Kiwis win Nations Cup at NZL HOY
The Kiwis won the Team competition but Billy Raymont and Clem Smith were 1st and 2nd in the class at the unofficial Nations Cup event held at the Kelt Capital Horse of the Year Show in Hastings, New Zealand Fri 19 March. The team event was as part of the Silver Fern Stakes 1.50m class. Jamie Winning (NSW) and Yandoo Vangelo, Jono Berry (NSW) on Yandoo Qunicy Z , Billy Raymont (Qld) riding Nicolette (NZL horse) and Clem Smith (Qld) with Dark Ages represented Australia. "The show was superb as it always is," said Aussie Chef d'Equipe, Stephen Lamb "the hospitality was first rate and we had beautiful weather." Although we did not fare so well in the team event all the riders had some really good results throughout the show. Billy won the Silver Fern Stakes but not on his team horse, Clem rode two really good rounds for second place. Jamie came back to ride a clear 2nd round after being eliminated in the 1st which was a great effort. Jamie was also was 2nd in the 1-star Grand Prix on her other horse Congo. Jono had the round of the show in the 1st round of the feature class the Olympic Cup - a really great ride to be one of only 2 clear rounds out of the 19 starters but unfortunatley he did not have such a good 2nd round. Billy rode really well again to take 4th place in the Olympic Cup. "This is why we send young riders to these events it gives them the experience in a team situation that they can really grow from," said Stephen. Below report is taken from the HOY website http://www.hoy.co.nz BILLY THE KID BAGS THE CHEQUE
19 Mar 2010
New Zealand may have annihilated Australia in the Nations Cup but the big bucks went across the Tasman when Billy Raymont won the Silver Fern Stakes at the Kelt Capital Horse of the Year Show in Hastings this evening (Friday). Raymont aboard Cortaflex Levitation NZPH flew his way to victory in a classy jump-off against countryman Clem Smith (Australia) on Dark Ages and the in-form Katie McVean (Mystery Creek) aboard her two mounts Dunstan Delphi and Dunstan Daffodil. The Nations Cup event, held as part of the class, the second richest of the show, totally belonged to the Kiwis, who took to heart their instructions from high performance leader Richard Sunderland. “It may not be all about winning, but second just isn’t good enough,” he said before the class. But he was a happy man after, with the entire team – McVean, Maurice Beatson (Dannevirke), Simon Wilson (Waipukurau) and late call-up Catherine Cameron (Cambridge). Cameron, just back this week from competing in Korea, replaced captain Robert Steele who was injured in a fall today, and while she was absolutely thrilled to be part of the winning team, she was sad it was an injury that saw her promoted. All four went clear in the second round of competition, leaving the team with just five faults from their best three competitors over the two rounds. The Australians finished on 31 faults from their best three over the two rounds, with just Smith on Dark Ages going double clear. Raymont’s team effort aboard Cortaflex Nicalette NZPH saw him taking two rails each round. Raymont and Levitation were first to go in the jump-off and set a cracking pace, going clear in 43.41. They were followed by McVean on Delphi who had problems rounding a corner and paid for it with a slow time, coming home in 46.15, then her next horse Daffodil who clocked the fastest time at 39.69 but took a rail after slicing a corner. Smith was clear in 45.09. “I prefer going out first,” said 30-year-old Raymont, who pocketed $13,500 for his win. “I put the pressure on Katie, she pushed hard and had a rail.” He said to win on his own horse would have been fantastic, but to do it on a horse he had only just got on was quite special. He is riding all of Anna Trent’s horses at the show – Trent broke her ankle three weeks ago and is gutted to be missing the chance at the nation’s top crowns. “To be able to come to another country and ride such quality horses is just incredible,” said Raymont, a former winner of the World Cup series in Australia. “Anna has done a fantastic job on these horses. These NZPH horses are as good as anything else I have ridden in the world – they are purpose bred and just amazing.”
Results – Silver Fern Stakes: Billy Raymont (Australia) Cortaflex Levitation NZPH 1, Clem Smith (Australia) Dark Ages 2, Katie McVean (Mystery Creek) Dunstan Delphi 3, Katie McVean (Mystery Creek) Dunstan Daffodil 4, Team Horse Sales NZ Simon Wilson (Waipukurau) Swinger 5, Maurice Beatson (Dannevirke) Jedi Warrior, Catherine Cameron (Cambridge) Kahurangi Valentino, Adrian Bruce (Gisborne) Witheze =6.
Billy Raymont also placed 4th in the show's premier class the Bell Tea Olympic Cup, which determines the NZL Jumping Rider of the Year and boasts a $200,000 prize purse!
Jody Hartstone won the Dressage Horse of the Year with her new stallion Whisper - formerly owned and ridden by Australian Kerry Mack. Another former Aussie resident turned Kiwi star was Eventing rider Johnathon Paget who won the Three Star class on Clifton Promise for the second consecutive year. Johnathon will be heading to America shortly to compete in the Rolex Kentucky CCI4* next month.
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