Equestrian: Turn It Blue's looking red hot

CHAMPIONS: Bridget Hansen and Turn It Blue NZPH win the opening round of the Ultramox FEI World Cup Series in Hastings. PHOTO/Glenn Taylor

Wheeling and dealing in horses is the Hansen family's bread and butter in Hawke's Bay but don't expect Turn It Blue to be part of their sales pitch any time soon.

"Selling him is not an option right now because I want to see how far I can take him. I can never say never but hopefully not," Bridget Hansen said after cruising to a sizzling victory on a freezing day in the opening round of New Zealand's Ultramox FEI World Cup Series, which was part of the Hawke's Bay Show, in Hastings yesterday.

It would have passed off as a regulation upset victory any other day but for three factors that pushed it into the realm of a jaw-dropping feat.

Firstly, the 21-year-old rider and her temperamental home-bred grey were a late entry that started on the Kevin Hansen-designed course.

Secondly, it was Turn It Blue's first foray at that level.

"I'm pretty lucky because he's a pretty green horse but he's nice one for the future so I just had to do my job. He's a good horse so he just lapped it all up," Hansen said of the 8-year-old gelding, who jumped a clear first round before repeating the feat as if to say it was no fluke.

Finally, and more significantly, the combo were among pedigree riders such as Katie Laurie (nee McVean, Mystery Creek), Maurice Beatson (Dannevirke), Lucy Akers (Opiki) and Helen McNaught-McFarlane (Taupo) in the dozen hopefuls.

"In a class like that you don't know if you've won until the final jump," said Hansen.

"I knew Katie would go out there with nothing to lose and go fast so it wasn't so much nerves but to stay focused because if there's one second of error it's gone."

With her mount's inexperience, a clear round was a realistic expectation. She sacrificed speed to give him ample room to eye the jump.

"I just had my course fed in my plan so I just wanted to go jump my jumps with him for a clear."

Former series winners Laurie, on Dunstan Kiwi Iron Mark, and Beatson, on first-time cup starter Conyers, as well as Akers, on Tinapai, and Helen McNaught-McFarlane, on cup debutante Carnutelabryere, had faults in the first round and were banking on the winners to rattle the furniture in the second round.

But Hansen, whose parents, Juliette and Warwick Hansen, breed New Zealand Performance horses, showed a life-long affinity with a horse has its advantages.

"We bred him [Blue] and I've ridden him all my life and brought him through the ranks," she said, after building a solid showjumping rapport from the time the horse was 5 years old.

The former Woodford House pupil hopes to take the gelding overseas someday "to see how we go".

She ranks Blue among her favourites at the stable.

"He's got a lot of character and a strong opinion about how he should go.

"He can be a bit difficult and likes to to put on a bit of a show during his warm up. He's quite flighty and a bit scared of strangers but he knows me well and I'd like to think I know him well, too."

That familiarity means Hansen is able to "compromise for him a little bit" to bring out the best in Blue although it is quite often a symbiotic relationship.

"I know his weaknesses and his strengths so I just have to adjust to that and help him out where I can although he helps me out a lot, too," said Hansen, who made her debut at the series level two years ago on Nicolette NZPH.

"She [Nicolette NZPH] gave me all the experience I need to jump around so I owe her a fair bit. Now I can step on to these guys with a little bit of experience and then learn a whole lot more."

Hansen isn't too worried about chasing the world cup series but is gaining some valuable time in the showjumping arena at every round.

"I just want to get out there week after week to do my job and look after him to make sure he keeps going the right way so we'll see where he takes me in a couple of years."

The next rounds are at Mystery Creek (November 14-15), Feilding (December 5-6), Taupo Christmas Classic (December 18-20), Central and Southern Hawke's Bay (January 2-4) and the final at Waitemata (January 10-11) - with the best three to count.

"The maiden title is in my sights but it's not something I'm going to lose sleep over," Hansen said.

She's focused on taking through her team of horses, including Toulon NZPH and Shakespeare NZPH, to the end of the season.

Bay-bred chestnut Toulon, and Hansen, won his maiden grand prix - the Country TV Horse Grand Prix in Gisborne - last weekend.