Beatson wins big at Dannevirke A&P Horse Grand Prix

Placegetters in the 1. 30m event from right 1st Doug Isaacson on Elmo, 2nd Tess Clarke on Sinatra II, 3rd Robert Steele on Delta Blue 4th Melody Mattheson on Illusion SSH.

He did it again! Local Dannevirke rider Maurice Beatson jumped two faultless rounds on Mandalay Cove to take out the Dannevirke A&P Horse Grand Prix on Saturday February 3, repeating his feat of 2017 and taking his tally of grand prix wins to 195.

Only two combinations went clear in the first round and in the jump-off two Stephen Nickalls dropped a rail on Letino.

Maurice rode throughout the show on Friday and Saturday, having three horses in the Grand Prix alone, finishing sixth on Gold Locks and 12th on Argio his partner Sally Clark's mount.

Adelle Rycroft on Oporaes Roulette - third in the Round the Ring Pony competition.

He was not the only senior rider to do very well over the two-day equestrian event, with arguably the oldest competitor in show jumping, Doug Isaacson, winning the 1.30m event on Friday on Elmo and placing 16th in the Horse Grand Prix at its first attempt. (See related article)

Another experienced rider in the 1.30m and Grand Prix was Robert Steele, who placed third in the former and eighth in the latter on LT Holst Bernadette.

Maurice Beatson goes clear to win the Dannevirke A&P Show Horse Grand Prix on Mandalay Cove.

The Round the Ring drew fewer entries this year but the pony class had up-and-coming rider Adele Rycroft gaining third on Oporaes Roulette.

Local riders competed in the junior events in the show hunter and show Jumping events on Friday and Saturday and showing on Sunday.

On Friday Sally Peffers was the only local to place in the junior show jumping, coming second in the 90cm Pony and first in the 1.00m Pony, and Jodie Kent, Kasey McKenna, Bayly Castles, Adelle Rycroft and Matthew Steele all competed well.

Maurice Beatson again on Mandalay Cove wins the Horse Grand Prix jump off.

In the Show Hunter events on Friday Bayly Castles, Brooke Gimblett, Dani Simmons, Pippa Smyth also competed.