Top Kiwi showjumper Katie McVean and Dunstan Daffodil spearhead a strong New Zealand team to take on the Australians in a two-test trans-Tasman teams clash next month.
Olympic and World Championships veteran McVean, who this year notched her third consecutive New Zealand World Cup series victory, is backed by Lisa Coupe on Bates Amaretto MVNZ, Bernard Denton on Suzuki and Simon Wilson on Swinger. Susie Hayward is the reserve with her chestnut stallion Andretti.
Coupe has been in fine form this season, picking up three wins and two seconds from seven New Zealand World Cup starts.
Wilson is a winner of all the top New Zealand events over the years, including the Olympic Cup, the national showjumping title, the New Zealand World Cup series among many others.
Denton, who was the New Zealand team farrier for the 2008 Olympics, won the New Zealand World Cup final in 2009 and is often handily placed in the nation's main classes.
Hayward also had a rather handy scorecard from New Zealand's leading classes, including places in both the Olympic Cup and Rutherford Cup.
The Kiwis will take on the visiting Australian at the Equestrian Sports New Zealand Showjumping Series Finals Show in Hawera from March 2 to 4, and again at the 2012 New Zealand Horse of the Year Show in Hastings March 13 to 18 in the $50,000 Silver Fern Stakes.