Horse of the Year: Saba Sam Shield won by Tasman West Coast
One of the most exciting competitions at Horse of the Year yesterday was one of the last of the day.
The two-round Saba Sam Shield pony teams competition was won by Tasman West Coast after a rare jump off against Auckland.
“It’s fabulous,” was the response from Meg Bissett, the rider who was the elected rider to take on the jump off on behalf of the team.
“It was only two days ago we put the team together and our shirts arrived just hours before the event!”
Team coach, Penny Jones, was very excited.
“None of these kids have ever done this class before let along jump in the main arena!”
Penny herself needs to take some credit, as she has clocked up some amazing results as a coach for her beloved West Coast pony clubbers. She has coached teams to win the NZPCA Eventing Championships, the Springston Trophy and plenty of others, so to win this coveted trophy at the Horse of the Year was very special.
The four-rider teams jockeyed for pole position throughout the two round competition, with Canterbury having the lead after the first round.
Fortunes chopped and changed, and in the end, the Auckland team and the Tasman West Coast team were on exactly the same score. Each had to nominate one rider to do the jump off, and it was Auckland’s Tayla Hackett on The Dreamer who went out first.
Unfortunately the pair took a rail so it was then up to Meg Bissett and Freestyle Twyst & Shout. They also had the same fence down, but went faster, and thereby secured the win of the treasured shield to the South Island team.
The Tasman West Coast team was made up of Madeline Woods, Meg Bissett, Kirk Magner, and Ella Rae-Wood.
