Equestrian: Samantha Felton closes gap in ESNZ Eventing Super League

Samantha Felton. Photo / File

Winning the National Eventing Championship at the weekend's Kihikihi International Horse Trials has catapulted Matangi's Samantha Felton into second place in the ESNZ Eventing Super League.

Felton's victory on Ricker Ridge Escada has closed the gap on runaway leader Donna Edwards-Smith in the Waipa Home of Champions CIC3* class .

Te Kauwhata's defending champion Edwards-Smith, who was riding with a severely sprained ankle, retired DSE Hokey Pokey after a problem early on the crosscountry course, and subsequently withdrew DSE Tangolooma. She conceded she was not fit enough to ride John Nicholson's course which was a huge challenge without an added handicap.

Nine of the 17 starters finished Saturday's crosscountry, with six being eliminated after having problems negotiating the technical combinations with tight curves to corners or "skinnies".

The scoreboard was totally scrambled. Dressage leader Sarah Young, on Leo Degas, and the second-equal riders, Dannie Lodder on Balmoral Henton and Brent Jury on SE Hedging, all failed to finish.

There were four clear rounds, all with time penalties, Felton posting the fastest time with 15.6 time penalties, moving up from sixth place after the dressage to hold the overnight lead on 69.2 penalties. Andy Daines and Spring Panorama lay second after adding 26.4 time penalties to their fifth-placed dressage score, on 79.1 penalties.

Bundy Philpott and Tresca NZPH rocketed up from 11th after the dressage to lie third on 79.4, adding 23.2 time penalties at Tresca's second 3* start. Philpott rode positively but conservatively, having not competed at 3* level herself since a nasty fall at the NRM National Three-day Event in Taupo nearly three years ago.

The fourth clear round came from the versatile Chloe Phillips-Harris on Cor-Jet, who moved up from 17th after the dressage to hold fourth place on 92.1 penalties after incurring 27.6 time penalties. Phillips-Harris has previously completed the Mongol Derby, the world's longest endurance race, riding Mongolian ponies.

Phillips-Harris produced one of only two clear showjumping rounds to retain her place, the other coming from Sarah Dalziel-Clout on Benrose Super Star in fifth place. Philpott jumped clear but incurred two time penalties, while Daines had two rails down and three time penalties to relinquish the runnerup spot to the surprised but deserving Philpott.

Felton also had two rails down but retained top spot to win the title, and leap into second place in the ESNZ Eventing Super League as a result. She must surely have bagged a place in the New Zealand team for the Oceania Championships in Melbourne in June in the process, with a training squad to be named shortly.

ESNZ Eventing Super League standings:
Donna Edwards-Smith (Te Kauwhata), DSE Mr Hokey Pokey, 150 pts; Samantha Felton (Matangi), Ricker Ridge Escada, 129 pts; Virginia Thompson (Kaukapakapa), Star Nouveau, 102 pts; Andrew Daines (Kumeu), Spring Panorama, 96 pts; Brent Jury (Rangiora), SE Hedging, 90 pts; Felton, Ricker Ridge Pico Boo, 78 pts.