Linton Lights up Takapoto . . . Again

A little horse with a big heart carried Jesse Linton to victory in a super-slick Silver Tour Final at the Takapoto Estate Show Jumping this afternoon. Jesse (Hastings) and eight-year-old Vitess were one of seven combinations from the 30-strong field to come back for the jump-off over the Michel Ismalun (France) designed course.
All were chasing the elusive clear which no-one managed. Jesse and Vitess were second out and while they took the last, they clocked a speedy 34.84 seconds to heap the pressure on the remaining five combinations. Duncan McFarlane (Taupo) was next on his grey Be Mine NZPH and looked to be on track but dropped two rails with his 34.65-second effort.
Logan Massie (Dannevirke) and Elmo Jackson’s Fairview Animation had the second of the double down during his 36.3-second time which left it to the in-form Aussie Amelia Douglass to do her best aboard Upperclass Z. She just had to go clear but also came unstuck at the second of the double to cross the flags with four faults in 36.74 seconds.
Jesse was over the moon with his win. He got the horse as a four-year-old and says it was a challenging start with the opinionated mare. “It was just a matter of getting her happy and into thinking her job was fun,” said the full time rider. “She is more of a pet to me – I can ride her bareback down the beach and up the river, which I can’t do with my other horses.”
Takapoto’s Silver Tour was a target for Vitess because Jesse felt it was a class she could do well at. “She is so careful as long as I give her a good ride. She tries her best to get out of things if I get it wrong.”
He was happy just to make the jump-off and to win was even better. “It is pretty cool,” he said. “There were some good horses out there. This is probably the best win of her career.”
Filling in second spot was Logan Massie with Amelia third.
Jesse and a number of other riders were bouncing between rings for the Silver and Bronze final, so he wasn’t sure how the rest of the field were going in either. “It was a little stressful but we got there.”
Australian Amelia Douglass and Cassis Z Ten Halven took out the Bronze Tour Final. She had already gone clear in the nine-strong jump-off aboard Sirius Du Granit, stopping the clock at 47.87, and seen Clarke Johnstone (Matangi) take the lead aboard SB Attitude, with his 45.59-second effort. She certainly had a few lives, but at the end of the day all the rails stayed up and she crossed the flags in 44.01 after a daring round that sliced corners at every chance.
There was just .14 of a second in it, but that was enough to give a very happy Sharon Klijn the win in the Global Amateur Tour A Final. The Dutch-born, Whangarei-based rider was the last of seven combinations to go in the jump-off. Ahead of her, Kate Hewlett (Kerikeri) and Kiwi Sunset, winners of the first qualifier, had stopped the clock double clear in 34.48 seconds. Georgina Forsyth (Clevedon) and Catapult Xtreme were the only other double clear, crossing the flags in 35.17 for third place. The B Final was won by Jacob Thompson (Cambridge) aboard Carol Stewart’s Tennessee Waltz.
 
The Rising Stars class was a huge hit and won by 12-year-old Niamh Brennan and her speedy wee Marmalade. The Pony 6-Bar was a two way tie between Lucy Browne (Cambridge) aboard Venus and Jess Brunton (Tauwhare) on Just Moet who both cleared 1.5m on their pint-sized ponies.
 
Results – 
 
Silver Tour Final: Jesse Linton (Hastings) Vitess 1, Logan Massie (Dannevirke) Fairview Animation 2, Amelia Douglass (Australia) Upperclass Z 3, Jess Rice-Ward (Australia) Dusky Farm Cavalier 4, Tegan Fitzsimon (West Melton) Campari 5, Duncan McFarlane (Taupo) Be Mine NZPH 6, Kate Herdson (Auckland) Idol D 7, Annabel Francis (Taupo) Cherokee NZPH 8.
 
Bronze Tour Final: Amelia Douglass (Australia) Cassis Z Ten Halven 1, Clarke Johnstone (Matangi) SB Attitude 2, Amelia Douglass (Australia) Sirius Du Granit 3, Laura Hilhorst (Cambridge) LC Underberg 4, Jesse Linton (Hastings) LT Holst Elsbeth 5, Ally Carson (Putaruru) Whiorau Ritchie 6, Tegan Fitzsimon (West Melton) Glenbrooke All Roses 7, Bundy Philpott (Cambridge) Tresca NZPH 8.
 
Copper Tour Qualifier (second): Laura Inkster (Clevedon) Oporaes Jackamoe 1, Paxton Conder (Whatawhata) La Fonteyn 2, Tara Gower (Ohura) Double J Image 3, Natalia Lammers (Whangarei) Haupouri Shakespear 4, Blyth Tait (Karaka) Billy Sparky 5, Trudi Mitchell (Wairoa) Cadbury 6, Jaime Tiller (Cambridge) Casanova Xtreme 7, Sam Matthews (Cambridge) Fleur DeLacour 8.
 
Global Amateur Tour A Final: Sharon Klijn (The Netherlands) Mizta Frosty 1, Kate Hewlett (Kerikeri) Kiwi Sunset 2, Georgina Forsyth (Clevedon) Catapult Xtreme 3, Tamara Silcock (Nelson) TMS Vincenzo 4, Angie Hillary (Manukau) Qualine de Kergane WHS 5, Robbie McKay (Opotiki) Jacksons Gold 6, Rachael Bentall (Hamilton) SB Smokescreen 7, Alexander Dattelkremer (Brazil) Unique QT 8. B Final: Jacob Thompson (Cambridge) Tennessee Waltz 1, Nicky Shore (Auckland) Carolina 2, Cecilia Rodriguez-Gomez (Mexico) Loki 3, Tanya Hansen (Taranaki) Quantily GNZ 4, Nicoli Fife (Putaruru) Charlton Elite 5, Amber Riddell (Cambridge) Berry Desayo 6, Sarah Teggert (Feilding) Benrose Rockstar 7, Emma Buckingham (Auckland) Piccadilly Circus 8.
 
Pony Speed 1.15m: Lily Moore (Hawke’s Bay) Fun House 1, Rylee Sheehan (Te Aroha) Tony the Pony 2, Aimee Collinson (Clevedon) Moonlight Glow 3, Isabella Narracci (Hastings) Showtym Highlight 4, Katie Bridgeman (Auckland) Tallyho Scoundrel 5, Samantha Carrington (Takapau) Colours of Lansing 6.
 
Rising Stars: Niamh Brennan (Cambridge) Marmalade 1, Ava Readman (Hamilton) Ruby Blue 2, Sadie-J Douglas (Cambridge) Jackpot Jake 3, Oliver Steiner (Tauranga) Too Easy 4, Sophie Harrington (Taupo) Dusty 5, Alison Brunton (Hamilton) My Super Star 6.

COVER PHOTO
Winner of the Silver Tour Qualifier at Takapoto Estate Show Jumping this afternoon was Jesse Linton aboard Vitess. Photo by Ana Rattray/Cheleken Photography