Top riders converge on Masterton

SOUTH ISLAND STAR: Olivia Robertson and Ngahiwi Cisco strut their stuff.PHOTOS/SUPPLIED

THE STANDARD of performance is guaranteed to be high when the Wairarapa Area Showjumping and Showhunter Group hold their premier league show at Solway Showgrounds in Masterton over the three days of Labour weekend.

This event is part of the Equestrian Sport New Zealand jumping season calendar and provides competitors with the chance to boost their standings on the national Horse and Rider Series points tables.

Group spokeswoman Jenny Booth says the "very picturesque" Solway Showgrounds will be in tip-top order for a busy programme with caretaker Brian Tatton and newly-appointed manager Melissa Warren opening the gates for the trucks to roll in tomorrow so that everything is in readiness for the competitions which will run from Saturday to Monday.

Five rings will be used. four for showjumping and one for showhunter, with the feature likely to be the second round of the North Island FEI World Jumping Challenge which is pretty much open to every rider in the country aged over 14. Riders will compete on horses over three height categories with each category involving two events over two days.

The first round of the challenge was held at Equidays at the Mystery Creek Events Centre last weekend and there will be three rounds in all before it is finalised at the National Equestrian Centre's Christmas Classic Show in December. Both the North Island and South Island winners will go on to represent New Zealand in the Australasian pool standings and, depending how they fare, could then take on the rest of the world.

With events of that importance on the programme it is little wonder that some of New Zealand's top riders will be converging on Masterton. Among them will be Kate Laurie, who represented New Zealand at the World Cup finals in Las Vegas in April, Helen McNaught and Duncan McFarlane, who have both starred on the international scene and have now moved back to New Zealand to settle in Taupo, and South Island Young Rider of the Year Olivia Robertson. Former Olympian Maurice Beatson will there in full force, bringing no fewer than nine horses with him.

Booth said entry to the public over all three days would be free and they will be able to "settle back and watch some great displays of jumping by equestrian's finest".