Wood hill turned out to be a great event for us and our owners, with all our horses going very well.

Woodhill Sands turned it all on this weekend with the weather being perfect.

We arrived on Thursday afternoon to find the woodhill crew working really hard to get the finishing touches done on the course. It looked amazing and the presentation of the jumps and course was second to none.

We had a change of plan late Friday afternoon, deciding that I was better to stay on the ground and manage Donna and her upper level horses……as there was not enough people in the world to manage the both of us if I was riding as well……..so Donna stole Knightly Venture and Alpha Romeo SW, Paddy was handed Tall Jan on a silver platter(I had only just managed to pry her off Donna for the ride).

I think one of the highlights for us apart from the CIC horses was Waitangi My space winning his first Pre Novice class. He was followed by Eliza Johns on last years Taupo 3 day Pre Novice champion Silent Seeker, Felton Road Susan Le Mesurier who just added some time then Paddy on Tall Jan.

In the CIC 3* we ran Just Chocolate, he was the first horse to go. He is getting more and established with his changes and did a better test than Aaron station. He led the dressage just in front of Jock Paget (who just landed from the U.K on Thursday)on Clifton Air tight then Shelley Ross on Alberta Tomba. The Showjump changed a few placings with Chocolate jumping clean and remaining in the lead. The cross country had the questions and was a good track for a CIC. An interesting fence on the top of the hill with a narrow followed by 4 or 5 strides to a skinny stump, 4 strides to narrow brush that’s quite wide followed by a left hand turn to a corner. What made it tricky was between A and B which in a direct line is 4 strides…..but wait they have planted small brushy trees in the 4 stride direct line!! There was much deliberation with the riders wether they would use the tree as a canter pole on the third stride to the skinny and how would the horses read the canter pole/brush……..So the question was, do the riders do 5 and go around the brush or in Mike Guifoyle’s words do they do the one two TREE Four!!! At the end of the day Donna and Chocolate looked super and they retained their lead to win the CIC 3* followed by Shelly Ross and then Campbell Draper who scorched around on his mare for the fastest time. Poor Jessica Fieldes on her lovely big Coleraine Coaltown were looking good until the hill combination, they get the 5 to the tree stump perfectly then just didn’t quite read the c element and have a fall to call it a day for them.Poor Danni Lodder made the decision to withdraw Interflora of Renton after the dressage when she was just not 100 per cent.

CIC 2* we ran Balmoral Sensation and Henton Executive who have been ticking along quietly in the last couple of starts. Sensation won the dressage followed by Tessa Jacks on Cracker Jack Candy the Henton Executive then Heelan Tomkins on her new ride Classic Ransom. Once again the showjumping proving very costly with just 3 clean rounds in this class with both of Donna’s and Heelan’s Ski Wistler all clear. The xc placings changed a little with Henton Executive moving up into 2^nd behind his stable mate Balmoral Sensation. Third went to Alyicia Burton on Classis Reaction and Heelan Tomkin’s Ski Whistler.

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A new ride for us and a sale horse also in the Novice was Sports Café, he is from the South Island. He did a really nice dressage to leave him just behind the leader, one down in the sj and a nice clear xc left him in third place overall then came Blake/ Sarah Broughton.

The advanced class was won by Mathew Grayling on NRM Lowenburg and then Katrina Mcquarters and Major Dilemma.

The Intermediate class was won by Pioneer Zuess and Chelsey Hawthorn followed by Major Vibes ridden by Rowan Dixon, Classic Gold rush /Alycia Burton, Playmaker/ Rosanna Frankish, At the Limit/ Tom Lane, the Sarah Broughton on her two lovely horses Rockhill Raddish and Rockhill rocket. An Interesting titbit for you is that Rockhill Rocket and Balmoral Sensation are out of the same mare.

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Our only baby horse was Kahlua who had his debut out with Paddy riding him, he finished in 6^th place.

Sorry to give every one a bum steer on Saturday with the wrong web sight for www.equestrianentries.co.nz………… Now this is your all round websight where you do your entries, check your times, live results and recently added is a list of entries as they come into the system for the up coming events(this is not a draw, just list of progressive entries) John is also working on a xc analyst sheet so you will be able to check out where in fact you missed that jump……….Donna, Kate Lambie, Mathew Grayling who actually missed out a whole circle of 5 jumps in the Intermediate and im sure there are many more of you.

Last week we had written that Warenga horse trials had brought the airator……..miscomunication here it was actually Graham and Diana Smith that belongs to the airator.

This week is Rotorua Horse trials, we have a different team going so must cut this short and start riding!