Top riders hoofng it to Solway showdown

The winning combination in the 2009 New Zealand Speed Horse of the Year will be competing at the Wairarapa show jumping and show hunter championships to be held at Solway Showgrounds tomorrow, Sunday and Monday.
Martinborough horsewoman Anna Stephen will ride Constantine in several events over the three-day show , including the Wairarapa Speed Stakes, set to kick off at about 4pm on Sunday.
A fulltime horse rider, Stephen is certainly no stranger to the winner's circle in the very top circles. She won the New Zealand 7 year Old Series Championship in 2008 and her victory on Constantine in this year's national Speed Horse of the Year event had been preceded by a similar success on Dealer back in 2004.
Stephen will not only have Constantine to keep her in the limelight at Solway, she will also be expecting big things from Black Boy in Monday's Horse Grand Prix. Stephen owns Black Boy in partnership with Craig and Jenny Booth of Whareama and she hopes he will make the step up to World Cup competitions later in the season.
Also featuring in the Horse Grand Prix early on Monday afternmoon this year will be defending champion Doug Isaacson, Olympians Maurice Beatson and Sally Clark, Melanie Purcell, Lucy Akers, Erin Clark and Daniel Webb.All told 11 combinations will be involved.
A strong line-up will also face the starter in the Pony Grand Prix, which gets under way at 12 noon on Monday.Early favourite there will be last year's New Zealand Pony of the Year runner-up Timothy Myers..Local rider Nicki Booth should be prominent in the Junior Rider Championship class.
It's not only the elite riders who will have their moment of glory over the three days though with many lower-level competitors having their day in the sun too.In all a total of 320 horses will strut their stuff and spectators will be able to watch their progress free of charge.