Reigning New Zealand advanced eventing champion Brent Jury faces stiff competition in his quest to defend his title with SE Big this weekend.
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Brent Jury riding SE Big on their victory lap last year. © Take The Moment Photography.
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The 2011 New Zealand Eventing championships take place at Bill Borrie's Richfields Thoroughbred Farm in Te Kauwhata, this weekend, with the dressage and showjumping on Saturday, and the cross-country on Sunday.
Riders from throughout the country will vie for the national one-day titles at four levels from Advanced through to Pre-novice.
The Advanced title for the Forest Gate Trophy, the oldest in the ESNZ cabinet, will be contested by a dozen of the country's elite combinations, including last year's winner, Brent Jury, who has made the trip from Cust in Canterbury. This CIC3* class, sponsored by Wilson Group, is also the third leg of the Bell Tea Super League, and the first opportunity for South Islanders to score points in the series.
Jock Paget, who hit the headlines when placing seventh on Clifton Promise at the Kentucky WEG last year, and recently returned from a successful first season in the UK, will ride Clifton Airtight. Annabel Wigley from Amberley returns to the top level with NRM Enzo, after selling the well performed Black Drum in England, and returning home to produce another team of youngsters.
Members of last year's successful NZ Trans-Tasman Young Rider team are also stepping up, and will provide keen competition for the established riders. Team captain Simon Gordon (Auckland) has two rides, Simply Mitch and Fletch.com, and Ashleigh McKinstry (Taumaranui) has her part-bred Kaimanawa, the well performed Pioneer Makokomiko, contesting his first senior title.
A strong field of 26 combinations will contest the Placemakers CIC2*, with the Waiteko Trophy going to the top placed Intermediate. James Avery and Amarillo, who won the Junior Rider class at Richfields last year, and is the current NZ Young Rider Three-day Event title-holder, will be looking to extend his lead in the Massey University Young Rider series. Avery, who is an apprentice farrier with Jury, comes from Nelson.
Much interest will centre on Cambridge's Lizzie Brown, now based in Britain, who will ride Pioneer Zeuss for Chelsey Hawthorn, who had a nasty fall at Rotorua while leading the Intermediate class three weeks ago. Clarke Johnstone, the 2011 FEI Eventing World Cup winner, also back from a great start to his northern hemisphere campaign, rides Classic Ransom for Heelan Tompkins, so some top performances can be expected.
The Annandale CIC1* class incorporating the Novice title has attracted 37 promising young horses, with former international Donna Smith having three horses entered. The Agrisea Pre-novice title class has 22 entries, while the CIC1* Junior Rider class has nine entries, including Nicole Lansdown and Royalty, who hold second place in the Alltech Junior Rider series.