Jeremy Whale riding Remarkable to win the Equissage Horse Grand Prix at Taihape Area 63rd Annual Showjumping Champs 7-9 February 2020.
Photo Credit: Cornege Photography.
Jeremy Whale is riding high after winning his second Equissage Horse Grand Prix in as many weeks. This time he and Remarkable took the top class at the Taihape Area 63rd Annual Showjumping Championships, heading home a very competitive 19-strong field.
“I am pretty stoked all right,” said the 34-year-old Cambridge horseman. “It was a big field with six in the jump-off so we really had to prove ourselves a little this time. It was certainly a bit tougher.”
But you wouldn’t know it. He had the simple plan of just leaving everything up in the first round but knew he had to pull something out of the bag for the jump-off. “I was second to go in the jump-off and knew all the big guns were to come, so I had to go out and try and make a name for myself.”
Remarkable, a big striding horse who covers the ground well did just that. “I used his big stride to my advantage,” said Jeremy. “I took the tightest lines I could and he just ate it up. It was really a dream round.”
He watched runner-up Julie Davey (Hastings) and Joligne de Carmel give it their best shot and he thought she had them at 43.69 seconds. “The clock just went my way I guess,” he said of their 41.45-second effort. Maurice Beatson (Dannevirke) and Central Park filled third spot with their two fault 46.91-second round.
The win capped off a great weekend for Jeremy who picked up a share of first place in the East Coast Performance Horses Five-Year-Old as well as a win in the 1.2m aboard Leeshelle Small’s AMS Ajaccio.
He is chuffed the new partnership has come together so well. “I don’t think there is any secret formula, we have just clicked in a short time and it is working well.”
Jeremy trains with Australian Clem Smith when he visits every month or two, otherwise he looks to fiancé Sam Matthews for help.
In the Country TV Pony Grand Prix, seven of the 15 starters came through to the jump-off where the top five were all double clear however, the day belonged to Phoebe Howson (Puketapu) and Aorangi Ragtime who flew home in 33.79 seconds. Madison Jackson (Pukekohe) and Rednalhgih Cowan filled second place with their 34.03 second effort with Lily Moore (Havelock North) and Fun House third in 34.28.
Results –
Equissage Horse Grand Prix: Jeremy Whale (Cambridge) Remarkable 1, Julie Davey (Hastings) Joligne de Carmel 2, Maurice Beatson (Dannevirke) Central Park 3, Sophie Scott (Wellington) Lakota 4, Daniel Webb (Hunterville) Centaur 5, Duncan McFarlane (Taupo) Be Mine NZPH and Emily Hayward (Te Awamutu) Belischi HM =6.
Country TV Pony Grand Prix: Phoebe Howson (Puketapu) Aorangi Ragtime 1, Madison Jackson (Pukekohe) Rednalhgih Cowan 2, Lily Moore (Havelock North) Fun House 3, Julianne Revfeim (New Plymouth) Spot You Later 4, Keira Page (Mystery Creek) Redcliffs Colour Me In 5, Maddison Greatorex (Waipu) Spotified 6.
FMG Young Rider: Kate Herdson (Auckland) Idol D 1, Nicholas O’Leary (Wanganui) Obeone Kanobe 2, Samantha Carrington (Takapau) Double J Breeze On 3, Drew Carson (Putaruru) Winston V Driene 4, Sophie Scott (Wellington) Lakota 5, Bridgitte Smith (Mangaweka) HR Lanardo 6.
Harrison Lane Pro-Amateur Rider: Emma Thurlow (Waverley) Ngahiwi Sprocket 1, Sally Clark (Dannevirke) Victoria’s Secret 2, Jessica Giles (Upper Hutt) Dining at Dusk 3, Christine Cornege (Cambridge) Varekai SL 4, Emma Gaze (Ohaupo) Kowhai Bug 5, Emily Fraser (Palmerston North) Kiwi Delux 6.
EquiFibre Junior Rider: Karis Spurway (New Plymouth) Kapattack 1, Dylan Bibby (Onga Onga) Wenrose Vertigo 2, Tara Gower (Ohura) Double J Image 3, Anneke van Rooyen (Taumarunui) My Sassy Cat 4, Lilly Carpenter (Taihape) Kinnordy Rhani 5, Sophie Scott (Wellington) Glenbrooke Rich as Roses 6.
Dunstan HorseFeeds Amateur Rider: Jessie Goggin (Wellington) Miss Cassini MS 1, Anna Kincheff (Rotorua) Believe NZPH 2, Jo Bell (Taupo) Mauve 3, Janine Kirkbeck (Kapiti Coast) Kiwi Exalt 4, Nicole Watson (Stratford) OhMyHolly 5, Kylie Boyd (Porirua) Luwazi 6.
Matthews Hanoverians Seven-Year-Old: Sophie Scott (Wellington) Glenbrooke Rich as Roses 1, Sally Clark (Dannevirke) Sun Flake 2, Maddison Greatorex (Waipu) Daisy Duke NZPH 3, Daniel Webb (Hunterville) Constellation 4.
Cheleken Equestrian and UltraMox Six-Year-Old: Jennalee Rose (Dannevirke) Silent Witness and Sam Matthews (Cambridge) Fleur DeLacour =1.
East Coast Performance Horses Five-Year-Old: Emily Fraser (Palmerston North) Casalla, Maurice Beatson (Dannevirke) Final Warrior, Michelle Wakeling (Wellsford) BMW Braveheart, Sophie Scott (Wellington) Benrose Casino ECPH, Geordie Bull (Taupo) Marius, Jeremy Whale (Cambridge) Bannockburn ECPH and Samantha Carrington (Takapau) Double J Hurricane =1.
By Diana Dobson
11 February 2020