By Sally Reid
Photography: Kelly Wilson
While the official standings in New Zealand’s age-group series are not yet available, the first few competitions have delivered interesting results for breeders. Warwick Hansen and David Kirk’s New Zealand Performance Horses, with their NZPH prefix and predominately Selle Français pedigrees, stand out as having made a very solid start to the season, across all three groups.
Warmblood vs Thoroughbred 7yo battle
The first competition was at Taupo, where the winner was a Thoroughbred, Good Timing xx (Nom de Jeu xx -Baloushe xx x Black Minnaloushe xx) for Amanda Pottinger. Bred by Goodwood Stud, Good Timing finished ahead of New Zealand Sport Horse, Festival NZ (L.A.X. - Strip) who was bred by his owner/rider Monica Oakley. Monte Carlo MVNZ (Indoctro - Auburn Princess MVNZ x Senator VDL) was third. All three horses jumped clear but with time faults.
In the second leg of the series, which was held at Woodhill Sands, the win went to Cadillac NZPH (Jokus Latour - Untouched NZPH x Cabdulla du Tillard), a New Zealand Sport Horse gelding owned and ridden by Samantha Peters. The pair had no faults over their two rounds.
In second place was the NZ Warmblood mare Lotte (Corofino II - Moll Flanders x Brilliant Invader xx) with four faults for Rosie Commons. Third went to Charcoal Xtreme (Cardento VDL - Red Rinse x Wikau), a New Zealand Sport Horse gelding bred by Xtreme Sport Horses and ridden by his co-owner, the international eventer Lizzie Green. Charcoal’s dam was bred at Ngahiwi Station by Bruce Holden, and is a full sister of the showjumping gelding Blue Rinse, who was sold to Australia.
At the Central Districts Spring Show, the seven-year-old winner was Maurice Beatson’s gelding Central Park (Euro Sport Centavos - Silk and Spice x Omnicorp xx), a New Zealand Sport Horse bred by Imogen Neal. Second and third places were filled by two from NZ Performance Horses, the gelding Cadenza NZPH (Kannan - U Can Dance NZPH x Fuego du Prelet) for Rose Alfeld, and the small but super little mare Can’t Touch This NZPH (Untouchable M - Questions NZPH x Fetiche du Pas [SF]) for Heloise Tolo.
At Equidays, New Zealand Performance Horses made an almost clean sweep. Cadillac NZPH had his second win of the season for Samantha Peters, with Cadenza NZPH and Rose Alfeld again in second place. Charcoal Xtreme and Lizzie Green were third, and fourth went to Jessie Linton’s mare Caption NZPH (Jokus Latour - Manon des Souches x Arpege Pierreville).
The next leg took place at the Hawke’s Bay Royal Show, and it was yet another NZPH victory, this time to Heloise Tolo and her lovely little mare, Can’t Touch This NZPH. Robert Steele was second with Two Eye See (One Eye - Mrs Grey x Telesun), and Ashley Hart was third on Kiwi Cheroso (Landioso - Kiwi Cherobee x Frisbee) bred by Graeme Hart’s Fernhill Stud.
Mares rise to the top in 6yo age group
Mares rose to the top at the first show in this series, which was another win for NZ Performance horses, this time with Daisy Duke NZPH (Non Plus Ultra II - Ophelia NZPH x Barbarian) who also performed well as a five-year-old. She is owned by the stud, and was ridden by Maddison Greatorex...CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE TO BREEDING NEWS
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