from Manawatu Standard (dated 07mar11)
It was a nailbiting wait for Vanessa Way, after setting a strong lead of 68.30 per cent in Saturday night's Grand Prix Kur in the New Zealand Dressage Championships indoors at Manfeild.
After her routine, key contenders Penny Castle, Louisa Hill and Nicky Pope had yet to come.
Way, from Oakura near New Plymouth, was reserve champion at Taupo last year.
Sitting in the lead position, she had to nervously wait to see if she had done enough to take the Grand Prix Kur title, and she had.
Only a one-stride miss in the single changes prevented it being a totally clean run.
Ashhurst rider Castle had to settle for second place after winning the national Grand Prix Kur championship and Burkner Medal the night before.
Riding to her trademark Pink Floyd music, Way and KH Arvan were focused and calm.
"I'm just ecstatic," she said. "The gap is closing between the quality work I get at home and what is now being shown in the arena, and that is really exciting."
KH Arvan was bred in Taranaki, was in only his second year in grand prix dressage and Way had trained him through to the top level.
On Saturday night, the atmosphere and intensity got to both Hill's Bates Antonello and uncharacteristically to Gymstar One with Castle who was briefly spooked.
Classy riding by Castle saw a swift recovery and she went out to ride a powerful, expressive test to a Michael Jackson tune and giving Way a serious run for the title.
With a final score of 67.35 per cent, it wasn't quite enough by less than 1 per cent.
Pope (Whitford) and Fabarchie were impressively composed, despite a huge round of applause for Way's score erupting just seconds before Pope entered the arena.
Misses in the two-time changes proved costly in the otherwise elegant fluid test, for a final score of 65.62 per cent, nudging her into third place just ahead of Bill Noble and Airthrey Highlander on 65.60 per cent.
Way, a fulltime rider, also won the level 3 title with KH Allandro.
Pahiatua's Kallista Field won the advanced level class, unbeaten in both championship tests on her home bred Waikiwi FE.
The former Olympian has nothing left to prove on the 11-year-old mare who is also a three-time winner of the advanced Horse-of-the-Year title.
"I'm not contesting the Horse-of-the-Year title this year," Field said.
"I love Waikiwi to bits but sadly she is for sale now. We bred her so she is extra special to us, but being a fulltime equestrian means I have to run as a business, and I need the money to keep breeding and bringing on the young horses."
At level 5, it was Auckland all the way, with Ashleigh Williams topping off a big season by taking the national title on Papanui Don Juan.
After missing last season to train overseas, Williams has returned to win the Taranaki championships, North Island championships and North Island accumulator. Longburn's Julie Brougham and Vom Feinsten narrowly lost the level 4 title to Kylie Baker (Auckland).
National titles:
Bates NZ Grand Prix Champion: Penny Castle, Gymstar One.
Bates NZ Grand Prix Kur Champion: Vanessa Way, KH Arvan.
Advanced: Kallista Field (Waikiwi FE); Reserve: Wendi Williamson (Cortaflex Watergate)
Level 5: Ashleigh Williamson (Papanui Don Juan); Reserve: Andrea Bank (Doringcourt)
Level 4: Kylie Baker (Woodsbee); Reserve: Julie Brougham (Vom Feinsten)
Level 3: Vanessa Way (KH Allandro); Reserve: Nicola French (Don Freese)
Level 2: Wendi Williamson (Cortaflex Dejavu MH); Reserve: Anna McIntyre (Cavort)
Level 1: Kieryn Walton (Silver Reef RE); Reserve: Sharlene Storey (Don Zanoni)
Young Dressage Horse Champion: Dante MH (Casey Johnson)