Central & Southern Hawkes Bay Eventing’s spring horse trials at Arran Station on Saturday 31st October/Sunday 1st November have received more than 200 entries from throughout the North Island, with the secretary fielding a number of late entries due to the cancellation of the Bay of Plenty event at Rotorua which was scheduled to run the weekend after.

The final selection trial for the NZ Trans-Tasman team at Taupo on 17/18 October resulted in a number of the squad members falling by the wayside for a variety of reasons, so they have been advised to compete at Arran Station after which a decision will be made as to who flies to Adelaide to defend the Trans-Tasman Trophy.

Jonathan Paget and Frances Stead’s Clifton Promise are no longer in contention after
a hoof problem caused them to lose too much preparation time, while Matthew Grayling and Carolyn Jolley’s NRM Parklane Hawk has been withdrawn as the horse is on the market.

At this stage three riders have been named, Clarke Johnstone (Matangi) with Oakey Vision or Orient Express, Heelan Tompkins (New Plymouth) with her Olympic horse Sugoi, and NSW-based Blair Richardson with Spend Up. A further two are required, the best three scores of the five counting in the team competition.

The three remaining squad members are Jenna Mahoney (Clevedon), who had a fall from Santos at Taupo, Kate Wood (Whangarei), who jumped a wrong fence on Easy Tiger, entailing elimination, and Anne-Marie Styles (Auckland), who completed with As You Like It, but needs to convince the selectors she is back in form after a chequered autumn season.

So there will be quality as well as quantity competing in all levels at the Silver Fern Farms property in Fraser Rd, Takapau. Mary Darby’s cross-country course has been revamped thanks to support from many supporters who are sponsoring cross-country fences, and will provide a suitable challenge for the squad as well as horses and riders at all levels from Training through to Advanced.

The Red Snap’r Advanced class, in which the Trans-Tasman squad will compete, will do their dressage on Saturday afternoon, and showjump on Sunday morning, before going cross-country that afternoon. The challenge for Darby is to provide the squad with a testing track while offering alternative options for the less experienced horses, which will entail easier but time-consuming routes.

The new chairman of selectors, Andrew Scott, Feilding, a former captain of the NZ Trans-Tasman team, has competed at Adelaide, so understands the conditions that will be encountered there. The single biggest factor is the huge crowd who throng onto the park to watch the cross-country following the annual Christmas Parade, the event taking place in the vast parklands in the middle of the city.

Spectators are welcome at Arran Station, and viewing is excellent, but dogs are not permitted on the property. The organisers are hoping lots of people will take advantage of the free admisiion to see top competition in the region, and help create the kind of atmosphere the team will experience in South Australia.

Virginia Caro