from Otago Daily Times (dated 29jan11)

Dunedin's Claudia Hay will face tough competition at the South Island show jumping championships in Mosgiel this weekend.

Hay (23) made her mark on the national scene when she won the New Zealand Grand Prix series title two years ago and will be keen to prove that she is still the best in the South Island at the two-day event.

It is the first three-star event of the South Island show jumping season and has attracted more than 250 competitors. It is the largest show jumping event hosted in Otago.

Hay, and the other Otago competitor Brittany Wilson, will be competing in the one-star Cathay Pacific Grand Prix against the best show jumpers in the South Island.

The favourite is Burnham's Ross Smith, who has entered both of his talented imported stallions Quite Cassini and Ajardo.

The calculations could be upset by young Christchurch riders Brad Cunningham on Cheltenham, Tegan Fitzsimon on Alacazam MH, Emma Power on Longridge Maverick, Stacey Anderson on Saddlery Barn Cruiser and Samantha Peters on Rhythm. An outsider could be Chris Harris who will be riding the smart mare Lindis Lara.

Hay, a stud master at Euro Sport Horses in Mosgiel, has been involved with horses from a young age and a competitive showjumping rider since she was 8. Her win in the New Zealand Grand Prix series two years ago was the first by an Otago rider.

The favourites for the Pony Grand Prix are Lucinda Askin (Ashburton) on Totem, who won at Waimate last weekend, and the Ashburton winner, Olivia Robertson on Mr Black Magic.

An exciting event is the South Island open horse speed championship that will be run against the clock. It has 29 entries.

The premier event of the two-day show will be the Super League Horse Grand Prix that has difficult 1.60m jumps. The course for this event is the work of international designer Kevin Hansen, of Hawkes Bay.

Competition starts at 8.30am today and tomorrow at the Dunedin Riding Centre in Mosgiel.