Eventing investment in quest for gold

 There’s one undeniable fact about professional sport: when the competition is doing the hard yards, your yards simply have to be harder.

And that’s the situation facing New Zealand’s equestrian community with the retirement of some for the sport’s biggest eventing names.

So now a New Zealand equine benefactor is gearing up to replenish the country’s horsepower and riding talent by opening the country’s first purpose-built eventing training facility.

Auckland businesswoman Frances Stead is determined to see New Zealand eventers have the best chance of bringing home gold from the London Olympics in 2012 and beyond.

So much so she has invested more than $2 Million in a dedicated horse and rider training operation at Muriwai Beach, north-west of Auckland.

The new 20 hectare facility for Clifton Eventers is being officially opened by the Prime Minister tomorrow (Oct 16).

It comprises a purpose-built, all weather arena large enough to accommodate several riders training concurrently in both dressage and jumping as well as 19 individual horse paddocks and shared ones for many more. A specially-designed stabling and horse care complex is able to accommodate 10 horses at any one time.

Ms Stead founded Clifton Eventers in 1998 specifically to provide a New Zealand lineage for both riders and bloodstock.

“Competitively, we got a head start on the rest of the world a decade or so ago when the likes of the Todds, Jefferis and Taits were winning Olympic and world championship medals,” Ms Stead says.

“But the equestrian landscape has changed and I believe we need to have a more structured plan now to ensure the talent comes through, not just for 2012 but also beyond.”

She says several factors have helped our rivals close the gap including bloodstock exports from New Zealand but the biggest factor has been in the professionalism of the riders.

“In eventing, it used to be you could be successful, even on the world stage, by great performances on the cross country phase. However, to win Olympic eventing gold now, you have to be at the top of your game across all aspects - in dressage, cross country and show jumping,” Ms Stead says.

“Plus there’s the question of funding. Overseas there’s much more money involved in eventing. And that all means here in New Zealand we need to work doubly hard on getting both our horses and our riders ready for the Olympics and beyond. That’s a key objective for Clifton Eventers.”

Ms Stead competed in her university days and has developed a keen eye for horseflesh. Clifton Eventers helps fund its investment in New Zealand eventing by finding talented young New Zealand-bred horses, having them correctly trained by top New Zealand riders, then keeping the best and selling the rest. Many of the horses go offshore.

Clifton Eventers’ eight-year plan to win gold began in 2004 and was enhanced in 2007 with the purchase of the Muriwai property. The quest has continued with an invitation to one of the country’s best up-and-coming riders to join the venture.

Jonathan (Jock) Paget was a Kiwi based in Australia and was getting some impressive results when tracked down by Clifton Eventers. He moved back to New Zealand as a professional rider for Clifton Eventers taking up the reins of Clifton Promise.

In addition, Donna Smith has been supported by Clifton Eventers for many years including throughout her time training in the US. Together with her top eventer, Clifton Kudos, Smith moved back to New Zealand in early 2008.

A third Clifton rider, Joe Meyer, is based in the United Kingdom. The New Zealand rider has previously achieved good results on horses home-bred by his parents, but he now has Clifton Lush and Clifton Chatter adding strength to his stable.

Ms Stead and her team have also purchased several new horses they hope will come up to standard to perform at top level for New Zealand in subsequent World Equestrian Games and Olympics.

“Half the battle is finding the right compatibility between horse and rider,” Ms Stead says. “It’s a long term process but we have a clear plan.

“New Zealand has previously dominated the world of eventing and our aim with Clifton Eventers is to return Kiwi riders to the Olympic and world championship dais.”

This target is no elusive dream as Ms Stead has consistently proved since 2001 when the first Clifton horse competed on a New Zealand team.

In 2005 she became the first New Zealander to own two horses on a New Zealand team when Clifton Checkers and Clifton X-Factor were the two highest placed team horses in the Trans-Tasman Competition in Adelaide.

Then, at the World Equestrian Games in 2006, she was the only private owner from any country to have two horses compete for a nation when Call Me Clifton and Clifton Checkers represented New Zealand.

Ms Stead is currently the country’s leading owner in eventing and Paget is currently the country’s leading event rider. He also holds the top eventing combination award for New Zealand together with Clifton Promise. The combination is also one of only four New Zealand-based riders on the 2012 Olympics Eventing training squad.

Ms Stead and Clifton Eventers are also investing strongly in today’s Junior Eventing riders, providing training scholarships to the top performers at 2008’s only Junior 3-Day Eventing Competition. The riders have since achieved some outstanding results in 2009.

Muriwai was chosen for the Clifton Eventers new site because of its good year-round ground conditions courtesy of the sand base, its proximity to Auckland and regular competition, and the nearby beach to exercise the horses.