Equestrian: Puhinui three-star event pulls top riders

Olympic and international competitors are prominent among the 25 three-star class entrants at the Puhinui International three-day event next month.

Places at next year's world equestrian games in Aachen, Germany, are up for grabs but riders at Puhinui Reserve, Manukau City, from December 8-11 will also seek the qualification they need to compete at four-star level.

New Plymouth's Heelan Tompkins will ride her Olympic mount, Glengarrick, at 19 one of the oldest horses to compete at this level.

Tompkins will also give her new Australian import, Prince of Princes, a run in his first New Zealand three-day event.

Fellow Athens Olympian Matthew Grayling of New Plymouth was disappointed that bad luck at a cross-country fence prevented him from gaining a qualification at the recent Adelaide four-star event.

Grayling and mount Gordon remain one of the most promising combinations in the country and the Taranaki dairy farmer will start a hot favourite.

Woodville's Katharine van Tuyl on Underhand impressed at Adelaide, prompting New Zealand team manager Blyth Tait to say the combination was a Beijing Olympics prospect.

Ella Matthews, of Rotorua, just missed a qualifying score at Adelaide so is bringing Major Difference to Puhinui in the hope of a good finish.

Last year's winner, Annabel Wigley, made a somewhat ignominious exit in her first four-star start on Black Drum at Adelaide so will look to redress that as well as defend their title.

- NZPA