Held at the Malaghans Rd Queenstown Polo grounds on Saturday and yesterday, the second annual event attracted about 130 horses, and their riders, from all over the South Island in a range of classes, ranging from the "Itty Bitty", for ponies under 148cm, through to The Oliver Road Luxury Real Estate Classic Grand Prix, in which horses had to jump 1.4m.
Committee Member Jan Hunt said the aim of the event, which also raised money for the Malaghan Institute of Medical Research via a special VIP charity lunch yesterday, was to showcase showjumping in the Wakatipu Basin.
"We don’t have the very top riders here, but this is showing off showjumping to people who aren’t necessarily showjumpers — [on Saturday] we probably had three or four hundred people here just having a look and enjoying the food and atmosphere."
Included in the competitors over the weekend was first-time entrant Sienna Holdsworth-Rose, 17, of Victoria, Australia.
She was invited by Chatto Creek’s Lucy Olphert, who founded Global Amateur Tour, which provides international showjumping opportunities for riders.
Sienna went to Brazil with Ms Olphert last August, after which she offered to help out at the Queenstown Show Jumping Classic, if required.
When one of Ms Olphert’s riders pulled out last weekend, Sienna decided to jump on a plane, arriving in the resort on Tuesday, competing on borrowed horses over the weekend — and impressing.
Yesterday morning she came third in the 105cm championship, on Absolut ECPH, and was also jumping in the 120cm and 130cm championship classes yesterday afternoon.
Her results bode well for the Trans-Tasman Young Rider Challenge, being held in Gisborne at the end of this month, in which Sienna is one of four riders aged under 21 selected to represent Australia.
Meanwhile Sienna said she would "definitely" return to the Queenstown Show Jumping Classic in future.
"It’s been really good — the grounds are amazing here and the weather’s been good.
"It’s been nice and quiet, and it’s been a good one to get to know these [borrowed] horses ... it’s been a very good show."
