Georgia Allison & Hokey Pokey Winners of the Junior High Points and Junior Equitatoin at The Land Rover Horse of the Year 2020, HB A&P Showgrounds, Hastings, Hawke’s Bay, Wednesday, March 11, 2020 Credit: KAMPIC / Sarah Lord
It was double celebrations for Oxford teen Georgia Allison who today secured both the Gyro Plastics Junior High Points and Burger King Junior Rider Equitation in the show hunter section at HOY.
She is no stranger to winning show hunter equitation series, with a hattrick of crowns, but this season marks a first with her victory in the Gyro Plastics Junior High Points .
It comes at an exciting time for Georgia who is about to head to England on a one-way ticket to work for Pippa and William Funnell. “It’s my dream job,” says the 18-year-old. “I wanted to travel round, see the big competitions, groom and do things you just can’t do in here.”
Her New Zealand season aboard her horses Paintball and Hokey Pokey has been solid, with her winning the Junior High Points on Hokey Pokey and placing seventh on Paintball. It is her second season with 10-year-old Hokey Pokey.
“I have been top six every year and even second a few times but have never won,” said Georgia. “It is hard to have a consistent horse every weekend more so than for the equitation.” She trice a winner of the equitation series.
This season she has gone to all her ‘usual’ shows and while she was out for six weeks after an unfortunate concussion, it did fall during the season break so she didn’t miss too much. Steffi Whittaker stepped in to ride Hokey Pokey for her. “Of course she just adored him because he is the greatest thing on the planet. He has a huge personality and loves to be involved. He can’t just stand there and watch.”
Georgia has been doing show hunter for 11 years now. “It is not often you get a horse as good, so that makes the win very special.”
She said she had received a lot of help over the years to get to where she is today and thanked her mum and show hunter judge Robyn Woods.
Hokey Pokey has been sold and will head to the stable of Libby Wilson in Taupo.
Results –
Burger King Junior Rider Equitation Series: Georgia Allison (Oxford) 79 points 1, Madison Wiffen (Wellington) 69 points 2, Lauren Mitchell (Kumeu) 64 points 3, Hazel Jones (Plimmerton) 46 points 4, Sally Ward (Waipukurau) 44 points 5, Tristan Thomas (Rotorua) 36 points 6.
Burger King Junior Rider Equitation Final: Georgia Allison (Oxford) Hokey Pokey 1, Ella Miranda (Feilding) Ella Miranda Kinnordy Go Girl 2, Hazel Jones (Plimmerton) Sancho 3, Madison Wiffen (Wellington) Ponga 4, Sally Ward (Waipukurau) Paradox 5, Yasmin Livingstone (Auckland) Treviso NZ 6.
Gyro Plastics Junior High Points Series: Georgia Allison (Oxford) Hokey Pokey 79 points 1, Lauren Mitchell (Kumeu) Sonny Bill 61 points 2, Madison Wiffen (Wellington) Ponga 59 points 3, Lauren Mitchell (Kumeu) Craighaven Black Heart 56 points 4, Sally Ward (Waipukurau) Paradox 37 points 5, Hazel Jones (Plimmerton) Sancho 33 points 6.
Gyro Plastics Junior High Points Final: Georgia Allison (Oxford) Hokey Pokey 1, Bella Ladbrook (Havelock North) Whakanui Homebrew 2, Ella Miranda (Feilding) Kinnordy Go Girl 3, Amelia Newsom (Tauranga) Tribute OL 4, Sally Ward (Waipukurau) Paradox 5, Lauren Mitchell (Kumeu) Craighaven Black Heart 6.
By Diana Dobson
11 March 2020