Gisborne Herald
  • Gisborne Herald Home
  • Latest news
  • Business
  • Lifestyle
  • Sport

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Business
  • Lifestyle
  • Sport

Locations

  • Gisborne
  • Bay of Plenty
  • Hawke's Bay

Media

  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

Weather

  • Gisborne

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Premium
Home / Gisborne Herald / Sport

Bring on the Aussies: solid NZ team named for Trans-Tasman Teams’ Challenge this weekend in Gisborne

Gisborne Herald
23 Jan, 2024 10:55 PMQuick Read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save
    Share this article

    Reminder, this is a Premium article and requires a subscription to read.

A109 Light Utility Helicopter flight with mayor Gisborne City from the air in November 2023.

A109 Light Utility Helicopter flight with mayor Gisborne City from the air in November 2023.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

It’s time for Australasia’s top young riders to shine at the Trans-Tasman Teams’ Challenge — one of the highlights of the Larsen Sawmilling Equestrian Championships in Gisborne this weekend.

The Kiwis have named a solid team in Emma Gillies (Oamaru), Johanna Wylaars (Christchurch), Dylan Bibby (Onga Onga) and Liam Rutland (Te Awamutu), with Molly Moffatt (Christchurch) the reserve.

All are in the ESNZ high performance talent ID squad.

Chef d’equipe Oliver Edgecombe (Waipukurau) says each of the New Zealand riders have shown they can ride any type of horse, which stands the nation in good stead in the hotly contested event.

“These are all good riders who have shown they can compete under pressure,” says Edgecombe.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

“The Aussies will be strong, too, so we are all looking forward to a good competition.”

Australia reigned supreme both times the two nations met last year — in Gisborne and Sydney — the first time since 2017 they had claimed the honours, and they’ll be hungry to retain it.

The 1.2-metre competition is run over three days. There are two rounds a day and riders swap between two pools of borrowed mounts.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

It is the second call-up to the young rider team for Rutland and Wylaars while Bibby has previously been a reserve and Gillies will make her debut.

Wylaars, 17, says the competition is a great way to experience a team environment.

“I’m looking forward to the challenge of adjusting to the different horses in the competition,” she says. “It is a fun and different competition to ride in.”

Rutland, 16, is “stoked” to be named.

“I am happy to see some of my hard work paying off,” he says. “I know the Aussies will be pretty good so I’m looking forward to it. I am used to riding all sorts of different horses, so that will be helpful.”

Bibby, 19, who represented New Zealand at the 2022 Youth Equestrian Games at CHIO Aachen in Germany, is chuffed to be in the team.

“There are a lot of good riders around at the moment so I am pretty happy to be named,” he says. “It’s going to be great to be jumping in that team environment again. I learned a lot when I went to Aachen.”

Gillies was “ecstatic” to get the call-up.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

“I have been trying hard to get my achievements up there so this is exciting. I am looking forward to everything and am just so grateful to be part of the team.”

'We have quality over quantity for the show': Kaye

The Aussie team are Jack Barker, 16, Hayden Parker, 18, Elissa Stevens, 16 and Cody Ticknall, 18. Olivia Price is reserve.

Parker was in both recent winning Australian young rider teams and was fifth overall in the senior championship at the Victorian State Showjumping Championships last year.

Stevens won the 2023 Magic Millions juniors and the junior showjumping at the Royal Adelaide Show two years ago.

Barker was the overall junior champion at the 2023 Australian Showjumping Championships and won the New South Wales State Showjumping Young Rider Championships, alongs with the Stal Tops Australian Young Rider Series in 2023.

Ticknall was runner-up to Barker in the series and took out the junior championship at the Caboolture World Cup Show.

The Trans-Tasman young rider competition is part of the Larsen Sawmilling Champs. President of the ground jury Kaye Williams says the grounds are looking magnificent.

Donella Still is designing the courses in Ring 1, Edward Bullock in Ring 2 and Sandy Richmond in the show hunter arena.

“We have quality over quantity for the show,” says Kaye, also tipping her hat to the committee.

“They are an amazing group of young ones who have stepped up and done a great job.”

• The show gets under way on Friday and runs through to Sunday at Showgrounds Park.

Save
    Share this article

    Reminder, this is a Premium article and requires a subscription to read.

Latest from Sport

Sport

Coromandel first in 50th game between Swamp Foxes and Kaupoi

19 Sep 06:19 AM
Sport

Karen Hay still going strong 50 years after maiden success

19 Sep 05:00 AM
Sport

'Fire and desire': South Canterbury send Poverty Bay Heartland warning

19 Sep 04:46 AM

Sponsored

Kiwi campaign keeps on giving

07 Sep 12:00 PM
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Sport

Coromandel first in 50th game between Swamp Foxes and Kaupoi
Sport

Coromandel first in 50th game between Swamp Foxes and Kaupoi

Hone Haerewa to lead Coast side looking for first Heartland Championship points of 2025.

19 Sep 06:19 AM
Karen Hay still going strong 50 years after maiden success
Sport

Karen Hay still going strong 50 years after maiden success

19 Sep 05:00 AM
'Fire and desire': South Canterbury send Poverty Bay Heartland warning
Sport

'Fire and desire': South Canterbury send Poverty Bay Heartland warning

19 Sep 04:46 AM


Kiwi campaign keeps on giving
Sponsored

Kiwi campaign keeps on giving

07 Sep 12:00 PM
NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Gisborne Herald
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Gisborne Herald
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • NZME Events
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Photo sales
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP