HEADLINE: Wairarapa to Welcome NZ’s Best for Grand Finale

ESNZ Premier League Series Place-getters Glistening Waters Jumping and ESNZ Series Final Show, Solway Park, Masterton, Saturday, April 06, 2019 Credit: KAMPIC / Kerry Marshall

New Zealand’s top onshore equestrians head to the Wairarapa this weekend for the Glistening Waters Showjumping Championships where the nation’s top season-long ESNZ series will be decided.

More than 500 horses and riders from the top of the North Island to the bottom of the South Island are descending on Solway Showgrounds in Masterton for three very full days of competition in both showjumping and show hunter.

Despite a challenging season that saw shows cancelled and restricted, there has been no shortage of fiercely-fought competition across the grades and age groups – from the POLi Payments Premier League and ESNZ Horse Grand Prix, to the Country TV Pony Grand Prix, FMG Young Rider, Mainland Coachwork Junior Rider, Dunstan Horsefeeds Amateur Rider, Harrison Lane Pro-Am Rider, Main-Events Tertiary Challenge, TiES Jumping Series, and the age group bredders series sponsored by Matthews Hanoverians, Ultramox and East Coast Performance Horses. Classes will also contribute to the VDL and Equibreed Top Ranking Mare and the Equibreed Leading Stallion awards.

Competition is incredibly tight at the top of some of the leaderboards with plenty of pressure on leading riders to produce their best at the final show of the season.

The show will be the last official ‘big’ outing for Gerrit Beker, one of New Zealand’s highest ranked course designers who has decided to step back. He will design the courses in ring one with double Olympic silver medallist Greg Best in ring two and Chris Rogers in ring three.

The cancellation of the Land Rover Horse of the Year Show last month saw the show hunter series shifted to Glistening Waters for the culmination of their competition. It is again a tight tussle at the top of the leaderboards in most of the 10 series classes, which include the NRM Open High Points, ESNZ Show Hunter Amateur High Points, Petticoat Lane Performance Horses Adult Equitation, ESNZ Show Hunter Junior Equitation, Gyro Plastics Junior High Points, Float Factory Cat A High Points, Fiber Fresh Cat B High Points, Aniwell Cat C High Points, Sure Grip Mats Pony Equitation and the inaugural ESNZ Show Hunter 12 and Under Equitation. Gail Goodwin will design the show hunter courses for the event.

The Wairarapa Showjumping Group has been running the show since 2015 and have steadily grown it to become a very popular event on the annual calendar. Saturday night is the sell-out ESNZ National Series Final Awards dinner where 250 people will toast the winners of the showjumping and show hunter series. There are plenty of other social events across the event, with the riders’ meeting on Thursday night, a free BBQ on Friday night and a sponsored luncheon on Saturday afternoon. All competition will be livestreamed into the Nation Bar.

Sunday sees the final of the Kyrewood Area Teams event along with the Cavalleria Toscana-sponsored horse mini prix and other non-series classes.

WHAT: Glistening Waters Jumping Championships and ESNZ Jumping Series Final Show

WHERE: Solway Showgrounds, Masterton

WHEN: Friday (April 9) – Sunday (April 11), 2021

MORE INFO AND START LISTS: www.main-events.com

 

By Diana Dobson
7 April 2021