November 18, 2009

A New Zealand showing team is in the final stages of preparations for its trip to Australia to compete at the EFA Show Horse and Rider Championships early next month.

The 11 team members and eight show hacks and ponies will compete at the championships, at the Werribee Equestrian Centre on December 4-5.

The team members are self funded, and qualified for the Australian event by winning or placing runner-up in their open conformation or rider title events at the Kelt Capital Horse of the Year Show in March this year.

Team member Amanda Clayton will be a busy girl at the show, with the ride on two horses. She rides the Saddle Hunter Pony (Galloway) Phoenician Speedway, and Glenmore Sam I Am in the Galloway division.

"I am very excited about the trip to Aussie as it is an honour to represent my country. I have been out and about in my community talking about my successes and have done some motivational speaking. I have had comments from younger peers telling me that I am an inspiration to them to know that a normal, small town girl can achieve her dream. I look forward to the trip and wish all my team members good luck," she said.

Team Manger Elizabeth Charleston has been busy finding sponsorship for team uniforms - no mean feat in the current economic times - and the team is grateful to its sponsors.

One of those is Cindy Pender, of Gateshead Equestrian and Posh Ponies and a member of the 2004 NZ Showing Team. "Most of the team this year, if not all of them, have been great customers of mine over the years and I would love to give something back," she said.

The Glenn Family Foundation and Owen Glenn, a well known New Zealand businessman and half owner of thoroughbred stud Blandford Lodge, has also stepped forward to help kit the team out. This is the second time The Glenn Family Foundation has been involved with sponsorship for the Showing discipline, having contributed to the Waikato Showing Championships, a fundraising event for the CatWalk Spinal Cord Injury Trust.

The show jumping fraternity is also backing the showies. Olympic show jumper Katie McVean and Natasha Slavich, the owner of McVean's Dunstan Forest, have dug deep into their pockets to help finance the team with their uniforms. The team has also received support and assistance from Kevin and Sue Hansen and the Kelt Capital Horse of the Year Show.

Netta and Gordon Burnside from Brand X have doubled their sponsorship of last year to help the team this year. Brand X has one of the world's biggest and most diverse fleets of mobile quarry and aggregate equipment for hire and sale. The company is also very community focused having an altruistic approach especially with help in the Islands on Roading Projects.

2009 NZ SHOWING TEAM MEMBERS:

Lead Rein Pony - Jordan Smythe and Mangakaraa Crystal
Saddle Hunter Pony (Galloway) - Amanda Clayton and Phoenician Speedway
Saddle Hunter Horse - Dorothy Lennard and Glentullock
Saddle Hunter Horse - Anne Hjorth and Savile Row
Junior Rider - Alana Clapperton
Intermediate Rider - Tinesha Carey
Intermediate Rider - India Bishop
Senior Rider - Michael Morton-Beetham
Small Show Pony - Alana Clapperton and Beechcroft Chablis
Small Show Pony - Jorjia Weck and Brookfields Pocket
Galloway - Amanda Clayton and Glenmore Sam I Am
Large Show Hack - Natacha Otto and Regal Romar
Team Manager - Elizabeth Charleston
Assistant Team Manager - Jocelyn Charleston

Jordan Smythe is 5 years old and hails from the town of Cambridge in the Waikato. Jordan is in her first year at school and attends Hautapu Primary School. Mangakaraa Crystal is 8yrs old and was bred by the Mangakaraa Stud. She is a Part bred Welsh by Glynmawr Dogwood out of Mt Albion Sally Grey. Jordan and Mangakaraa Crystal have had a very successful partnership in the past two seasons. At their first attempt at the Horse of the Year Show in 2008 they were placed second in the Lead Rein Pony of the Year and awarded Best Presented Lead Rein Pony. This year they won Lead Rein Pony championship titles at the North Island Premier Show, North Island Welsh Show and the NZ Horse of the Year, as well as winning the Lead Rein section of the NZ Pony Breeders Performance Competition. At NZ Showing Awards the pair was voted winners of the Lead Rein Pony of the Season while Jordan's mother, Maxine Reed-Smythe was voted Best Dressed Lead Rein Handler. Jordan is very excited about representing New Zealand at the EFA Show Horse and Rider Championships at Werribee and hopes she does her country and sport proud.

Anne Hjorth and Savile Row (Saddle Hunter Horse) Alana Clapperton and Beechcroft Chablis (Small Show Pony and the Junior Rider title events) Tinesha Carey (Intermediate Rider) Intermediate rider representative India Bishop on Glen Cree Matchwood. Senior Rider representative Michael Morton-Beetham NZ Supreme Hack of the Year Regal Romar, ridden by Natacha Otto. The combination will compete in the Large Show Hack section.

Amanda Clayton is a Year 11 student at Central Hawke's Bay College and is working towards a challenging career in journalism. She has been riding since she was 4 years old and it has always been a dream for her to represent NZ. Amanda will be riding both her ponies at the EFA Show Horse and Rider Championships. Her Show Hack Galloway mount, Sam I Am is a 148cm, 7yr old, chestnut gelding. He was bred in the South Island by Rachel Lee and is a NZ Riding Pony by Drumnacott Rifleman. Amanda's Galloway Show Hunter mount will be Phoenician Speedway. 'Speedy' is a 7yr old 148cm bay gelding (Sire: Radway Talk of the Town/Dam: Phonecian Sienna). Sam I Am had a very successful NZ Horse of the Year 2009 winning the 148cm NZ Bred Pony class, Paced and Mannered Pony of the Year, 148cm Show Pony of the Year title and was Reserve Preliminary Dressage Pony of the Year. Amanda also won the Saddle Hunter Pony of the Year title on Phoenician Speedway and was 3rd in the Intermediate Rider of the Year. In previous years Amanda has won the Paced and Mannered Pony of the Year aboard Rivelin Aramis and has had several Top 6 results at NZ HOY.

Dorothy Lennard is from Te Aroha in the Waikato region and takes part in the Saddle Hunter section at Werribee riding Glentullock, a 17hh gelding by Zabalu. Dorothy has won numerous saddle hunter championships with Glentullock in the past few show seasons. The combination has won the NZ National Champion Saddle Hunter three years in succession and the North Island Premier Saddle Hunter for the past two years. At the 2009 Kelt Capital Horse of the Year Dorothy and Glentullock won the Saddle Hunter of the Year as well as the Paced and Mannered Saddle Hunter of the Year and voted Saddle Hunter Horse of the Season at the NZ Showing Awards. Dorothy has had a very successful showing career from Show Ponies through to Show Hacks and Hunters and is also an RAS Showing Judge.

Anne Hjorth is from Cambridge and works full time as a Graphic Designer for AsureQuality Limited. She has been an NZ RAS Judge for over 10 years and in recent years a Grade One Tutor Judge. Anne has had judging appointments at the NZ Horse of the Year and Queensland Owner/Rider Horse of the Year. Anne has produced many successful show horses acquired from the race track with the most recent success story being Saddle Hunter Horse Savile Row. Savile Row (Zabeel-Tudor Era) has competed in both dressage and showing the past two seasons. In his first season (and only his 5th show) was placed runner up in Saddle Hunter of the Year title event in 2008 and repeated this placing again in 2009 before going on to win Champion Saddle Hunter Horse at the Royal Easter Show. Horses have always been a big part of Anne's life from showing 128cm show ponies through to hacks and she has show jumped ponies at A and B grade level. She grew up in a family involved with thoroughbreds, showing and hunting. Anne?s father was an owner-trainer and both parents bred racehorses.

Alana Clapperton, aboard her show pony Beechcroft Chablis, is well known in New Zealand for her riding skills in the show ring. The duo has won countless championships for Show Pony, Paced and Mannered and Rider competitions through to national level. Alana placed 3rd in NZ in the Preliminary Challenge at the 2008 World Dressage Challenge. In 2008 Alana had the honour of representing NZ at the 2008 EFA Show Horse and Rider Championships in Australia and returns this year to contest both the Small Show Pony and Junior Rider titles. At the Kelt Capital NZ Horse of the Year Show Alana won the Small Show Pony title and was runner up Junior Rider of the Year. Alana is Head Girl of her school in Palmerston North and in her free time from riding Alana enjoys playing sport and is the current Year 8 Girls Interschool Cross-Country winner.

Tinesha Carey hails from the Hawke's Bay area and is one of New Zealand's rising stars as a hockey player. She has had an extremely successful equestrian career for a rider so young. To date, Tinesha has collected 12 New Zealand Horse of the Year titles and nine New Zealand National showing titles since she picked up the reins. She has won the Intermediate Rider title at the New Zealand Horse of the Year for the past three years and has represented New Zealand on numerous occasions for equestrian sports - following in the footsteps of her older sister Letice. Tinesha has won numerous championships with her show ponies, most recently with Kirkwood Marcus and is hard to beat in rider competitions and Turnout Equitation events, winning at Royal Shows and at the New Zealand Nationals. Tinesha was voted Junior Rider of the Season at the NZ Showing Awards and she also campaigns a team of show jumpers, competing at Grand Prix level.

India Bishop is from Richmond Park in Marton and is a Year 12 student at Fielding High School. The 16-year-old has four brothers, all of whom are competitors in their own chosen sports. India's interests outside of riding are netball and running. India has had a lot of success on her ponies in her riding career. Aboard the 138cm pony Jubilee Fineprint she won many Champion and Supremes along with Runner Up Pony of the Year with India gaining second placing in the Intermediate Rider of the Year title on him. India has also been a member of the dressage NZ Newcomers Dressage Squad on the seasoned campaigner Lord Cavalier. For the past two seasons India has ridden the Hornblow Family's pony Glen Cree Matchwood. In this time they have won many Championships around New Zealand including Saddle Hunter Pony of the Year, NZ National Supreme Champion Paced and Mannered Pony, North Island Premier Saddle Hunter Pony, Runner Up Dressage Pony of the Year, Runner up Intermediate Rider of the Year and voted Saddle Hunter Pony of the Season in the NZ Showing Awards.

Michael Morton-Beetham is somewhat new to showing having focused on eventing and showjumping in the past. He began riding at 13 and was based at David Goodin's eventing and show jumping yard for two years in his late teens. In 2009 Michael took out the Champion Senior Rider awards at both the North Island Premier Show and the NZ Horse of the Year Show aboard the 5yr old Archibald 2 owned by Jane and Bill Ewen. This was particularly rewarding for Michael as he had broken the horse in as a two year old, commencing training with the horse as a four year old. Michael manages a breaking in and agistment property for Kit and Gee Davidson in Cambridge and also runs his own forty-acre agistment farm with his partner. In his spare time Michael loves to dance and has been a Ceroc dance teacher for the past twelve years. Michael is also a keen skier on the water and snow in his spare time.

Jorjia Weck was a mere three years old when she commenced her showing career and by the time she was four years has notched up four New Zealand showing titles. Jorjia and her pony Glenbrooke Pocket Money have won numerous showing championships in the past four show seasons that they have campaigned together. In 2009 the pair took out the Supreme NZ Bred Pony Award and Supreme Champion 128cm and Under Show Pony title at the North Island Premier Show before placing runner up in the Small Pony Championship at the Horse of the Year Show. The combination has also excelled in Turnout/Equitation events and is rarely beaten at National and Royal Show level. Jorjia is 10 years old and attends Matamata Christian School in Year Six. She is a true outdoors girl and love animals. Jorjia also has a good eye and passion for photography.

Natacha Otto and Regal Romar has formed a great partnership together in recent years, winning many major showing awards throughout New Zealand. Regal Romar is the current Show Hack of the Year and NZ National Show Hack champion. Together Natacha and Ronny have won the Show Hack of the Year Show three times, Supreme Show Horse of the Year twice, the Supreme National Champion Hack and the Grand National Champion Hack as well as Royal Show championships. Regal Romar was voted Show Hack of the Season at the 2009 NZ Showing Awards. Together they have won equestrienne turnouts such as The Gee Whizz (NZ HOY) and The Sue Yearbury Memorial (Royal Easter Show). Natacha has won the Champion Senior Rider title twice at both the NZ Grand Nationals and NZ National Championships and placed second in the Senior Rider title at the Horse of the Year Show. Natacha has also won the Park Hack of the Year title three times with French Etiquette. Prior to becoming a mother and full time rider, Natacha was a senior flight attendant with Freedom Air. Natacha resides in Te Awamutu (Waikato) with her husband Richard, who is a busy racehorse trainer and their 4 year old daughter Olivia. Natacha and Richard also own a thoroughbred agistment property.

Elizabeth Charleston returns to Werribee once again as Team Manager for the NZ Showing Team. She has competed internationally with horses in showing, eventing and show jumping, winning state and national showing titles in South Africa. In New Zealand she has won the Champion Senior Rider at the Royal Easter Show four times and is also a successful Side Saddle rider. Elizabeth is a former international model and the Race Day Ambassador for the Cambridge Melbourne Cup Day. In recent years Elizabeth has worked in NZ and abroad as a journalist/photographer and is also a RAS Showing judge.

Jocelyn Charleston is the Assistant Team Manager. She is a Grade One Tutor showing judge with the NZ RAS and is the Mid Northern Judges Convenor. Jocelyn has produced champion show hacks, hunters and ponies for the past 45 years in New Zealand. She is the Chief Equestrian Steward of the Waikato's World which is one of New Zealand's largest A&P shows.

Sponsors

BRAND X
The Glenn Family Foundation and Owen Glenn
Gateshead Equestrian and Posh Ponies
Katie McVean and Natasha Slavich