Jones Retains Lead at Kihikihi HSBC FEI World Cup Eventing

In a spectacular day of action at the HSBC FEI World Cup Eventing at Kihikihi in New Zealand, Australian rider Megan Jones and Kirby Park Irish Jester continued to dominate the field after the cross-country phase. Jones opted to squander some of her 7.6 penalty dressage lead by taking an option at fence 3, but went on to complete an economical clear round with only 3.6 time penalties to finish the day on 43.0 penalties. While the lead remained firmly in Jones’s capable hands, John Nicholson’s track had a strong influence on the rest of the field.

Two-time previous winner Gordon ridden by Alice Montgomery shifted into second place after producing a confident clear round to finish the day on 52.6 penalties. Another previous winner, Oakley Vision and Clarke Johnstone, also delivered a smooth clear round with 5.6 time penalties to finish on 61.2 penalties. Other combinations to deliver clear rounds were Heelan Tompkins and Major Difference (64.0 penalties), Jenna Mahoney (66.0 penalties), and Karen Niederer on Cape Palliser (79.6 penalties). The final show-jumping phase of the event takes place tomorrow. Jones will start the show-jumping phase with 2 rails in hand.