, Charlotte Penny, who groomed for Monica in Italy, will be defending her 2021 Young Rider title.”
Spectators are welcome, but dogs must be on a lead at all times. Entry is free, and food and drink is available on the grounds.
Course designers for the event are Chris Ross, assisted by Campbell Draper.
The technical delegates are Neil McKenzie-Hall and Hamish Butler-Gallie, Auckland, for the top two classes (3* and 4*), and Peter Ponsonby (IRE) for the 2*. The judges on the ground jury are Faith Ponsonby (IRE), Jill Sinclair (AUS), Jenny Draper (Putaruru), and Mura Love (Gisborne).
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