Photo: Cornege Photography

Danielle Maurer wasn’t about to let a pesky broken arm interrupt her season, steering Madam Coco to her first grand prix victory at the Prydes EasiFeed NZ Grand Prix Showjumping Show at Woodhill Sands yesterday (Sunday).

The full time rider from Kaukapakapa headed home a solid 10-strong field to take the honours in the Equissage national series class aboard Cerys Tarr’s nine-year-old mare who was a late entry in the class.

“It was all a bit of a flying dash as I was fitting it in around other work,” said Danielle.

But it wasn’t all plain sailing. Danielle had a stable accident while at the Gisborne Show earlier in October but waited two weeks and 21 rounds before finally relenting and went to the doctor. Unsurprisingly she got quite a telling off but had no thoughts of following his instructions of taking a month off riding. After the accident she had strapped it up and continued riding and competing.

Madam Coco has had four-and-a-half grand prix starts – the half because the day after her knock at Gisborne and Danielle had to pull up part way through the main class of the show because of the pain in her home-strapped arm. Then the horse missed the Hawke’s Bay Show after she had a knock in the stable, so Woodhill was a welcome opportunity to get the mare back out in the competition arena.

The duo were clear in their 1.2m warm-up class on the Saturday and one of just two into the jump-off over the Danielle Watts-designed grand prix on Sunday. “I wanted to go for a nice consistent round and thought once we had that rail it was Alexa’s win,” said Danielle.

However, Alexa Randall (Auckland) and LC Tango picked up both time and jump faults in their jump-off round to finish in second place. “The courses were great with all sorts of different elements in there. It was interesting to ride some of the lines and awesome to be on the grass this early in the season. Despite all the rain on Saturday night, it held up really well and was fantastic to jump on.”

Danielle has been riding the horse for less than a year and is looking to get more grand prix mileage on her over the coming season with an eye to the CSI 1.4m classes too. Danielle is meant to be in her cast for another two to three weeks but figures it’s unlikely. “I already have hay and feed stuck up in it, so it is annoying. The cast does seem to make me ride a bit straighter though – it’s just awkward to do things like put your jacket on or do up girths . . . those sorts of things.”

In the Country TV Pony Grand Prix Karis Spurway (New Plymouth) and Kabo Cappesh were the only clears in the opening round to take the win. Runner-up Sophia Hall (Karaka) and TCG Centadel who are new to grand prix level were the fastest four-faulter in the nine-strong field.

More than 300 horses competed over the two day show. It was the first weekend the premier grass arena was used, and riders loved it. Wayne Bragg designed in ring two, with Gina Moss in ring three.

 

Results –

 

Equissage Horse Grand Prix Series: Danielle Maurer (Auckland) Madam Coco 1, Alexa Randall (Auckland) LC Tango 2, Daniel Blundell (Auckland) Athena NZPH 3, Emily Hayward (Te Awamutu) Belischi HM 4, Jeremy Whale (Cambridge) DSE Exuberance 5, Daniel Blundell (Auckland) Lavello 6.

 

Country TV Pony Grand Prix Series: Karis Spurway (New Plymouth) Kabo Cappesh 1, Sophia Hall (Karaka) TCG Centadel 2, Aimee Collinson (Cambridge) Moonlight Glow 3, Maddison Greaterex (Waipu) Spotified 4, Karis Spurway (New Plymouth) Delta Le Camouflage 5, Rylee Sheehan (Te Aroha) Tony The Pony 6.

 

FMG Young Rider Series: Elmo Jackson (Auckland) Fairview Animation 1, Olivia Dalton (Karaka) Master of Hossack 2, Emily Hayward (Te Awamutu) Belischi HM 3, Emma Watson (Morrinsville) Maddox Kiwi Silverkee 4, Hannah Bodle (Morrinsville) Whakanui Homebrew 5, Ella Poole-Crowe (Whangarei) Cleo Parfaite 6.

 

Hinterland Amateur Rider Series: Kirsten Hence (Karaka, Auckland) Jacks a Heartbreaker 1, Nicola Peat (Clevedon) Varzuga 2, Vanessa Veart-Smith (Ahuroa) The Notorious Fez 3, Belinda George (Warkworth) Pre Mo 4, Danielle Wheeler (Clevedon) CP Aurelio 5, Charlotte McGregor (Cambridge) LC Lin D’or 6.

 

Dunstan Horsefeeds and EquiFibre Pro-Am Rider Series: Christine Cornege (Cambridge) Varekai SL 1, Laura McGregor (New Zealand) High Command 2, Sally Steiner (Tauranga) Bewitched NZPH 3, India Causebrook (Pukekohe) Westminster Rock 4, Emma Gaze (Ohaupo) Fire Bug 5, Kylee McCambridge (Cambridge) Chicago 6.

 

Dunstan Horsefeeds and EquiFibre Junior Rider Series: Colleen Crous (Auckland) Orames Girl VDL 1, Alayna Rogers (Waihi) Gruffy 2, Olivia Dalton (Karaka) Appleton 3, Ben Weir (Auckland) SF Gryphon 4, Eden Johnstone (Auckland) Bellagio GNZ 5, Emily Carter (Waiau Pa) Pretty Wicked 6.

 

Matthews Hanoverians Seven-Year-Old Series: Amanda Wilson (Hikurangi) Showtym Burrow 1, Rosie Commons (Auckland) Lotte 2, Sally Steiner (Tauranga) Cartoon NZPH 3, Phillip Steiner (Tauranga) Kiwi Sunup 4.

 

Mitavite-SpeediBeet Six-Year-Old Series: William Willis (Karaka) Chio MS 1.

 

East Coast Performance Horses Five-Year-Old Series: Natalia Lammers (Whangarei) Puro Qualita, Jeremy Whale (Cambridge) Fleur DeLacour, Vicki Prendergast (Matamata) Souther Field and Vicki Prendergast (Matamata) Shawnee ECPH =1.

 

Saddlery Warehouse Pony GP Super Series: Natalia Lammers (Hikurangi) Watch Me Move 1, Senga Hickson Get the Beat 2, Aimee Collinson Showtym Falcon 3, Sophia Hall (Karaka) Taylor Made Gift 4, Julianne Revfeim (New Plymouth) Clearwater Perfeclydun 5, Isabelle Jameson (Whangarei) Pico Boo 6.

 

Equissage Horse GP Super Series: Emma Gaze (Ohaupo) Woodland Bug 1, Christine Cornege (Cambridge) Varekai SL 2, Paula Mussen (Pukekohe) KK Tane Mahuta 3, Rosie Commons (Auckland) Athena GNZ 4, Alexa Randall (Auckland) Cirrius GNZ 5, Jeremy Whale (Cambridge) Adloo Annabelle 6.

 

October 29, 2018

By Diana Dobson