Horses for courses

IN-FORM COMBINATION: Waipukurau rider Brooke Edgecombe, on LT Holst Andrea, will look to continue their good form at this weekend’s Larsen Sawmilling Equestrian Championships, being held at Showgrounds Park from tomorrow morning.Picture by Paul Rickard

Gisborne plays host to some of the nation’s best showjumpers at Showgrounds Park this weekend.

The 31st Larsen Sawmilling Equestrian Championships will start tomorrow and end on Sunday.

Olympic Cup holder – for showjumper of the year – Brooke Edgecombe and her husband Oliver are bringing a full truck from their Waipukurau base.

“It’s a show we really enjoy coming to,” Brooke said.

“It has a great committee, good facilities and great course-builders who always produce nice courses. And it’s a lovely destination.”

Her track record in winning the much-sought-after EvoEvents Horse Grand Prix class isn’t too bad either — between the January jumping show and October’s A&P Show. She and LT Holst Andrea are in their final preparation for the POLi Payments FEI World Cup (NZ League) Series final, which is the following weekend in Hawera.

But first they must beat a small but quality field in Gisborne. Among the competition are Oliver Edgecombe on Fiber Fresh Chesall, long-time Gisborne competitor Julie Davey (Hastings) on Just D, Tyla Hackett (Waiuku) on Global PH Cocofino and Jesse Linton (Hastings) on LT Holst Elsbeth and Kings Larkin.

Jessica McCann is the sole local hope in the Country TV Pony Grand Prix class, on Lay Z Lad. She will be up against the likes of Annie Moffett (Napier) on Korokipo Kid, Samantha-Lee Wakeling (Wellsford) on BMW Sharpshooter, Tessa Mason (Hawke’s Bay) on the well-performed Mr Acho and Zara Preece-Twose (Auckland) on TC Pianoman.

The three-day show includes all the national series classes for both showjumping and show hunter. While entries are slightly lower than in previous years, plenty of talent-stacked classes are there to enjoy, with more than 230 combinations coming from across the North Island.

Kevin Hansen will design the courses in Ring 1, Edward Bullock in Ring 2 and Sandy Richmond in the show hunter arena.

The grounds have been irrigated and look a picture. Members of the public are welcome to attend but must show a vaccine pass and collect a wristband from the Gisborne Riding for Disabled office.

Competition starts at 9am tomorrow and on Saturday, with an 8.30am start on Sunday.

The horse and pony grand prix classes are set to go late in the morning or early in the afternoon on Sunday.