Ex-diesel mechanic rides away with $150,000

ANENDRA SINGH
It was yet another rip snorter Kelt Capital Horse of the Year Show but just don't ask Kevin Hansen if he's celebrating.
``How can you when the bloody Australians win. It's terrible,' the jovial show director told Hawke's Bay Today.
But a circumspect Mr Hansen was philosophical about etching the name of Queenslander Peter McMahon on the Bell Tea Olympic Cup, after he clinched the first prize of $150,000 in the $750,000 feature event.
``Sport is sport and we got beaten today. That's the beauty of sport, isn't it?'
He lamented the inability of the Kiwi riders to ensure they kept a stranglehold on the biggest showjumping event in the southern hemisphere.
``We don't want our money to go across the Tasman but that's life.'
McMahon, 27, a former diesel mechanic turned professional equestrian, and his temperamental grey mare, KS Genoa, received a standing ovation from the thousands of fans who crammed into the Hawke's Bay Showgrounds arena to watch 25 elite rider/mount combinations try to tame the world-class course that Venezuelan Leopoldo Placios had designed.
While the parochial crowd groaned and shared the pain of each dropped rail and stubborn horses refusing to jump, they were unanimous in applauding Australian Beijing Olympian McMahon after two clear rounds.
New Zealand Showjumping chef d'equipe to Beijing last year, Greg Best, of Otane, said halfway through the event: ``Oh, it's carnage at the moment.'
It wasn't until the 12th combination, that Jamie Winning, of Australia, on Vangelo Des Hazelles, went clear and McMahon emulated his young compatriot as the 23rd combination.
Twelve competitors made the cut for the second round. While four combinations had flawless rounds, Winning wasn't one of them.
Eliminated, the young Aussie rider exited the course fuming.
Two Australians, Atlanta Olympics team eventing gold medallist Wendy Schaeffer (Koyuna Sun Set), Julia Hargreaves (Copabella Haymen)and overseas-based Waikato combo Samantha McIntosh (Lindberg des Hayettes) and Hawera's Robert Steele (Gospel) were second equal.
The weather tested the spectators. It felt like four seasons crammed into an hour as it spat intermittently, got sultry before temperatures plummeted on the heels of a stiff breeze without much indication.
Hansen said while he didn't have exact figures from the show, the turnover was going to be just below $2.9 million.
``It's been a tough month or two,' he said.
``The cost of running the show has been more than last year (by $850,000) because sponsorship has been a lot tougher to get in the last month. Even though we had it all crossed off by January some sponsors fell over.
``We'll sit down with (chief sponsors) Kelt Capital to see where we go from here although (Hastings merchant banker) Mr (Sam) Kelt has been very good to us.
``We're going to wrap up this up and work towards 2010 now.'
With an average of 20-30,000 people attending the show, Mr Hansen was hopeful the numbers would have been boosted by more than 80,000 over last year's attendance.
While he could not confirm how many spectators were escort ed from the premises for bad behaviour, Mr Hansen praised the police presence.
``It's the first time they have been there for the entire duration of the show.'