EQUESTRIAN: Thomson leaps to the top

VIRGINIA CARO
Georgie Thomson (Wanganui) was rewarded for her patience with fiery mare Rosee when the combination won the advanced class at the Arran Station Horse Trials at Takapau over the weekend, leaping on to the Ideal Garages Leaderboard in equal top spot.
The school teacher has persevered with the talented but temperamental Rosee as they came through the grades, to win in convincing style. They were second after Saturday's dressage on a score of 36.7, and had one rail down plus one time penalty in the showjumping phase to drop to third place overnight.
However, dressage leader Kirsten Kelly (Auckland), who scored 35.8 penalties with Mitty Forsyth's Phantom Ghost and also had one showjumping rail down, had a run-off at a corner fence near the end of the cross-country on Sunday to drop out of contention.
Alice Montgomery (Christchurch), re-united with NRM Gordon to try for the NZ Young Rider team to contest the trans-Tasman test at Te Kauwhata in December, was third after the dressage on a score 37.1 and also had one showjumping rail down, but held second place overnight thanks to Thomson's time penalty. Thomson wasted no time on the cross-country, coming home with just 7.2 time penalties for a final score of 48.9 to Montgomery's 12.4 penalties and final score of 53.5, to take the lead ahead of Montgomery, and win the $1000 first prize sponsored by Red Snap'r of Waipukurau.
But Montgomery, an architecture student at Victoria University in Wellington, deserves credit for her performance, having not ridden the horse since Matthew Grayling took over the ride when she started university last year, and has done her chances of selection no harm.
Third place went to another young rider, Dominique Law (Auckland) and Flintlock, who were fourth after the dressage on 40.6, but had two showjumping rails down. However, they also incurred just 7.2 cross-country time penalties for a final score of 55.8.
* Ideal Garages Eventing Leaderboard:
Standings after 3 events: G. Thomson, Rosee, 12 pts; L. Jackson, Red Stag Mystery Creek, 12 pts; A. Montgomery, NRM Gordon, 10 pts; M. Finlayson, Lionheart, 10 pts; E. Ewbank, Habakkuk-Clannad, 10 pts; D. Law, Flintlock, 8 pts; K. McQuarters, Double Chocolate, 7 pts; K. Kelly, Phantom Ghost, 6 pts.