Whale the Big Winner at Young Horse Champs

Whale the Big Winner at Young Horse Champs

 New Zealand’s showjumping stars of the future were celebrated in style at the Bayleys National Young Horse Championship Show in Hastings at the weekend. Hampton Downs’ rider Jeremy Whale was the toast of the town, as the leading rider of the show prize, bolstered by his two age group titles.
Matamata horsewoman Vicki Prendergast steered Leanne West’s Six Sixty SP to victory in the Matthew Hanoverians Seven-Year-Old Championship final (co-sponsored by the New Zealand Hanoverian Society), with Jesse Linton (Hastings) adding his seventh age group crown to his trophy cabinet with a win in the UltraMox Six-Year-Old Championship aboard Icarus NZPH.
New Zealand Performance Horses were the leading breeders of the show, with Vicki Prendergast’s Selena C taking the best-performed mare and Euro Sport Centavos the leading stallion.
 
Just 11 came back for the final day of the Seven-Year-Old Championship Final where it came down to a four-fault jump-off between Vicki on the warmblood Six Sixty SP and Tamara Silcock (Nelson) on her Hanoverian Incendivity HSH. Vicki set the scene on the nearly 18 HH grey who she bred, but sold as a youngster, going clear in 50.68 seconds. An early rail saw Tamara concede.
It was just Vicki’s fourth ride on Six Sixty SP and she was quick to credit Sarah West for the “beautiful” job she had done in producing the gelding. “It is a really special win,” said Vicki. “It is a horse I bred and Leanne and Sarah are such great friends – I really didn’t want to let them down.”
Finishing in third equal placing were Luce Williams (Wairarapa) on her thoroughbred Grassendale Enzo aboard New Zealand sport horse  Haupouri Galileo NZPH, and Oliver Croucher (Cambridge) with the warmblood Ricochet MVNZ.
Kimberley Carrington (Takapau) and Double J Typhoon won the Hawke’s Bay BMW-sponsored style prize, with the Shelley Bridgeman-sponsored turnout prize going to Rose Alfeld (Leeston) and Celebration ECPH.
 
Jeremy Whale was over the moon to secure the UltraMox Six-Year-Old Championship (co-sponsored by Diamond Lodge) aboard Tarak Yousef and Haidee St John’s Kingslea Centrose (by Euro Sport Centavos, out of Littrose, who is by Littorio). “This is the win I really wanted,” said Jeremy. “She is at the top of the series and we just wanted to put a stamp on it. She is a wicked jumper who is very sure of herself and while she is a bit spoilt we put up with it because she is so talented.”
He's picking a bright future for the powerful mare. Just three came back for the jump-off this afternoon where Jeremy wasted no time in negotiating the course cleanly in a super 42.03 second time. Sam Carrington (Takapau) and Double J Odin gave it their all and while all clear, stopped the clock at 46.59 for second. Jake Lambert (Cambridge) and Takapoto Formaggio were third.
Brooke Edgecombe (Waipukurau) and Indiana Xtreme won the style prize, while the Shelley Bridgeman-sponsored turnout prize went to Hana Bognuda (Hunterville) on WSJ Cartalusa.
 
It was a New Zealand Performance Horses quinella in the East Coast Performance Horses Five-Year-Old Championship Final, with winner Jesse Linton (Hastings) adding to his already bulging trophy cabinet with a win aboard New Zealand sport horse Icarus NZPH.
Twenty-one started the final day with just four coming through to the jump-off where only Jesse and Julie Davey (Hastings) aboard Inca NZPH (by Up to You, out of Cinnamon NZPH, who is by Pezatas du Rouet) left everything in place.
Dylan Burton (Taumarunui) aboard Karlos QSH was first out in the jump-off, taking the first fence to finish on four faults in a time of 54.22.
Next out was Julie Davey who rode a very smooth clear in 48.6 to put the pressure on Jesse and his scopey but rather spooky gelding Icarus NZPH who were also clear and stopped the clock at 46.55. Vicky Wilson (Hastings) and her homebred Artemis VWNZ were last out and also took the first for a tally of four faults and third place.
Jesse, who now has seven age group championship titles to his credit, says it’s still always so special to win at this show. “This is one of the main shows I build up to each season,” says the 29-year-old. “This horse is a big, athletic, scopey and brave horse . . . but extremely spooky!”
Jesse was the only one in the jump-off to take a sneaky inside turn, and he figures that’s what won them the crown.
He’s got big hopes for the horse, who he says is possibly one of the most talented he has ever ridden.
Jeremy Whale (Hampton Downs) and the Westphalian stallion Comme FU won the Shelley Bridgeman-sponsored turnout prize, with Heloise Tolo (Wellington) aboard Haupouri Incognito won the Hawke’s Bay BMW-sponsored style prize.
 
It was the battle of the bays in the jump-off of the NZPH Four-Year-Old Championship final with a head-to-head between Jeremy Whale (Hampton Downs) aboard Lulu MSNZ and Jesse Linton (Hastings) on Graffiene MH.
Eighteen combinations came back for the final day but just the two men were all clear over the Greg Best-designed courses. Jesse and the Matthews Hanoverians bred mare were out first and looked on track to finish the three days of competition with a clean slate but came unstuck at the last with an awkward take-off leaving them with a four-fault round.
Jeremy and his New Zealand warmblood mare, who also won the Hawke’s Bay BMW-sponsored style prize, were all class with their careful clear to take the title.
Jeremy had nothing but praise for the youngster. “She is very straight forward and makes my job easy,” he said of the Bini Newsom bred mare. “She is just so trainable and takes everything in her stride.”
Jeremy has had the horse about a year and has done everything with her. “I think less is more with these young horses,” he said. He was over the moon with the win. “I have been trying to win an age group title for the past four years, and while I have come close I haven’t managed it until today. I am stoked it is on one of our own. Lulu has a lovely jump and technique, so the world is her oyster.”
Placing third equal in the class were Kim Best (Otane) aboard her New Zealand sport horse Double J Prospect, Hannah Steens (Rotorua) on Selle Francais Double J Lyric, and Ike Baker (Hawke’s Bay) with his New Zealand warmblood Kentucky ECPH.
The Shelley Bridgeman-sponsored turnout prize was won by Jesse Linton (Hastings) aboard the NZ Hanoverian gelding Everest MH.
 
Earlier in the show, Emelia Forsyth (Clevedon) and Henton Faberge won the FEI CSI 1* (sponsored by Shirley Wood and Webb Show Jumping). The opening round of the Heather McDonald-designed course saw 11 of the 28 combinations go clear. Twenty combinations on four faults or less came back for the second round where Emelia Forsyth (Clevedon) and Henton Faberge bagged their first-ever 1* win. “I have tried a few times so am just so stoked to finally win one – especially in such a decent field,” she said.
Emelia looked to be set for business as she flew out through the start flags in the second round, coming home all clear in 48.26 seconds. “She is just amazing,” Emelia said of her 17-year-old mare. “The course was great. It was big but rode well, especially in such tough conditions.”
Coming in for second was Nakeysha Lammers (Waikato) aboard Balboa NZPH wo were all clear in 49.77 with Alison Rowland (Cambridge) aboard Takapoto Alaid De Chez Nous third, double clear in 50.13, Vicki Prendergast (Matamata) aboard Selena C fourth, all clear in 51.01, her daughter Olivia and Stellar fifth in 54.16, and Sam Carrington (Takapau) aboard Double J Hurricane sixth with the fastest time of 47.49, but on four faults.
Maurice Beatson (Dannevirke) and Central Park continued their winning form with victory in the EvoEvents Horse Grand Prix (co-sponsored by Isaacs Electrical), with Logan Massie (Dannevirke) aboard Bravado Ego Z second, Vicki Prendergast (Matamata) on Selena C third and Nakeysha Lammers (Waikato) on Resolution fourth.
The Mainland Coachwork Junior Rider Series class was won by Tara Gower (Ohura) and Double J Image, with Shanae McKay (Levin) taking the quinella in the Dunstan Horsefeeds Amateur Rider Series with her horses ME Joy Ride II and ME Little Shogun. Sam Carrington (Takapau) and Double J Hurricane won the FMG Young Rider Series class, with Olivia Glen (Clevedon) and Balmoral Lassandra GNZ winning the Harrison Lane Pro-Am Rider Series class (co-sponsored by Whiorau Stud).
 
In the show hunter, the Four-Year-Old Championship was won by Caroline Coop (Gisborne) on Zola, the Five-Year-Old championship by Vicki Wilson (Hastings) on Epona Light Em Up, the Whiorau Stud Six-Year-Old Championship went to Sam Carrington (Takapau) on Corvette ECPH, and The Wilson Family Seven-Year-Old Championship to Mikayla Herbert (Rotorua) aboard Matai Serendipity.
Chloe Hansen (Palmerston North) and Stevenson ECPH won the NRM Open High Points Series, with Olivia Woodward (Palmerston North) and Whittaker II taking out the Sport Horse Junior High Points Series class, as well as the ESNZ Show Hunter Junior Equitation series class.  Mandy Illston took out the Petticoat Lane Performance Horses Adult Equitation series class, and the Carousel Equestrian Amateur High Points went the way of Antonio Matangi (Levin) on My Delta.
 
For full results, head to https://www.evoevents.co.nz/resultClass/2135885011/-1/8
 
ends

Diana Dobson
ESNZ media liaison
021 222 0145