Horse of the Year: Win sets rider up for rest of season

Helen McNaught-McFarlane and Carnutelabryere bask in the glory at yesterday's prizegiving.

Call Helen McNaught-McFarlane British or Kiwi ... she's comfortable either way.

"I suppose I'm a Kiwi now I'm a winner," McNaught-McFarlane quipped after winning the glamour Olympic Cup showjumping event at the Horse of the Year Show which ended at the Hawke's Bay Showgrounds in Hastings yesterday.

McNaught-McFarlane was being quizzed by media on why she was referred to as a Great Britain rider throughout the show but as a Taupo rider earlier in the season. She has been Taupo-based with her husband, Kiwi Olympic showjumper Duncan McFarlane, since 2014 and was happy to be labelled the first British rider to win the Olympic Cup.

Riding the same horse, 10-year-old Polish import Carnutelabryere, she finished second on in her first appearance at the show last year, McNaught-McFarlane was one of 15 starters in the class and one of seven to go clear in the first round. Dannevirke's five-time class champion Maurice Beatson on Conyers, Hikurangi's Amanda Wilson aboard Showtym Cassanova, Waikato's defending champion Katie Laurie on Dunstan On the Point Eve, Aussie Clint Beresford on Emmaville Jittberbug, Waikato's Natasha Brooks on Kapattack and Canterbury's Olivia Robertson on Ngahiwi Cisco were the others.

German course designer Werner Deeg raised the ante in the second round, with fences up to 1.57m. Wilson, McNaught and Aussie James Arkins on his Kiwi bred Rosthwaite Vigilante II went clear but Arkins carried four faults from his first round.

This forced a jump off between McNaught-McFarlane and Wilson. McNaught- McFarlane went first and produced another clear round in 52.68s.

When Wilson and her 11-year-old pinto took a brick from the wall on their second jump McNaught-McFarlane had the $40,000 first prize.

"I knew Amanda was green at this level and if I pushed her she will make a mistake. At the same time my horse was tired and that last fence was a bit nerve-wracking," McNaught-McFarlane said.

She will be back at the show again next year.

"This is the show. It has a European feel and it's the show where the money is ... it pays for my year."

She pointed out one of the keys to her success were the numerous bananas she fed to her horse before and during the class.

McNaught-McFarlane was full of praise for Deeg.

"We need designers like you to improve the sport and raise the standard."

Deeg said some may be critical of the fact seven riders went clear in the first round.

"The first round does not have to kill horses and riders to get results. I like to show spectators the beauty of the sport. There were no eliminations and no riders fell down ... there was drama in the jump off and this is what we needed," he added.

Wilson didn't blame the dropped brick on her horse.

"He was incredible out there. That whoopsie wasn't his fault - it was a bit of a miscommunication between us. He is a very extraordinary horse."

It is just their fourth season competing. Wilson bought the horse sight unseen as an eight-year-old off Trade Me. He is called Cassanova for the perfectly shaped heart on his neck.

Canterbury's Steffi Whittaker, riding Ngahiwi Cruise, won the Fiber Fresh Junior Rider of the Year class earlier in the day. Waikato's Drew Carson, who rode Double Shott, was second.

There was hot competition in the dressage arena between Rio hopefuls Julie Brougham of Manawatu aboard Vom Feinsten and Waikato's John Thompson on JHT Antonello.

Brougham had to concede her Dressage Horse of the Year crown to Thompson, riding in his first HOY, but she did set a new Australasian mark for the musical freestyle, bettering her year-old effort from last year's HOY. She also nabbed her last necessary qualifying score that will make her eligible for Rio.

Thompson was chuffed to score two personal best scores.