Fitzsimon World Cup Hat Trick at Hawera

It’s the second round of the POLi Payments FEI World Cup (NZ) Series on Sunday and back to back victor Tegan Fitzsimon will be chasing a hat trick with her very talented horse Windermere Cappuccino at the Egmont A&P Show in Hawera.
The West Melton rider, who has based her team in the Waikato for the season, has won the round at Hawera for the past two years as well winning the series opener in Hawke’s Bay last month.
True to form, she likes to play things close to her chest. “I just want Vollie (Windermere Cappuccino) to go out there feeling confident and happy, which hopefully will produce a good round,” she says. She has both 10-year-old Windermere Cappuccino and debutant eight-year-old Campari on the card, but plans to just see how Campari goes early in the show before making the final call.
It’s another star-stacked field though, with two-time final winner Brooke Edgecombe (Waipukurau) entered on her very consistent LT Holst Andrea, alongside Olympic Cup winner Briar Burnett-Grant (Taupo) on Fiber Fresh Veroana, Melody Matheson (Waipukurau) with Cortaflex Graffiti MH and new combination Logan Massie (Dannevirke) on the striking stallion Bravado Ego Z. Veteran Maurice Beatson (Dannevirke) who has ridden for New Zealand at World Cup finals, Olympic Games and World Champs has Central Park, in just their second World Cup round together.
Certainly one to watch though is 18-year-old Annabel Francis (Taupo) who has her Aussie imports Carado GHP and La Quinara. She and Carado GHP were second in the opening round in Hawke’s Bay last month and she’s expecting a double clear from the feisty grey. “He is very brave and I know he will always try,” says Annabel. “He is my most difficult horse to ride and very quirky and spooky.”
She’s looking to get the “very talented” La Quinara established at this height. “I am just very lucky I do have such a talented and scopey team,” she says.
Also entered is Robert Steele (Dannevirke) aboard LT Holst Bernadette, Kimberley Bird (Ashburton) and Cera Cassina, Drew Carson (Putaruru) on Winston V Driene, Heloise Tolo (Wellington) aboard Kiwi Bird and Simon Wilson (Waipukurau) atop McMillans Ariados.
Rounding out the field is first-timer Daniel Webb (Hunterville) and his nine-year-old bay WSJ Centaur.
Riders are confident the going will be its usual top-notch at the showgrounds. The class is set to go on Sunday afternoon with the course designed by Gerrit Beker. The Hawera World Cup is one of six being held across the North Island, with the top four counting towards overall standings in the series. The winner of the New Zealand league usually has the chance to represent the nation at the Longines FEI World Cup Final which is scheduled to be held March 31-April 5, 2021, in Gothenburg Sweden, but with a global pandemic whether it goes ahead or not is uncertain.
 
For full start lists and results, head to https://equestrianentries.co.nz/resultClass.aspx?RecordId=2135883302&RecordId2=2142&RecordId3=8

 

Tegan Triumphs in World Cup Opener

 
Tegan Fitzsimon has laid the challenge for others to follow after a solid win in the opening round of the POLi Payments FEI World Cup New Zealand Series at the Hawke’s Bay A&P Show in Hastings.
The 29-year-old from West Melton, who has won the World Cup Series for the past two seasons, headed home a talented 12-strong field to take the honours in the two-round competition over a challenging course designed by Roger Laplanche (Timaru).
There were no clears in the opening round, with five combinations carrying their faults through for the second round. The first of the double, which was right beside the hospitality tent, proved the bogey fence for many, with nine of the 12 starters having it down.
In the second, current Olympic Cup holder Brooke Edgecombe and LT Holst Andrea were all clear but carried through nine penalties from the opener to take third place. Tegan and Windermere Cappuccino were also clear but picked up a single time penalty to finish the two rounds on five faults. Taupo teen Annabel Francis, in just her second World Cup start, had a rail with the feisty little grey Carado GHP to finish on eight faults and second place, with Logan Massie (Dannevirke) and his new stallion Bravado Ego Z adding to their tally to end the competition on 15 faults and in fourth.
Briar Burnett-Grant (Taupo) and Fiber Fresh Veroana also finished on 15 faults but with a slower time to fill fifth place with Samantha McIntosh (Cambridge) and Takapoto Alaid de Chez Nous, who opted not to come back for the second round, finishing sixth.
The three women on the podium were all very pleased with the efforts of their horses. Eighteen-year-old Annabel was quick to praise her horse. “He was just amazing,” she said. “I am very pleased, especially as this is just our second World Cup ever.”
Brooke was happy to get the opening round out of the way. “I was really pleased with Andrea in the second round – she jumped that very well. It was a good course out there from Roger.”
But the day belonged to Tegan and her little coffee horse, as Windermere Cappuccino is known. “When I looked at that course I thought it would really take some jumping but didn’t expect that many faults (from the field),” she said. “It was a big track for an opener.”
She felt her horse had jumped the second round far better than the first. “It was similar to last year though, with no clears in that first round then either. My plan was just to go clear in the second – I wasn’t worried about the time. Last season I also had four in the first and went for a fast time in the second and paid the price with a rail – I wasn’t going to let that happen again!”
And despite coming in as a hot favourite with her back-to-back World Cup Series wins, Tegan says she wasn’t feeling too much pressure. Their win today was their fifth World Cup victory.
“The fields are so strong this year – everyone is good enough to go out and win, so it will just be the best on the day,” says Tegan.
Her love for her horse is palpable. “He is just that once in a lifetime horse. He only knows me and we know each other inside out. Partnerships like this are hard to come by, and it takes time to build that. He has just been phenomenal his whole career.”
Tegan has based her team in Te Aroha with the Sheehan family, whose son Rylee won his first Country TV Pony Grand Prix this afternoon aboard Tony the Pony as the only clear in the opening round of the 11-strong class.
Today’s World Cup round was the first of six being held across the North Island, with the top four counting towards overall standings in the series. The next leg is at Hawera next month. The winner of the New Zealand league usually has the chance to represent the nation at the Longines FEI World Cup Final which is scheduled to be held March 31-April 5, 2021, in Gothenburg Sweden, but with a global pandemic whether it goes ahead or not is uncertain.

Results –
 
POLi Payments FEI World Cup (NZ) Series – opening round: Tegan Fitzsimon (West Melton) Windermere Cappuccino 1, Annabel Francis (Taupo) Carado GHP 2, Brooke Edgecombe (Waipukurau) LT Holst Andrea 3, Logan Massie (Dannevirke) Bravado Ego Z 4, Briar Burnett-Grant (Taupo) Fiber Fresh Veroana 5, Samantha McIntosh (Cambridge) Takapoto Alaid de Chez Nous 6.
 
Country TV Pony Grand Prix Series: Rylee Sheehan (Te Aroha) Tony the Pony 1, Keira Page (Mystery Creek) Redcliffs Colour Me In 2, Lucy Buchanan (Hastings) Redcliffs Colour Me Quick 3, Dylan Bibby (Onga Onga) Daisy Patch 4, Penny Borthwick (Masterton) Foxdens Merlot 5, Georgie Wilson (Taupo) Showtym Boss 6.
 
Harrison Lane Pro-Amateur Rider Series: Larina Dolman (Gisborne) Kiwi Lansing 1, Hana Bognuda (Hunterville) Kittiwake 2, Ash Hart (Hastings) Kiwi Showtime 3, Katharine Van Tuyl (Palmerston North) Centavino 4, Georgia Massie (Dannevirke) Loose Change 5, Sam Whale (Cambridge) Adloo Annabelle 6.
 
FMG Young Rider Series: Briar Burnett-Grant (Taupo) Fiber Fresh Veroana 1, Annabel Francis (Taupo) LT Holst Elizabeth 2, Sarah West (Matamata) Oaks Centurian 3, Rylee Sheehan (Te Aroha) Bandito NZPH 4, Samantha Carrington (Takapau) Double J Breeze On 5, Emelia Forsyth (Clevedon) Henton Faberge 6.
 
Dunstan Horsefeeds Amateur Rider Series: Kaleigh Kent (Otane) Double J Sponge Bob Square Pants 1, Simone McConnell (Tauranga) Country Zena 2, Anna Kincheff (Rotorua) Red Socks 3, Trudi Mitchell (Wairoa) Cadbury 4, Cindy Dames (Hastings) Tanglewood 5, Shelley Bridgeman (Auckland) Oaks Vendetta 6.
 
East Coast Performance Horses Five-Year-Old Series: Tasha Hart (Hastings) Kiwi Cherobon and Sarah West (Matamata) Six Sixty SP =1.
 
Mainland Coachwork Junior Rider Series: Leeshelle Small (Auckland) AMS Dolce NZPH 1, Kimberley Carrington (Takapau) Double J Barmaid 2, Leeshelle Small (Auckland) AMS Caption NZPH 3, Madison Smith (Cambridge) Biarritz 4, Olivia Prendergast (Matamata) Stellar 5, Dylan Bibby (Onga Onga) Wenrose Vertigo 6.
 
Matthews Hanoverians Seven-Year-Old Series: Sam Whale (Cambridge) Fleur DeLacour 1, Oliver Croucher (Cambridge) Casanova Xtreme 2, Sophia Blackbourn (Hamilton) Octavia MVNZ 3, Kate Herdson (Clevedon) Juneau SSNZ 4, Samantha Morrison (Tauranga) Royal Levado VW 5, Dirk Waldin (Havelock North) LT Holst Cor Blimey 6.
 
UltraMox Six-Year-Old Series: Brooke Edgecombe (Waipukurau) LT Holst Helen and Samantha Carrington (Takapau) Double J Hurricane =1.
 
East Coast Performance Horses Five-Year-Old Series: Tasha Hart (Hastings) Kiwi Cherobon, Sarah West (Matamata) Six Sixty SP, Ingrid Herdson (Auckland) Stelvio GNZ, Melody Matheson (Havelock North) Cortaflex Giulia MH and Christen Lane (Waiwhare) =1.
WORDS DIANA DOBSON