By Sally Reid
Photography: Cornege Photography, Michelle Clarke
New Zealand’s haphazard 2022-23 season, blighted throughout by wild weather and show cancellations, is now at an end and showjumping’s leading performers have been named. Here’s a quick look at the overall winners of the main ESNZ – and the people who bred them.
The 13-year-old German-bred Holsteiner, LT Holst Andrea (Casall - Palaune x Lavaletto), has won this award every year since 2018, with the exception of the 2021/22 season when she finished second to another German import, La Quinara (Ludger G - Queenie x Quality).
VDL-Equibreed Top Mare: LT Holst Andrea
Andrea was bred by Hans-Joachim and Dörte Gerken in Hammoor. She was imported to New Zealand as a four-year-old by Ewen Mackintosh of Lake Taupo Holsteiners; the stud was in its infancy at the time, and Andrea herself was in foal to Clinton I. That foal, LT Holst Elizabeth, is now back in Europe, and has had good placings there and in the USA with Annabel Francis.
Andrea was also the winner of the ESNZ’s Premier League jumping series (see below). She has since had twin embryo transfer foals by Colman: LT Holst Freda and LT Holst Francis, both of whom are showing above-average talent. Freda has finished second in the ESNZ eight-year-old series (see below).
Andrea’s rider, Brooke Edgecombe, now owns her and describes her as the best horse she’s ever had. She plans to use the VDL-EquiBreed prize to bring a potential star into the world via embryo transfer. “I believe the mare is 75% of the equation when it comes to breeding. They are so important and sometimes not enough focus is put on them. This is a great award and recognition of top jumping mares,” she told ESNZ.
VDL-EquiBreed Leading Stallion: Bravado
For the third year running, Bravado Ego Z (Balougran Z - Cressida Ego Z x Carthago), ridden by Logan Massie, is the country’s best-performing jumping stallion. The exceptionally handsome chestnut Zangersheide was bred in Australia by Dr Linda Mayer of Ego Summersea, who has invested many years of research and planning into all Ego pedigrees and has been using Zangersheide genetics for more than 25 years... To read the complete article you need to be a subscriber
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