SOME of the country's leading equestrians will be strutting their stuff at the national one-day evening championships at Tauherenikau this weekend. More than 100 entries have been received for a competition which will feature dressage tests tomorrow and spectacular jumping action on Sunday. Adding to the importance of the occasion will bethe presence of the New Zealand selectors who will be looking to finalise their Young Riders team to take on Australia in their annual Trans-Tasman clash. As many as 15 of the country's brightest prospects are fighting for the five available spots in that side and results at Tauherenikau will be viewed carefully in the selection process. A couple of South Islanders in Clarke Johnstone from Otago and Alice Montgomery from Canterbury will be expected to lead the charge, and they won't be over-awed by the Tauhereinikau course, having won there in past competitions. The prestigious Forest Gate Trophy will be up for grabs in the advanced section which has attracted entries from as far afield as Auckland and Canterbury. One of the stars there should be Emily Butcher of Christchurch, who has been long listed for this year's long listed for this year's World Equestrian Games in Germany. Other coveted prizes on offer this weekend include the Waiteko and Ferndale trophies. The Tauhenerikau competition, to which entry is free, is one of two major events on the equestrian calendar, rating alongside the national three-day competition held in Taupo in May. Organisers have constructed a permanent international level jumping course around the Tauherenikau racecourse and nearby farmland with the obstacles also being designed to meet international specifications.
