Tombleson and Mea I third in Gold Tour Final

Great team: Fraser Tombleson guides his home-bred mare Mea 1 over a jump last month. They have been in fine form in the World Cup Series this summer. File picture by Paul Rickard

EQUESTRIAN

GISBORNE farmer Fraser Tombleson and his homebred mare Mea I took third place in the Gold Tour Final at Takapoto Estate Show Jumping in Cambridge yesterday.

Christchurch rider Tegan Fitzsimon and Windermere Cappuccino had the fastest clear round of the 10 combinations to come back for the second round.

In achieving this, they added the Gold Tour Final to the Longines FEI World Cup New Zealand Series and the national grand prix title they had already won this season.

Victory was bittersweet for Fitzsimon, as Windermere Cappuccino is likely to be sold offshore after the Horse of the Year Show in Hawke’s Bay next month.

The Gold Tour Final had 37 combinations to start with, and of the 10 to come back for the second round, Tombleson and Mea I were the first to go clear. Their time was 59.48 seconds.

Australian rider Kate Hinschen and FF Cadel bettered that time around the Gerrit Beker-designed course, recording 58.16 seconds.

Last to jump were Fitzsimon and Windermere Cappuccino, and their clear round in 56.65 seconds was good enough.

Gisborne’s Merran Hain and Untouchable took second place in the Amateur Tour Final behind Whitford’s Jessica Trow and Jack Flash II.

Cambridge rider Emily Hayward and Belischi HM won the Silver Tour Final, and Emma Gaze, of Ohaupo, rode Kowhai Bug to victory in the Bronze Tour Final.

Others to do well over the week were Jessica Collinson (Clevedon) and Ngahiwi Cruise, who took out the Junior Tour Final; Samantha Peters (Cambridge) and Cadillac NZPH, who won the Seven-year-old Tour Final; Kim Best (Hastings) and LT Holst Teacher’s Pet, who won the Six-year-old Tour; former Gisborne rider Luke Dee (Waipukurau) and Chic Xtreme, winners of the Five-year-old Tour; and Lizzie Green (Hamilton) and Caprioska, who took out the Four-year-old Tour.

Some heavy rain in the first week of competition brought challenges for riders and organisers, but conditions yesterday afternoon were almost perfect.

The forecast for the second week of jumping, which starts in earnest on Thursday, looks promising.