New Zealand’s Nations’ Cup team has moved into sixth place after a challenging cross country day saw a bit of a shakeup on the leaderboard in the CCIO4*-L at the Boekelo Horse Trials in The Netherlands.

There were just 16 combinations to come home clear and inside time in the 98-strong field that has now been whittled down to 83 after 11 eliminations in the cross country and five withdrawals. Time penalties had a big impact on the field.

James Avery and One of a Kind was the only Kiwi in the double clear group and have bounded their way 35 spots up the leaderboard into 21st place on their dressage score of 33.3 penalty points. Jesse Campbell and Cleveland also made their way up the field from 69th to 34th after adding just 3.6 time penalties to finish the day on 38.

Samantha Lissington had to make the tough decision to withdraw Ricker Ride Sooty GNZ after feeling he wasn’t quite right after the dressage, bringing team alternate Dan Jocelyn aboard Lissyegan Rory in. The team incurred a 20-point penalty to be added to Samantha’s dressage score which Dan would complete on. Dan and Lissyegan Rory came home clear in the cross country, picking up six time penalties to end the day on 41.1.

Individual rider Bruce Haskell and Amiro Sky moved slightly up the leaderboard after picking up both time and jump penalties for 78.2 penalty points.

Sandra Auffarth (GER() aboard Let’s Dance remain on top on their 24.9 penalty point dressage score, with her team also still in front and the only one to have added nothing to their combined dressage score. Germany are on 78.1 at the front of the FEI Nations’ Cup leaderboard with Australia in second on 114.3, Belgium third on 117.5 and New Zealand in sixth on 128.4. Switzerland made the biggest improvement, moving from last to fifth after a solid showing in the cross country, with France, the United States, Sweden, The Netherlands and Ireland all bearing the brunt of 200 penalty points for an elimination.

Tonight will be the final test, the showjumping.

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THE HORSE DETAILS:
Cleveland – owned by Kent Gardner and Jesse Campbell
Ricker Ridge Sooty GNZ  – owned by Pip McCarroll and Samantha Lissington
One of a Kind – owned by Hazel Livesey
Lissyegan Rory – owned by Debbie Cunningham and Dan Jocelyn
Amiro Sky – owned by Judy, Tom and Bruce Haskell

By Diana Dobson – HP Media Liaison
Photos by Libby Law/ESNZ