Beatson wins by fine margin

GRAND PRIX STYLE: Olympian Maurice Beatson and his home-bred horse Schimmel Warrior on their way to victory in the horse grand prix at the Gisborne Show. Picture by Paul Rickard

SEVEN hundredths of a second was all it took for showjumping veteran Maurice Beatson to take the honours in the Equissage Horse Grand Prix at the Poverty Bay A and P Show in Gisborne on Saturday. A small field lined up for the “big” class of the show — a mixture of experience and youth duelling it out.

Just three made it through to the jump-off over the Roger Laplanche-designed course. First out was Jesse Linton (Hastings) and Strathcarron Zaurak, the chestnut he co-owns with Sue Thompson.

Despite a gentle nudge of the last fence, they left everything up and staked a claim on the Hikurangi Memorial Cup and Graeme and Bruce Hansen Cup, stopping the clock at 41.63 seconds.

Next out was young gun Emily Hayward-Morgan (Te Awamutu) and AP Ninja.

She and her mother Rachel Holdsworth had opted to travel from the Waikato for the 140-year-old provincial show, and it paid big dividends for them.

The 16-year-old won both the Telford Junior Rider and Canterbury Equestrian Young Rider classes earlier in the show. The talented young jockey rode a great jump-off, finishing with four faults in 43.38 after taking a rail midcourse.

Former Olympian and World Cup representative Beatson (Dannevirke) can never be underestimated, and he came out flying aboard the big grey home-bred horse Schimmel Warrior.

They took the class in 41.56, thanks to an inside turn midway through the course. Beatson was rapt.

“Schimmel hasn’t won a grand prix for a while, so this is great,” he said. “It was his day, I guess.”

It was a good show for Beatson and his partner Sally Clark. Beatson won both 1.4m classes with Schimmel’s half-brother Mandalay Cove, and Clark won the 1.2m aboard Victoria’s Secret.

All seven of the horses in their truck headed home with at least a single ribbon.

“This is a great show,” said Beatson, who has been making the trip to Gisborne for more years than he cares to count. “It’s always nice weather, good grounds and fabulous facilities — and it’s the perfect run-up for Hastings and the opening World Cup round.”

Leeshelle Small (Auckland) and Tallyho Bandit won the Country TV Open Pony Grand Prix ahead of local hope Sinead Dolman and Strawberry Fields.

Results —Equissage Horse Grand Prix: Maurice Beatson (Dannevirke) Schimmel Warrior 1; Jesse Linton (Hastings) Strathcarron Zaurak 2; Emily Hayward-Morgan (Te Awamutu) AP Ninja 3; Maurice Beatson (Dannevirke) Conyers 4; Daniel Blundell (Ocean Beach) Romeo NZPH 5; Paula Mussen (Auckland) KK Tane Mahuta 6.

Caledonian Amateur Rider Series: Jenny Tombleson (Gisborne) Nero Bello 1; Catherine Fawcett-McNaughton (Pukekohe) Meersbrook Flintstone 2; Caroline Sutherland (Whakatane) Letty 3; Rachel Martin (Hawke’s Bay) Finnesse 4; Caroline Parkes (Wairoa) Pakarae Lass 5; Glen Hicks (Hastings) Weiti Aubergine 6.

Telford Junior Rider Series: Emily Hayward-Morgan (Te Awamutu) Wasabi 1; Will Moffett (Napier) Centrico 2; Matt Irvine (Takapau) Oscar Star 3; Georgia Massie (Dannevirke) Double J Cloud 9 4; Sarah McKinnon (Wairoa) Matilda II 5; Sam Spence (Gisborne) Driving Ambition 6.

Junior rider equitation: Emily Hayward-Morgan (Te Awamutu) Wasabi 1; Will Moffett (Napier) Centrico 2; Georgia Massie (Dannevirke) Double J Cloud 9 3; Matt Irvine (Takapau) Oscar Star 4; Sarah McKinnon (Wairoa) Matilda II 5; Sam Spence (Gisborne) Driving Ambition 6.

Canterbury Equestrian Young Rider Series: Emily Hayward-Morgan (Te Awamutu) Yandoo Lady Gold 1; Rebecca Porter (Napier) Kiwi Jet 2; Larina Dolman (Gisborne) Kiwi Lansing 3; Georgia Massie (Dannevirke) Kiwi Ironheart 4; Matt Irvine (Takapau) Lansbury Grosve 5; Emily Hayward-Morgan (Te Awamutu) AP Ninja 6.

Country TV Open Pony Grand Prix: Leeshelle Small (Auckland) Tallyho Bandit 1; Sinead Dolman (Gisborne) Strawberry Fields 2.

ESNZ Seven-year-old Series: Jesse Linton (Hastings) Kiwi Doll 1; Caroline Parkes (Wairoa) Peggy Blue 2; Maurice Beatson (Dannevirke) Radiant 3; Helen Kippen (Ocean Beach) Velocity NZPH 4; Tom Tarver (Kawerau) Fiesta MVNZ 5; Caroline Kennedy (Ohaupo) Smoken Up 6.

Mitavite Six-year-old Series: Melissa Marriner (Auckland) Big Bird, Jenny Tombleson (Gisborne) Nero Bello and Rachel Martin (Hawke’s Bay) Finnesse equal 1.

East Coast Performance Horses Five-year-old Series: Helen Kippen (Ocean Beach) Bandito NZPH and Dani Maurer (Auckland) Le Bam equal 1.

Further results from Day 2 of equestrian competition (all Gisborne unless stated) —Showing, hunter jumping ponies, novice pony hunter over fences (0-2 wins): Hannah Wallbank, Tishka 1; Toby Wallbank, Splash of Panache 2; Ally Stevenson (Hastings) Tallyho Fantail 3; Sage Harding, Tendulkar 4.

Novice pony hunter over fences (0-5 wins): Milly Dever (Wairoa) Bridie 1; Tessa Wallace (Hastings) Oporaes Sky High 2; Hannah Wallbank, Tishka 3; Ally Stevenson (Hastings) Tallyho Fantail 4.

Open pony hunter over fences 138cm and under: Grace Stevenson (Hastings) Maxwellton Dashing Dougall 1; Greta Margo Apatu (Waipukurau) Bexley Lodge Tinkerbella 2.

Open pony hunter over fences, over 138cm and not exceeding 148cm: Tessa Wallace (Hastings) Oporaes Sky High 1; Anna Rasmussen (Hastings) Triple Star Touch of Colour 2; Milly Dever (Wairoa) Bridie 3.

Junior equitation, riders 12 and under on ponies 148cm and under: Grace Stevenson (Hastings) Maxwellton Dashing Dougall 1; Annabel Kerr (Hastings) Vanace Dolce 2.

Riders 13 to 17 on ponies 148cm and under: Denby-Rose Tait (Napier) Oaklanes Up The Tempo 1.