Thrilling end to a top equestrian season

Katie McVean added to her burgeoning trophy cabinet this weekend taking more of the nation's top equestrian awards, this time at the National Young Horse Jumping Championships in Taupo.
The newly-crowned Showjumper of the Year this weekend rode off with the trophies for the STH rider championship series and EquiBreed/VDL leading mare series aboard Dunstan Delphi.
McVean has been in blistering form this year, winning the national showjumping title, lady rider of the year, the New Zealand World Cup series and the Bomac Super League Series.
The championships, held at the National Equestrian Centre over the past three days, is the last big show of the season. It is here the age group and rider series are decided.
Zoe Shore (Ashburton) on Olympia NZPH won an exciting jump-off in the Iverquantel amateur rider championship, doing enough to take the series, but not the class. She was one of eight from the 22-strong start list to go through to the jump-off and had the luxury of being last to go.
Ahead of her Tim Finch (Waipukurau) and Mr Munga 3 had gone clear in 35.08. Then nurse Emma Blair (Auckland) and Duplicate went clear in 36.39. To take the series Shore had to beat Blair and leave everything up. She and the eight-year-old mare Olympia NZPH, who she only teamed up with at the beginning of this season, did just that, coming home clean in 36 after a straight gallop into the last fence.
Shore spent her winter months working at NZPH preparing horses for Anna Trent who was competing in the United States, and fell in love with Olympia. In years gone by she has placed in the amateur rider series but never been in a position to give it a real crack.
But after she and Olympia won the national title in Christchurch, they decided to head north to compete at the Kelt Capital Horse of the Year Show, staying on for the young horse championships. It's paid big dividends and she was extremely excited with their win.
Catherine Cameron (Cambridge) and Wenrose Vertigo took the four-year-old championship, with Philip Steiner (Tauranga) on Annandale Branson the Astek five year old championship, Kim Best (Otane) on IQ the Mitavite six year old championship and Ike Unsworth (Tauranga) on Whittaker MVNZ the seven-year-old championship.
But it was the series many were chasing, and Unsworth was the only one to do both the championship and the double in the seven year old. The professional rider had an excellent last show of the season, picking up multiple placings across the ages on his consistent team of horses.
Hannah Burnett Grant (Taupo) was victorious in the KiwiSpan junior rider series, with Kyle Tim (Auckland) on R Mr Berg LC taking the Astek Stud five year old series and Bridget Hansen and Anna Trent (Hawke's Bay) on Cortaflex Quickstep NZPH the Mitavite six year old series.
Murray Graham (Southern Hawke's Bay) built some challenging courses over the three day show, which attracted excellent entries. Many of the classes were very close, making for heart-stopping jump-offs for those ringside.

Results -
Show, four year old championship: Catherine Cameron (Cambridge) Wenrose Vertigo 1, Tess Williams (Gisborne) Eon 2, Kyle Tim (Auckland) Riviere Rouge LC 3, Kyle Tim (Auckland) Lorenzo GNZ 4, Kyle Tim (Auckland) Schweppes LC 5, Ike Unsworth (Tauranga) Cervelt MVNZ 6.
Astek Stud five year old championship: Philip Steiner (Tauranga) Annandale Branson 1, Jessica Connell (Reporoa) Tiara Tyme 2, Kyle Tim (Auckland) Funny Lass 3, Sarah Jocelyn (Wellington) Joia Hara 4, Katie McVean (Mystery Creek) Dunstan Springfield 5,
Mitavite six year old championship: Kim Best (Otane) IQ 1, Katie McVean (Mystery Creek) Dunstan Zasjany D 2, Mollie Bennett (Wairoa) Ngahiwi Cupid 3, Ike Unsworth (Tauranga) Jimmy Johnson, Karen Riddle (Cambridge) The Mighty Quinn, Sally Steiner (Tauranga) Annandale Shalimah Distillation =4.
Cushionride seven year old championship: Ike Unsworth (Tauranga) Whittaker MVNZ 1, Daniel Meech (Hawke's Bay) Argento 2, Tess Williams (Gisborne) Alltech Craighaven Nitro 3, Kirsten McLeod (Gisborne) Kahurangi Valenza, Sally Steiner (Tauranga) Annandale Laughton's Legacy, Ike Unsworth (Tauranga) Wimbledon MVNZ =4.
KiwiSpan junior rider championship final: Candice Fox (Auckland) Larkham 1, Bridgette Grylls (Te Awamutu) Yippee Yi Yo 2, Jennifer Leslie (Auckland) Macavee 3, Hannah Burnett Grant (Taupo) Winston Darco V 4, Ella Varcoe (Auckland) WTF Shania 5, Lisa Hogg (Ohope) Brooke BHS 6.
Iverquantel amateur rider championship final: Tim Finch (Waipukurau) Mr Munga 3 1, Zoe Shore (Ashburton) Olympia NZPH 2, Emma Blair (Auckland) Duplicate 3, Tania Morris (Hamilton) BMW Fjola 4, Sharleen Workman (Wellington) Kiwi Vibe SL 5, Tracey Horton (New Plymouth) HS Liquorice Twist 6.

Series results, KiwiSpan junior rider series: Hannah Burnett Grant (Taupo) 192 points 1, Alex Barnett (Feilding) 157 2, Ella Varcoe (Auckland) 148 3, Candice Fox (Auckland) 132 4, Bridgette Grylls (Te Awamutu) 129 5, Jennifer Leslie (Auckland) 115 6.
Iverquantel amateur rider series: Zoe Shore (Ashburton) 105 points 1, Emma Blair (Auckland) 91 2, Dean Morgan (Te Awamutu) 83 3, Tania Morris (Hamilton) 65 4, Merran Hain (Gisborne) and Tim Finch (Waipukurau) 44 =5.
EquiBreed/VDL leading mare series: Katie McVean (Mystery Creek) Dunstan Delphi 1.
STH rider championship series: Katie McVean (Mystery Creek) 77 points 1, Maurice Beatson (Dannevirke) 50 2, Anna Trent (Hawke's Bay) 42 3, Ike Unsworth (Tauranga) 37 4, Kyle Tim (Auckland) 34.5 5, Robert Steele (Hawera) 32.5 6.
Cushionride seven year old series: Ike Unsworth (Tauranga) Whittaker MVNZ 84 points 1, Daniel Webb (Hunterville) Amernaki Chief 72 2, Kirsten McLeod (Gisborne) Kahurangi Valenza 70 3, Maurice Beatson (Dannevirke) Wishing Warrior 69 4, Ike Unsworth (Tauranga) Wimbledon MVNZ 63 5, Louise Grant (Ashburton) Kiwi Ludo 61 6.
Mitavite six year old series: Bridget Hansen/Anna Trent (Hawke's Bay) Cortaflex Quickstep NZPH 80 points 1, Katie McVean (Mystery Creek) Dunstan Zasjany D 78 2, Kim Best (Otane) IQ 77 3, Katie McVean (Mystery Creek) Dunstan Zenzil HBC 68 4, Vicki Prendergast (Hamilton) Solano 60 5, Lisa Coupe (Kumeu) Bates Amaretto MVNZ 58 6.
Astek Stud five year old series: Kyle Tim (Auckland) R Mr Berg LC 88 points 1, Katie McVean (Mystery Creek) Dunstan Springfield 86 2, Philip Steiner (Tauranga) Annandale Branson 74 3, Kim Best (Otane) Giggles 70 4, Kyle Tim (Auckland) Funny Lass 68 5, Jacob Razak (Auckland) Thornfield Annie's Song 62 6.