EQUESTRIAN: Record entry in horse trials at Takapau

VIRGINIA CARO
A record entry of 250 horses and riders will compete at the Arran Station Horse Trials at Takapau this weekend. Competitors are travelling from throughout the North Island and include New Zealand World Equestrian Games team members Heelan Tompkins, from New Plymouth, and Alex De Luca Oliveira (pictured right), from Cambridge, although their team horses are still in quarantine. Both will be riding horses they are bringing on to replace their top mounts in due course.
Also competing on up-and-coming youngsters is last year's advanced winner Matthew Grayling, also from New Plymouth, who was reserve for the NZ team.
The inevitable lack of international combinations in the year following a world championship or Olympic Games gives aspiring internationals their chance to shine. One expected to do well is Lucy Jackson on Red Stag Mystery Creek, from Cambridge, who leads the Ideal Garages Leaderboard at this early stage of the season, having won the advanced class at Hastings this month.
She will have stiff competition from Kirsten Kelly, Auckland, riding Mitty Forsyth's Phanton Ghost, as well as Barbara Wallis, Rotorua, who has a good track record at Arran Station, having won on a number of occasions. She rides High'n'Dry this time, and also has High'n'Mighty in the intermediate class.
In a first for this popular event, the intermediate class has been divided into two divisions to accommodate the large entry, as well as the novice, pre-novice, and training classes. Age-group classes (under-21 and under-18) are also being run at novice, pre-novice, and training level, to encourage these young riders to stay in the sport without having to compete against experienced professionals.
The event is being presented in the same manner as the Trans-Tasman Special class last year, to expose the top combinations to elite competition.
The main dressage arena will be erected in front of the trade stands, with music playing, flags flying, and a commentator giving the scores of each horse after they leave the arena, which makes this phase of the event interesting for all concerned.
The dressage for all classes takes place on Saturday, along with the lower-level showjumping. The intermediate and advanced showjumping is on Sunday morning, and all classes go cross-country on Sunday.
Arran Station, the PPCS freezing works farm in Fraser Rd, Takapau, provides excellent spectator viewing, and an experienced commentator will keep everyone up with the action. Admission is free, and food and drink is available.