Wakatipu Pony Club's triumph at this year's three-day Springston Trophy competition has been hailed as a great start to the spring equestrian season by head coach Jan Hunt.
Mrs Hunt and Auckland-based coach Jacque Williams guided a six-strong team of talented young riders to win the trophy at the National Equestrian Centre, at McLeans Island, near Christchurch, last weekend.
Dressage, cross-country and show jumping were held over three days.
Wakatipu Pony Club finished on 155.24 penalties, ahead of reigning champion Rangiora on 177.86, a decisive result.
Eyreton finished third on 180.19.
Springston debutant Kristi Doherty, riding Mahoe Moon Flight, and Lisa Milliken (Solitaire Opal), in her second Springston competition, were the junior riders from the Wakatipu club.
Emma Milliken (45 South) and Olivia Robertson (Sweet Addition) were intermediates, while Anna Nesbit (Claude Monet) and Grace Manners-Wood competed as seniors.
Mrs Hunt said the Springston Trophy was the Ranfurly Shield for pony clubs and the away-team win was especially significant in a field of strong Canterbury teams.
"In the last three years, it's been the host pony club that's won, so it's always nice to go to a different area to win," Mrs Hunt said.
"The margin of winning was the greatest for the last six years. They were double-clear [in the cross-country]. They could have knocked down four rails [in the show jumping] and still have won, which shows their strength in the jumping stages."
The club last won in 2007 and came sixth last year in Rangiora.
Riders will now look towards the Otago-Southland pony club jumping championships on November 7 and 8, in Mosgiel.
