In the seven-year-old age-group, the top three are separated by just three points. A tall, grey NZ Sport Horse, Deja Vu NZPH (Untouchable M - Riviera NZPH x Jokus Latour), leads the bunch on 28 points. She was bred by New Zealand Performance Horses and is owned and ridden by Paula Mussen. This mare finished fourth in the six-year-old series last year, and is looking very strong this season.

Also performing well and snapping at Deja Vu's heels with 26 points, is the pretty bay mare Constellation (Cassini d’Eclipse - Milly x Anamour), a Warmblood bred by her owner/rider, Daniel Webb. Constellation finished 10th-equal in last year’s huge six-year-old group, and has consistent results this season.

Another super young mare is just behind these two with 25 points: the Holsteiner Selena C (Cardento VDL - SoFee x Powerfee). Selena has been an impressive performer since she first appeared on the competition scene and is owned and ridden by her breeder, Vicki Prendergast. She won a Pro-Am (1m30) class at the Horse of the Year show last season in a fast, seven-way jump-off against older, much more experienced horses.

Double Shot NZPH (Ideal de la Loge - Sparkles NZPH x Fetiche du Pas) sits in fourth place on 22 points for her owner, Charlotte Wear. This NZ Sport Horse mare was bred by Warwick Hansen at New Zealand Performance Horses.

The first of the seven-year-old boys is the NZ Warmblood gelding Glenbrooke All Roses (Euro Sport Heartbreaker - Dozen Roses x Shamal), in fifth place (20 points). He is ridden by Tegan Fitzsimon, was bred by the Meehan/Davie families at Glenbrooke Park, and is owned by Tanya Davie. His dam, Dozen Roses (Shamal - Gypsy Witch x Russell), who is described on the ESNZ website as a crossbred, also had some good showjumping results.

Sixth place is shared by two very promising youngsters with 18 points apiece. One is the NZ Sport Horse gelding Campari (Corofino II - Lilliana x Littorio) who was bred and is owned by Penny Tapley, and ridden by Tegan Fitzsimon. This horse has Holsteiner and KWPN blood: his dam, Lilliana (Littorio - Just Good Fun x Romanov) is a beautiful mare owned by Amberley House.

Equal sixth alongside Campari is LT Holst Elizabeth (Clinton - LT Holst Andrea x Casall), a Holsteiner mare ridden by Oliver Edgecombe, who part-owns her with her breeder, Ewen Mackintosh of LT Holsteiners. Elizabeth’s dam, LT Holst Andrea, is the current leader of the NZ World Cup series, and was bred in Germany by Hans-Joachim Gerken of Hammoor. She has been the ESNZ’s leading mare for the past two years, and is jointly owned by her rider Brooke Edgecombe and Ewen Mackintosh. Another of her daughters is the current leader of the five-year-old series (see below).

Two young Holsteiners – one mare and one gelding – currently share equal first place in this group. Both are by the very successful Corofino II (Corrado I x Fernando x Lord) who was bred in Germany by Hobe Bernhard and is from Stamm 318D2. The mare is the excellent Fleur DeLacour (Corofino II - Jazz x LioCaylon), bred by Butch Thomas, and owned and ridden by Samantha Matthews; she finished second-equal in the five-year-old series last season. Her damsire, LioCaylon (Liostro x Calypso II x Sacramento Song xx) is from Stamm 741, bred in Germany by Hans-Joachim Gerken, and owned by Wild Turkey Farm in the USA. Fleur DeLacour is a very exciting prospect indeed...To read the complete article you need to be a subscriber