Equestrian: Just the ticket from Ludo

Logan Massie. Photo / Annie Studholme.

Logan Massie pulled off a pearler of a day at the 2012 New Zealand Horse of the Year Show in Hastings today.

The 18-year-old from Dannevirke won the Young Rider of the Year aboard Kiwi Ludo and was fourth in the Junior Rider of the Year aboard Double J Cloud Nine, after pulling a rail in the jump-off.

"I always back myself but this was a big step up for Ludo,'' he said.

Massie, who last year won both the Junior Rider and Pony of the Year crowns, headed off a 26-strong talent-stacked class.

The first round saw plenty of rails fall, with just four going clear and inside time. Massie, Tegan Fitzsimon (Christchurch) on Alacazam MH, Tim Myers (Taranaki) on Pick Me NZPH and Jake Lambert (Cambridge) on Quality NZPH all came back for a second round.

From that, Fitzsimon, Massie and Myers were all still tied on zero faults.

The jump-off was a superb display of the depth of New Zealand's rising talent.

Fitzsimon was first out on her lovely black horse Alcazam and despite a little heart-stopping moment at the second-to-last, they finished clear in 34.96 seconds.

Next was Massie who also had a hair-raising moment at the same fence but everything stayed up and they stopped the clock at 33.68.

Myers took a couple of rails and finished with eight faults and a time fault, but was by far the fastest time of the round.

"Tim was always going to be the danger man,'' said Massie, who is trained by Oliver Edgecombe and Lisa Coupe.

"Everything just went to plan for us today.... well, except when I dropped the reins coming into the second to last and even though we lost all momentum, Ludo save me. Leopoldo (Palacios) built a very technical course out there that really gave the spectators something to watch.''

Massie, who rides and works on the 1200-hectare family farm, is heading to Ireland for the New Zealand winter, where he will compete in showjumping.

The elite of New Zealand's dressage came out to play at today's show, the crowds significantly swelling as fans gathered to watch Louisa Hill (Clevedon); the sole Kiwi dressage rider to have qualified so far for the London Olympics.

Displaying their trademark elegance, Hill and Bates Antonello did not disappoint, winning by a clear margin on 68.68 per cent, followed by the next cluster of riders separated by less than a couple of percent; Bill Noble (Hamilton) and Airthrey Highlander (63.36 per cent), Nicky Pope (Whitford) and Fabarchie (62.55 per cent), Hannah Appleton (Nelson) and Fiber Fresh Zactac (62.36 per cent) and Kieryn Walton (Taumaranui) and Saraceni (61.60 per cent).

The young riders' class however did not fare so well; caught in a sudden shower of rain and with the atmosphere proving too much for a couple of top-ranked competitors. Current national Young Rider champion Kate Welten (Cambridge) and Amajah took the win with ease on 65.73 per cent, followed by Caitlin Benzie (Auckland) and Greendowns Laredo (62.28 per cent) and Anya Noble (Hamilton) and Microchip in third place on 61.81 per cent.

The Horse of the Year Show culminates on Sunday with the Bell Tea Olympic Cup.

Results:
Showjumping, Young Rider of the Year: Logan Massie (Dannevirke) Kiwi Ludo (owned by Massie and Annette Scott) 1, Tegan Fitzsimon (Christchurch) Alacazam MH 2, Timothy Myers (Taranaki) Pick Me NZPH 3, Jake Lambert (Cambridge) Quality NZPH 4, Joshua Barker (Blenheim) Anabertha 5, Rachael Bentall (Hastings) Kiwi Brave 6.

Junior Rider of the Year: Lily Tootill (Papakura) Ngahiwi Cruise 1, Rebekah van Tiel (Karaka) Leeston Eagle 2, Melanie Weal (Te Awamutu) Cross Your Heart 3, Logan Massie (Dannevirke) Double J Cloud 9 4, Jane Warren (Featherston) Darkages 5, Will Moffett (Hawke's Bay) Dark Vader 6.

Graeme Hansen Memorial Saba Sam Shield: Canterbury (Olivia Robertson, Lucinda Askin, Jaimee Bird, Becky Harkers) 1, Northland (Nakeysha Lammers, Tegan Newman, Olivia Harding, Anna Cooper) 2, Central and Southern Hawkes Bay (Emily Fraser, Morgan Percy, Zoe Strawbridge, Hillary Rowland) 3.

Dressage, Level 5 Horse of the Year: Susan Tomlin (Palmerston North), Giusto. Reserve: Jutta Rosenblatt (Whanganui), Vollrath Lessing. Level 4 Horse of the Year: Laura Mead (Te Aroha), Geishaan. Reserve: Penny Castle (Ashhurst), Magnus Spero. Level 3 Horse of the Year: Anna McIntyre (Tauranga), Cavort. Reserve: Gillian Edgar (Mosgiel), Cordacious. Level 3 Pony of the Year: Mihi Shepherd (Whangarei), Ngahere Romeo. Reserve: Jordan Giltrap (New Plymouth), Celtic Limelight. Level 2 Horse of the Year: Kieryn Walton (Taumaranui), Silver Reef RD

Reserve: Nicola Smith (Hamilton), Fraggle Rock RE. Level 2 Pony of the Year: Caitlin Lally (Kaukapakapa), Prima Bella. Reserve: Shannon Brien (Christchurch), Classic Charm.

Level 1 Horse of the Year: Karen Anderson (Whakatane), Don Qudos. Reserve: Roseanne Rix (Whitemans Valley), Lindisfarne Laureate. Level 1 Pony of the Year: Chelsea Sinnamon (Taumaranui), Kirkwood Appeal. Reserve: Sophie Alexander (Kumeu), Picture Me Painted.