Showjumping action in Taupō this weekend

Rotorua show jumper Ollie Croucher will be in action at the Taupō Spring Show this weekend. Photo / File

Some of New Zealand's top class showjumpers will be in action in Taupō this weekend.

The Carlene Reid Bayleys Taupō Spring Show is on at the Fiber-Fresh National Equestrian Centre (NEC).

Featuring some of the country's top showjumpers the event, formerly known as the Rotorua Spring Show, started yesterday and runs until Sunday.As well as the opportunity for horse and rider combinations to pick up series points early in the season, the show features the first round of the FEI NZ Category A World Jumping Challenge.

The feature event starts in Ring 1 at 8.30am today.The field of 32 features a number of competitive young riders, including Olivia Dalton, Ally Carson, Oliver Croucher, Brayden Aarts and Keean Cooper, who is coming off a win in the Horse Mini Prix at Woodhill Sands last weekend with LT Eloquence.

Several eventers will start the class, including CCI3 open national championship title holders Amanda Pottinger and Just Kidding.

The FEI World Jumping Challenge will be held in both the North and South Islands and run over three events in each island.

In the North Island the first event is at Taupō this weekend, with event two taking place at Equidays, Mystery Creek on October 12 and the final event to be held at the Auckland Area Show, Pukekohe on November 19.

Series classes this weekend are the East Coast Performance Horses 5-year-old, Mitavite Speedi Beet 6-year-old, ESNZ 7-year-old, Dunstan Horsefeeds & Equifibre Junior Rider, Hinterland Amateur Rider, Dunstan Horsefeeds & Equifibre Pro Amateur Rider, FMG Young Rider, Bayleys Equissage Horse Grand Prix and Country TV Pony Grand Prix.

The show will host an estimated 460 horses and 260 riders, with 1200 entries all up.

The Carlene Reid Bayleys Taupō Spring Show
Where: Fiber-Fresh National Equestrian Centre, 16 Rapids Rd, Taupō
When: September 21-23