LT Holst Andrea may not have shone as a youngster but she sure is making up for it now. The 11-year-old German import was all class en route to victory in the Equissage Horse Grand Prix on the final day of the Poverty Bay A&P Show in Gisborne today (Saturday).
She and her cool-as-a-cucumber rider Brooke Edgecombe were the only double clear in the nine-strong class, coming home in 45.96 seconds and putting all the pressure on Jasmine Sketchley (Whangarei) aboard her stunning chestnut stallion Bravado Ego Z. In the end, the Northland visitors paid for a tight turn with a rail and finished on four faults in second place but still left the arena smiling. Bravado made history recently as the father of New Zealand’s first foal produced by an in vitro fertility treatment using intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) with Waikato’s EquiBreed.
Robert Steele (Dannevirke) and LT Holst Bernadette placed third after picking up a single time fault in the opening round with Julie Davey (Hastings) and her imported mare Joligne de Carmel fourth with four faults, Simon Wilson (Waipukurau) aboard McMillans Ariados fifth on four faults and reigning lady Rider of the year Mikayla Herbert (Rotorua) and her gentle giant Grand Caballo sixth.
But today belonged to LT Holst Andrea and Brooke, topping off an excellent weekend for her and husband Oliver.
“Now that she is more experienced I can push a bit harder in the jump-off,” said Brooke. “She has got such a good brain that she takes it all in. She has learnt how to turn and how to take a jump with a bit of pace. She never gets flustered and helps me out when I get it wrong.”
While Brooke has been a regular at the region’s January jumping show, this was just her second visit to the A&P show and her first Grand Prix win at it. She initially had the horse when she arrived from Germany having been broken in but not done a lot. “She didn’t shine as a youngster and went on to Sean and Lisa Cubitt’s before coming back to me when they moved overseas.”
Half-way through Andrea’s seven-year-old year things seemed to just click and they are now firmly established as one of New Zealand’s best showjumping combinations.
The mare, who Brooke co-owns with Ewen McIntosh, also won the 1.4m class on the opening day of the Poverty Bay A&P Show, Edgecombe teamed up with LT Holst Helen to place first equal in the East Coast Performance Horses Five-Year-Old Series class while husband Oliver won the 1.4m accumulator aboard Henton Excalibur and the Matthews Hanoverians Seven-Year-Old Series class aboard LT Holst Elizabeth, who is Andrea’s daughter.
Phoebe Howson put two rather challenging years behind her on Saturday to guide Aorangi Ragtime to a well-deserved victory on debut in the County TV Pony Grand Prix.
The Napier 14-year-old was over the moon, albeit rather stunned, to take the class as the only clear in the opening round over the Roger Laplanche-designed course. She’s had the pony for two years but they’ve taken all of that time to gel and by her own admission she spent a lot of time picking herself up off the ground. “I knew he was a good jumper, but I just had to get our partnership going,” said Phoebe who had come off a 13hh pony who she had done show hunter and 1m classes aboard.
She put all her nerves behind her on Saturday to line up in her first-ever Grand Prix. They’d had a good start to the show winning the 1.2m on the Friday and have won all of their starts this season so far, including three mini prix. But there was plenty of extra pressure on Saturday – and the 18-year-old spotty pony, who thinks he is a five-year-old, delivered.
“He really had to climb out of the treble there but he is unlike most ponies – he is very smart and so clever and just knows what he is doing. I am shocked we have won,” she said. “I am almost glad there was no jump-off I was so nervous.”
However Phoebe, who moved to New Zealand from the United Kingdom eight years ago, says nerves keep her sharp. “And I know Rags will always get me out of it. If I stuff it up, he sets it right – that’s one of my favourite things about him.”
Picking up second was Dylan Bibby (Onga Onga) aboard Daisy Patch who had a rail in the opening round with local Amelia Paull and Envious Edition third.
The two Grand Prix classes brought to an end three brilliant days of jumping at Poverty Bay.
Results –
Equissage Horse Grand Prix: Brooke Edgecombe (Waipukurau) LT Holst Andrea 1, Jasmine Sketchley (Whangarei) Bravado Ego Z 2, Robert Steele (Dannevirke) LT Holst Bernadette 3, Julie Davey (Meeanee) Joligne de Carmel 4, Simon Wilson (Waipukurau) McMillans Ariados 5, Mikayla Herbert (Rotorua) Grand Caballo 6.
Country TV Pony Grand Prix: Phoebe Howson (Napier) Aorangi Ragtime 1, Dylan Bibby (Onga Onga) Daisy Patch 2, Amelia Paull (Gisborne) Envious Edition 3, Tara Gower (Ohura) Ngahiwi Roany Pony 4, Andrew McLennan (Waipukurau) Purple Affair 5.
Dunstan Horsefeeds Amateur Rider Series: Simone McConnell (Tauranga) Country Zena 1, Susie McLeod (Auckland) Arrans Lad 2, Jo Bell (Atiamuri) Mauve 3, Holly Baines (Gisborne) Halo 4, Poppy Gamble (Whakatane) U Honey 5, Lidy Loffler (Wairoa) Parafino 6.
Equifibre Junior Rider Series: Isabella Narracci (Hastings) Silver Casini 1, Leeshelle Small (Auckland) AMS Ajaccio NZPH 2, Dylan Bibby (Onga Onga) Wenrose Vertigo 3, Tara Gower (Ohaura) Ngahiwi Ned Kelly 4, Aleisha Bradly (Whakatane) A Boy Named Sue 5, Ally Stevenson (Tomoana) Red Huia Wild Rose 6.
Harrison Lane Pro Amateur Rider Series: Larina Dolman (Gisborne) Kiwi Lansing 1, Katie Hercock (Otane) Whimsical WDS 2, Larina Dolman (Gisborne) Floriant DHU 3, Jenny Randall (Gisborne) Nero Bello 4, Tracy Mason (Napier) WP Stella 5, Geordie Bull (Atiamuri) Forest Hill 6.
FMG Young Rider Series: Ally Carson (Putaruru) Letano 1, Leeshelle Small (Auckland) Glenbrooke Archie Bunker 2, Drew Carson (Putaruru) Winston V Driene 3, Sarah West (Matamata) Delamarie Sun 4, Ally Carson (Putaruru) Whiorau Ritchie 5, Amy Moore (Rotorua) Cricklewood Banjo 6.
Matthews Hanoverians Seven-Year-Old Series: Oliver Edgecombe (Waipukurau) LT Holst Elizabeth 1.
ESNZ Jumping Six-Year-Old Series: Fraser Tombleson (Gisborne) Eye See Ruby 1.
East Coast Performance Horses Five-Year-Old Series: Brooke Edgecombe (Waipukurau) LT Holst Helen, Ally Stevenson (Tomoana) Fashion NZPH, Geordie Bull (Atiamuri) Marius =1.
By Diana Dobson – HP Media Liaison
19th October 2019