Equestrian: Fairytale ride for McVean

Katie McVean produced the fairytale ending to a dream season yesterday when she rode off with the Olympic Cup for Showjumper of the Year at the Horse of the Year Show in Hastings.

The 23-year-old from Mystery Creek swept aside nerves and pressure to pocket the $40,000 winner's cheque aboard Dunstan Delphi, her eight-year-old mare bred by her father Jeff.

Nineteen started the class over the course designed by Leopoldo Palacios of Venezuela. Fences were impressive, some up to 1.6m, and the course technical and challenging for horse and rider.

Thousands of spectators had to wait until Beatson and Zibbibo, the 16th combination to go, notched the first clear round. They nudged plenty and Beatson had to work hard over every jump but he left the slate clean.

Then Australian Jono Berry and Yandoo Quincy Z rode a perfect round leaving everything in place.

Palacios changed the course for the second round, and 11 combinations with 12 faults or less came back. Billy Raymont (Australia) and Kiwi horse Cortaflex Levitation NZPH went clear but Beatson and Zibbibo dropped two rails.

Earlier Apollo van Evendael reared up and dropped Beatson on the turf before his round had started. They did their round, adding four faults to their earlier four.

McVean and Delphi followed Beatson and Zibbibo and in a heart-stopping round. Berry and Quincy found themselves in double figures and the celebrations started in the Kiwi camp.

McVean, who last won the Olympic Cup in 2008 aboard Dunstan Forrest II, was a popular winner.

She was just stunned - despite the win coming in a season that has seen her win all the majors, including the New Zealand World Cup series and the national showjumping championship, among plenty of other wins.

Says McVean: "It is going to be hard to keep a horse as good as Delphi."