Equestrian: Hayde serves notice in the heartland

Dunedin eventer Christen Hayde at her Taieri home with Hawk yesterday. Photo by Gregor Richardson.

Dunedin eventer Christen Hayde travelled to the heartland of New Zealand equestrianism, challenged the internationals and came home with two major titles.

Hayde, on Tandarra Sweet As, won the three-star class at the Puhinui three-day event in Auckland last weekend.

She produced the only clear showjumping round in the competition to finish on her dressage score.

It was the second win in a row and catapulted Hayde into the lead of the Super League.

She also won the national one-day event a fortnight earlier at Richfield, in the Waikato.

Hayde has been based in the North Island for over a year, to gain further experience. She received extra help with her showjumping and it has paid dividends.

She was one of only two riders to record a clear cross-country round inside the time limit. She was lying fifth after the dressage phase.

World Equestrian Games team member Jock Paget was second on Frances Stead's Clifton Airtight. Hayde beat two-time Olympian Heelan Tomkins in the one-day event at Richfield.

"It was a fantastic feeling," Hayde (24), a double major in zoology and clothing science at the University of Otago, said.

"I've put in a lot of hard work and it was a long time coming. It's been a huge boost for me."

Hayde gave notice that she has the potential to become one of the elite in New Zealand equestrianism.

She has already tasted international competition as a member of the New Zealand Young Riders team that competed in the United States in 2007.

The London Olympics come too soon but she could be part of the New Zealand equestrian team in Rio de Janeiro in 2016.

Hayde has already been the South Island young rider of the series twice - in 2004-05 and 2007-08. But that does not cut any ice with the power base of the sport in the North Island.

Events have to be won in their territory.

Hayde has been in partnership with her 12-year-old horse, nicknamed "Sweety", for the past four years and they have a perfect rapport.

The skills of the horse and rider came to the fore in the two prestige events in the North Island. The key factor contributing to their win in both events was their superiority over the tough cross-country courses.

But it was quickly down to earth again when Hayde returned home and was assigned the task of baking a cake for the wedding of her brother, Callum, to Hilary McIntyre at the Orchard Gardens in Clyde tomorrow.

Her parents, Denis and Sue Hayde, bought their daughter her first horse, a pony called Pippi, when she was 10.

But her love of horses started much earlier.

"Mum and Dad put me on a pony at the age of 2," Hayde said. "Ever since then it's been my obsession."

The family lived in the city when she was a pupil at Columba College but purchased a lifestyle property on the Taieri five years ago.

Her next big event is the four-star transtasman competition in Adelaide in April.