World Cup debutant Tara Gower was the belle of ball Saturday afternoon in Dannevirke when she and her homebred gelding Riverhills Legend won the ClipMyHorse (NZ League) qualifier at the Alabaster Contracting Central and Southern Hawke’s Bay Jumping Show.
It was a thrilling class, with the winner not decided until the very last fence of the Heather McDonald-designed course was jumped. All but one of the original seven-strong start list came back for the second round.
Series leader Julie Davey (Hastings) and Freda were the only combination on zero faults, with four on four and one on eight in the opening round.
Nineteen-year-old Tara (Matangi) and Riverhills Legend weren’t their usual super speedy pace in the second but did more than enough to put the pressure on Julie with their stunning clear – albeit with a slight tap in the double – in 72.05 seconds and a two round tally of four faults.
As it turned out, it was the two riders at the top of the leaderboard coming into the class who had the misfortune to take the last fence and pay the price.
Julie and Freda, the most experienced in the field, knew what had to be done and looked well on track until the last rail fell leaving them on four faults in 76.32 seconds. They were lucky to even make the start line after Julie was stuck by a tummy bug during the week.
Sophie Scott (Palmerston North) and Equine America Benrose Stellar added four to finish on eight faults in 65.26 seconds for third, with Fran Corich (Auckland) and Bannockburn ECPH also on eight faults in 69.2 for fourth, and Sophie taking the last aboard Normandy GHP for a final tally of eight faults in 71.06 seconds for fifth place.
Coming into the class, Tara had her heart set on a clear round. She puts their four faults in the opener down to a bit of greenness. “It was a rider error and he just didn’t realise the jumps were that big… I didn’t tell him either,” she says. “I honestly thought I had the fence in the double in the second round down and desperately wanted to turn around but in my head I was just, ‘no, keep going’.”
She knew time would not be an issue for the combination. “He has a deceptively big stride and I just know how much power he has in a jump-off.”
Sideline to cheer her on was mum Sue, who bred Riverhills Legend – ‘Epic’ to his mates, coach Jeff McVean and her boss Mark Brooks. “This means everything to me and my whole family. It feels like I have been able to prove to myself and others, how special my horse is… and he has so much more to give. It is incredible.”
Tara says the two have grown up together. “We know each other so well. We are like siblings really – we argue one day and just get on with it the next. Some days it feels like he is telling me I am being too dramatic.”
Tara started training with Jeff McVean over the winter and says he has made a huge difference to her riding. “He made sure I had a cool head,” she said. “[Saturday] was just him and I learning how to jump the bigger heights together. It was a huge step. I have been dreaming about this forever. I remember the first big class I watched. I would have been about seven and told my parents that is what I wanted to do. We came home and they said they couldn’t afford to buy a horse that good, so set out to make one. Epic was the first purposed-bred showjumper from Riverhills Station.”
She’s looking forward to the next big competitions at Takapoto and Mana Stables and is hopeful of making the senior trans-Tasman team. “I would like to do some World Cups in Australia and then come back for our next season.”
The next World Cup (NZ League) competition is the series final being held at Takapoto Estate on Saturday (January 17).
Results from the ClipMyHorse FEI World Cup (NZ League) Qualifier:
1. Tara Gower (Cambridge) Riverhills Legend
2. Julie Davey (Hastings) LT Holst Freda
3. Sophie Scott (Palmerston North) Equine America Benrose Stellar
4. Fran Corich (Auckland) Bannockburn ECPH
5. Sophie Scott (Palmerston North) Normandy GHP
6. Makenzie Causer (Christchurch) Dolce Del Colle 6
Source: ESNZ press release by Diana Dobson
