The 4-year old Siriana SW, the 5-year old Decadence MH, and the 6-year old Belladonna MH became the grand champions of their age class at the 2015 New Zealand Young Horse Championships held at the Nationals at Manfield Park in Feilding, New Zealand on 5 - 8 March 2015. The high scoring horse of all youngsters was the 6-year old champion, Belladonna MH.
A total of six horses participated in the NZ Young Horse Championships, which included two preliminary rounds that counted for 60% of the points, followed by a finals for 40% of the points in which a guest judge rider assessed the rideability, gaits and potential of the youngsters.
In the 4-year old division Sheena Ross steered the Hanoverian bred Siriana SW (by Sir Donnerhall x Anamour) to victory. Bred and owned by Sterling warmbloods, Siriana SW scored 7.76 in the first round, 7.70 in the second and got an 8.2 from the guest rider to finish on a total of 79.18%. Ruth Walker and the Australian warmblood Walden Park Sancerre (by Shiraz Black x Donnerheist) were the runners up with 7.4, 7.30 and 7.8 to finish on 75.30 points.
In the 5-year old division Kaye Ahsam and Judith Matthews's Hanoverian bred Decadance MH (by Dacaprio x Anamour) topped the leader board after three winning rounds. The duo scored 7.46, 7.86 and the horse got 8.4 from the guest rider to score a total of 79.56 points. William Fisher claimed the silver medal on the Holsteiner x Dutch warmblood cross bred Scotch and Soda (by Tarcodee x Rappelzappel) with 6.82, 7.51 and 7.6 earning scores to total 73.39 points.
The high scoring horse of the entire Young Horse Championships was the winner of the 6-year old division. Julie Flintoff and the Hanoverian bred mare Belladonna MH (by Brentano II x Gymnastik Star) were unbeatable. The mare scored 7.96 and 8.02 and the guest rider gave her 8.5 so she finished first with a total of 81.94 points. Carole Christensen and the Hanoverian x Thoroughbred cross Vollrath Leila (by Lessing x Anamour) was second with 7.68, 7.20 and 8.2 (total of 77.44 pts).
Photos © Libby Law Photography
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