Equestrian: New crop rise to challenge

There's a double change happening in the New Zealand eventing world - not only are the younger crop of riders pushing their way to the top, they are having to do so in a new, shorter three-day format.

With the departure of the Olympic and world champions Mark Todd, Vaughn Jefferis and Blyth Tait, the new brigade are striving to take their places and keep New Zealand at the forefront of the sport.

At the Athens Olympics, Taranaki pair Heelan Tompkins and Matthew Grayling showed there is life after the legends by finishing seventh and 15th respectively.

Alongside them, there are names to watch for in the lead-up to the 2006 World Games in Aachen, Germany, and the Beijing Olympics two years later who are in action at the Puhinui three-star event in Manukau this weekend.

They include Kerikeri's Kate Hewlett and Jonelle Richards, of Christchurch, who were the Olympic reserves, and Brookby's Kate Lambie, three-star winner at Puhinui three years ago.

Alongside them are the likes of Bryce Newman and Daniel Jocelyn, who was 29th at Athens, older and more seasoned competitors.

As well as aiming for the stars, and picking up the baton from the retired heroes, they are also having to learn to handle a new format, which has shortened the duration of the cross-country leg.

At Puhinui, some riders will get a taste of the changes for the first time.

Lambie on her promising eight-year-old Charlton Noted is one. They are contesting the medium-grade two-star event, but Lambie has high hopes for the gelding.

At 29, Lambie has been contesting at the top flight for several years.

She and her favourite horse, Nufarm Alibi, were fifth at the famous Badminton trial in England in 2002, and 17th at the World Games in Jerez, Spain, the same year. They finished 18th at Badminton this year, and had a royal chance of Olympic selection for Athens, but for an untimely leg injury to the horse.

Now the horse is in foal and sidelined for about 18 months.

Riding school instructor Hewlett was 15th at Badminton this year on her nine-year-old Internet, having been second at Puhinui last year.

Richards is the leading light among a group of highly-promising South Island riders starting to make their mark and has ambition to burn, with Aachen and the Beijing Olympics in her sights.

"There's a new generation coming through," Lambie said. "They are determined and focused, and we are all out there ready to do our best. In my case, having ridden at higher levels, I now know what is expected and what has to be worked on."

The changes to eventing across the globe revolve around the pivotal second day of competition.

The key cross-country stage has been adjusted. The roads and tracks section and steeplechase which preceded the actual cross-country phase have gone, although the cross-country itself is roughly the same distance.

In the case of Puhinui, that's a tick over 5000m and has an optimum completion time of nine minutes. The key is getting the horses warmed up by means other than the steeplechase - and ensuring riders don't treat the trimming back as turning it into a jazzed up one-day event in physical terms.

"You need really good jumpers, but also good horses on the flat," Lambie said. "The whole sport is changing, and yes it might take a couple of years to get used to the new format."

In 24-year-old Richards' case, she'll do it in Britain. She's off in January to further her career, recognising regular tougher competition is essential.

"Here we definitely need to raise our game," she said. "That's been the big eye-opener having spent so much time in England over the past 18 months, just how good they are and how far behind we are, particularly in dressage.

"We don't have the foundation in NZ. You are constantly exposed to the best riders in the world there. We get by and do okay here, so you don't constantly raise yourself."

She is riding Brookland, an 11-year-old gelding, at Puhinui in his first three-star event.

If the horse does well in England, Richards hopes that would give her two options with Aachen in mind, alongside her first choice, 10-year-old Mazetto, who was her Olympic reserve ride. She also finished 17th with Mazetto at Badminton this year.