World Cup Showjumping Action At Hawera This Weekend

Hawera hosts the second round of the country’s premier jumping series, the New Zealand World Cup League, this weekend.

The Hawera Auto Court Egmont Show 2018 kicks off at the Egmont A&P Showgrounds in Hawera on Friday. Featuring some of the country’s top showjumpers, the show runs from Friday November 16 through to Sunday November 18.

The feature event, the Harris Taylor Ltd NZL FEI World Cup Round, is scheduled to start in the TCCL Ring Main Oval at 4pm on Saturday.

The international class has attracted 18 entries, including opening round winner, Karaka’s Lily Tootill and Ulysses NZPH, who will be hoping to make it two in a row.

The World Cup league kicked off at Hawke’s Bay Royal A&P Show in Hastings last month and Tootill and Ulysses NZPH drew first blood, taking the 20 points for first place.

Former series winner and Olympian, veteran Maurice Beatson (Dannevirke), can never be discounted. He has two entries in Mandalay Cove and Gold Locks, and was third in the first round with Mandalay Cove.

Also lining up is Waipukurau’s Brooke Edgecombe and LT Holst Andrea, who are fresh off a good win in the Grand Prix at their local Central Hawke’s Bay A&P Show last weekend, and placed second in the opener.

There is also strong entry from the South Island, including Tegan Fitzsimon, who has two mounts entered, and Ashburton’s Lucinda Askin, who placed sixth at Hawke’s Bay.

The series will continue at Feilding (November 30 – December 1), Taupo’s Christmas Classic (December 13-16), and the Central and Southern Hawke’s Bay Showjumping Show (January 4-6). The grand finale will be held at the Waitemata World Cup Festival in Auckland (January 10-14).

The series winner has the opportunity to represent New Zealand at the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup final in Goteborg, Sweden, in April next year, where the best from each league around the globe will go head-to-head.

Valuable points in the other series classes will also be up for grabs this weekend. Series classes to be contested at Hawera are the East Coast Performance Horses Five-Year-Old, Mitavite Speedi Beet Six-Year-Old, Matthews Hanoverians Seven-Year-Old, Dunstan Horsefeeds & Equifibre Junior Rider, Hinterland Amateur Rider, Dunstan Horsefeeds & Equifibre Pro Amateur Rider, FMG Young Rider, Main Events University Challenge, Equissage Horse Grand Prix and Country TV Pony Grand Prix.