Young rider big part of NZ win

FLAG BEARER: Rebecca Benge and her New Zealand team won an international mounted games competition against squads from Australia and South Africa last weekend. PHOTO/LEWIS GARDNER 121214WCLGRIDER2

She has been winning national titles since she was 10 years old, but Wanganui rider Rebecca Benge now has an international mounted games crown to go with it.

The 14-year-old was the youngest competitor in the senior national team which won an international Tri-Series between five teams from New Zealand, Australia and South Africa last weekend in Northland.

Competing at the Kaikohe Showgrounds, each team had five riders plus a reserve who entered the various horse games like lifting objects off poles, spearing targets at a trot, and getting off the pony to run across obstacles or grab a target sock before quickly remounting.

"There's four sets of six different games in one session," said Benge.

Following those sessions, the best riders went on to the finals where they earned double points for their teams, with the collective score deciding the winner.

"For me, it was probably the biggest thing I've ever done," said Benge.

"I rode pretty well, I think I made five mistakes out of 34 games."

It was also a challenge for the riders who were not on their own mounts in order to make the competition equal.

Mounted Games ponies are mostly a specific mixed breed of horse, considered too fast or not disciplined enough for show ring events.

It can take up to three years of training with their own rider to be ready but in Kaikohe all the horses were put into a pool from which they were allocated to various teams.

A proud moment for Benge was riding out for the ceremonial parades - coming out last before the event as the host nation, then first as the champions at the conclusion.

The younger sister of Kelli Benge, also a successful mounted games rider, Benge has previously won individual national titles at Under 12 and Under 14 level, to which she added the Under 17 teams title earlier this year.

She is now preparing for next year's national competitions in March and April, starting in Hamilton and then moving on to the Horse of the Year event in Hastings.