Pony club eventers relish new cross country course

The formation of a top-class cross country course at the Marlborough Equestrian Park paved the way for a hugely-successful 2025 New Zealand Pony Club Eventing Champs.

The championships, which ran from Thursday to Sunday, are only staged in the South Island once every four years, the last time in Marlborough being 1992.

They were hosted by the Marlborough Nelson West Coast Area Pony Club, whose members put in the hard yards to make the venue suitable for such a high-profile gathering involving nine regions throughout the country.

Firstly, they had to create a suitable cross country course at the Park, which already has well-appointed dressage and showjumping arenas.

Course designer Lucy Shaw from Canterbury was recruited and, alongside former international designer Richard Crowe, who lives locally, they provided the blueprint for a brand-new cross-country track, which would fully test the 122 horses and 105 riders who made their way to Marlborough.

Action at the Park began with dressage on Friday, the new cross country course being put to the test on Saturday and the showjumping wrapping up proceedings on Sunday.

The overall championships were a team championship, but the Moana Johnsen Memorial ODE, named in honour of a local Pony Club stalwart, was run alongside for individual riders.

Marlborough’s Michelle Campbell, the event secretary, said the championships were “really successful”.

“Bill Phiskie from Equestrian NZ, one of the technical delegates for the whole event, was very impressed with the quality of the job we had done in organising and is happy to work with us for the next one. We took that as a great compliment.

“We got some excellent feedback … the visitors were really impressed and some of the local equestrian community who came out to watch were blown away by what we had managed to put on.

“That sort of feedback makes you feel that those stressful times and the many hours of work that went into this is all worth it.

“It’s also rewarding to know that the kids rode well and enjoyed the event.”

Although the eventing nationals have come and gone the Equestrian Park will be busy hosting large events through 2025 with September’s South Island Showjumping Championships and December’s Dressage World Challenge next up.

Team results:
1 Canterbury 1, 2 Marlborough Nelson West Coast, 3 Franklin Thames Valley, 4 Waikato, 5 Canterbury 2, 6 Otago Southland.

 
Marlborough Nelson West Coast Area Pony Club successes:

NZ Horse Society A1 Challege Cup (110cm) was won by Rebecca Wardle on WS Liatris.  Sir Mark Todd Challenge Cup (105cm) was won by Tara Morgan on Awatuna  Velvet Rose. Dorothy Campbell Trophy (95cm) - Hugo Anderson on Zoe was 3rd. Price Family Cup (80cm ) - Grace Heaphy  on Gypsy Dancing Queen was second.

Local results from the Moana Johnsen Memorial ODE: Patrick Redwood was second on Ferguso in the 110cm class; Taylor Edwards on Roselea Skipper was third in the 95cm class; Hane Johnsen on Te Ararua Tellis was fifth in the 80cm class; Anna Gale on Mangatainoka was sixth in the 80cm class.