Monday, October 15, 2012 • Diana Dobson
KUMEU rider Lisa Coupe is getting to love Gisborne . . . so much so the 27-year-old has booked a ticket back for Feast Gisborne this weekend. And she will return as winner of the premier equestrian class at the Spring Show.
Coupe and nine-year-old Bates Amaretto MVNZ were the victors in the two-star Gisborne Herald horse grand prix. She pocketed the $1500 cheque and two special trophies — the Hikurangi Memorial Cup and GO Hansen Trophy.
In collecting her third grand prix win of the season, Coupe topped a hotly-fought class in which seven combinations went double clear to qualify for the jump-off.
As the weather bomb hit the rest of the country, Gisborne show-goers were hopeful approaching dark clouds would stay away long enough to run the event.
The weather gods decided otherwise, waiting until the premier class of the show to open the sky. Strong winds knocked over jumps and driving rain put the nation’s best horses and riders to the ultimate test.
The quality of the 14 combinations shone through on the Gerrit Beker-designed course.
Coupe and Beetle, as Amaretto is known, were first out and while they nudged a rail, everything stayed up and they came home in 41.04 seconds.
Samantha McIntosh (Cambridge) and her newly-imported mare Claire were next, stopping the clock at 49.62, followed by Mathew Gilmour (Matangi) and his imported mare Belize Di Cantero, who jumped a lovely round in 41.90 seconds.
Katie McVean (Mystery Creek) and Dunstan Springfield managed 45.71, followed by Maurice Beatson (Dannevirke) and My Gollywog, who gave it their all for 43.65.
Next was McVean again, this time on Dunstan Delilah, and as the sun tried to break through the clouds, they went clear in 41.73.
McIntosh and the imported Estina managed 42.99 to round off a brilliant class.
Coupe said Beker’s course was tough and technical but a pleasure to ride.
“It wasn’t really the plan to go out and motorbike it out there,” said the 27-year-old. “I only meant to be preparing him for next week’s world cup start!”
She has had Beetle since he was two, carefully bringing him through the grades.
“When you look at a start list like that, you have to be happy just to get a ticket,” said Coupe. “It’s a top-end field and really nice to jump against a lot of quality like that. Beetle has been on form and is always fast and careful, but you never really think you are going to win anything.”
It was a good show for Coupe, who also won the 1.4m class aboard My Ocean Wave and the 1.15m championship on Oriwa Cossack (owned by Jenny Peters).
She estimates she has been coming to Gisborne shows for least a dozen years, and says she never tires of the fun and hospitality that go hand-in-hand with the event.