Equestrian: Hastings rider set for international champs

Hastings' own Phoebe Burns will take part in the 2017 Equestrian Sports New Zealand Jumping Series tomorrow. Photo / File

All roads lead to Masterton this week for the Glistening Waters 2017 Equestrian Sports New Zealand Jumping Series Final Show.

The show, one of the highlights on the annual equestrian calendar, features the finals of all the national showjumping and show hunter series class which run throughout the season.

More than 400 horses have been entered for the thre- day show which also features the FEI Children's International Competition.

Emma Watson (Morrinsville) and Fun House, who won the New Zealand FEI Children's International Competition last year, are again named in the team, alongside Phoebe Burns (Hastings) on Galaxy Masterpiece, Crystal Hackett (Waiuku) on Cracklin Rose and Emma-Kate Wilson (Hamilton) on Bjorking. Riders compete as individuals and as a team, which receives a world ranking to find the final result.

The global competition is run for 12-14 year olds, who jump the same course. Faults are tallied and the top 15 combinations head to the world final where they will compete on borrowed horses.

But this weekend, they have their own superstars and will go head-to-head in four rounds over two days.

The show has attracted horse and riders, ranging in age from nine to 70-plus, from all over New Zealand.

Plenty of work has gone into Solway Showgrounds where organisers say the grounds are looking a picture, with ideal footing for the horses.

A highlight of the show will be tomorrow night's awards dinner where the series champs will be crowned. The evening has received plenty of support from local businesses, including Copthorne Solway Park, Fairmont Estate, Spark NZ Wairarapa Hub, Bayleys Country, the Borthwick Estate and Cottier Estate.

Heather McDonald has been creating the challenging courses for those competing in ring one. The show is being livestreamed all three days through JXSport.tv, with Wairarapa TV coming to the party for locals who can watch the broadcast on Freeview (channel 41).