In the second, running in reverse order, it came down to Horsburgh and Watson. Horsburgh was on Showtym Endeavour, the chestnut who won the same class in the hands of Horsburgh’s sister Deanna last year.
This is Horsburgh’s first season with the well-performed pony but that didn’t stop them setting a slick pace and applying plenty of pressure to Watson.
But she stuck to her plan.
“I was just to ride off my natural ability and not worry about what the others were doing,” the 14-year-old said.
“I was just riding for myself.”
Just as well, as plenty of faults were being accumulated by others.
“There were plenty of hairy moments in the second round but we got there,” Watson said.
“I am just so happy that Pink (as Fun House is generally known) is jumping well again — she hasn’t been going as well as usual in the past few weeks.”
The pony is part quarter horse and part appaloosa, the former coming in handy in a jump-off.
“She can turn on nothing and I can feel the real power from behind. It comes in handy sometimes.”
Horsburgh stopped the clock at 53.87 seconds, so Watson knew she had no room for error. She slid round corners where none had dared, and came home in 51.07 seconds.
“I knew we were going fast but I wasn’t 100 percent sure we had gone fast enough. I really had to work for it out there today. It’s a pretty special win for me.”
Watson has had 12-year-old Pink for three years. It was at this show four years ago that she first saw the pony with previous rider Matt Irvine.
Watson has a bet with call steward Blake Keane: if she wins she has to shout him an icecream, otherwise he has to stump up. It’s friendly banter brought up every time the two cross paths.
Keane says she’s been a little tricky about delivering the ice cream, but the two have a date at the Horse of the Year Show, where she’s hoping to have a big win.
“Pony of the Year. I definitely hope so. That's the goal.”
Fun House has won the title before with Irvine, so not much stands between Watson and the crown, except a field of New Zealand’s best ponies and riders.
But Watson is no slouch. She recently represented New Zealand at the FEI Children’s International Classic Final for the second time, and she and her cheeky pink pony are leading the Country TV Pony Grand Prix Series.
She plans to give Pink a bit of a break in the lead-in to the Horse of the Year Show.
She loved her trip to Gisborne, and the 10 days on the road with mum Melissa. The Rere rockslide was a highlight.
“This is such a great show to come to. It's just awesome and the grounds are fabulous.”
She had other good results, too. Pink won the pony 1.15m-1.2m and Watson’s horse Maddox Kiwi Silverkee took out the open 1.2m and was second in the junior rider with equitation.
MORE RESULTS IN TOMORROW’S HERALD
