It has been the trip of a lifetime for New Zealand’s Sophie Scott, who secured the win in Saturday night’s Carmyle Veterinary Services Tamworth World Cup Qualifier aboard Normandy GHP.
As a large crowd gathered in the grandstands of AELEC, twenty of Australia and New Zealand’s best World Cup combinations took to centre stage to take on the challenge set by course designer Mark Atkins.
At the conclusion of the first round, Sophie Scott and Benrose Stellar were the only combination to record a clear round. Winners of the Waratah Warm-Up Weekend Grand Prix just two weeks ago, this duo has been in hot form since touching down on Australian soil. Three combinations joined Sophie in the jump off carrying one time penalty, including Samuel Overton and World Cup debutant Cha Cha Blue GHP, James Mooney and KPH Cavatina, and Sophie Scott with her second ride Normandy GHP.
With the crowd on the edge of their seats, twelve combinations returned to contest the jump off. Gemma Creighton, who carried eight penalties through to the second round, put the pressure on riders to come with a cracking clear round. From there, the clear rounds kept on coming.
Carrying four penalties through from the first round, Billy Raymont and Caprino jumped to a preliminary lead in a time that looked good enough to stay atop the leaderboard before Clem Smith and Oaks Conjuror went one better to finish fractions of a second ahead.
Carrying only one time penalty through from the first round, last week’s Waratah World Cup Winner Sam Overton returned to the arena, this time with World Cup debutant Cha Cha Blue GHP. Sam well and truly put the pressure on those to follow with a clear round to jump to the top of the leaderboard. James Mooney and the lovely KPH Cavatina also jumped clear, however weren’t quite quick enough to trouble Sam’s position.
It all came down to the final rider, twenty-three-year-old New Zealander Sophie Scott and her nomination of Normandy GHP. In just his second ever World Cup Qualifier, Normandy GHP showed his class to produce a quick clear to secure the win. For Sophie who has been campaigning in Australia as part of the New Zealand team in the Trans-Tasman challenges, this trip will surely be one of a lifetime.
Whilst it was a win for the Kiwis, it was also a win for Australian breeding. Both Normandy GHP and runner up Cha Cha Blue GHP were bred at Glen Haven Park by Queenslander Olivia Hamood. For Olivia, who was in the crowd to celebrate, Saturday night’s results are incredibly exciting and a testament to her breeding program.
Speaking during the prize giving ceremony, Sophie shared, “Norm jumped super, it was more than I could ever ask for in just his second World Cup. Thank you to everyone who helped me get here, especially Norm’s owners and my support crew.
“He is a phenomenal horse, and we knew that when we bought him. Thank you to Olivia Hamood for breeding such a star, we are very excited about him.”
View all the results from the AELEC Tamworth World Cup show via Equipe.
