Classy combination Kuna and Cristalline claim Future Stars Final at Summer Classic

Gabrielle Kuna of Tennyson and the fantastic imported 7 year old mare Cristalline triumphed in the prestigious Yandoo Future Stars final at the Sydney Summer Showjumping Classic on Saturday. Kuna said “I’m so lucky to have the ride on this horse, she’s amazing”. This was the combinations second major win of the show also collecting the champion of champion young horse in the Oaks Medallion.

Kuna and Cristalline posted an effortless clear in the first round of competition in the Future Stars Final. Over every fence the athleticism and talent of this young mare was on display, with the crowd collectively “oohing and ahhing” with appreciation of the horses ability as she cleared each obstacle which huge scope.

After Kuna, 4 combinations posted clear rounds, David Cameron of Wilberforce with the little careful Nicolette, Queensland Billy Raymont on the long scopey Cecil, Andrew Barnett from Keinbah on the Vivant sired Verushka and the jump off master James Arkins of Moss Vale with the careful, colourful Bling Du Rouet.

The Future Stars Final invited 10 combinations back from the original 27 starters for the second round, which saw a complete rebuild of the Leopoldo Palacios designed track. Palacios said “the horses jumped well in the first round” and that the second round was designed “allow the horses to run and jump, they are young horses but they need to learn to run down to bigger fences because they have to do it to win internationally.”

The second round tested the horse’s ability to travel across the ground to obstacles up to 1.40m in height. The riders returned in a seeded draw, with the four riders who carried 4 faults from the first round all drawing additional faults in the second round to add to their total score.

Trailblazer Rod McQueen of Kulnara and ASB Vienna added 4 penalties to their score, finishing on a total of 8 penalties across both rounds in a time of 64.46 seconds; however, McQueen held the lead as the rails fell for Vicki Roycroft and St James Palace, Amanda Madigan and Verdelait, Brooke Campbell and Uklarinna and Chris Chugg and Cera Cassiago.

Kuna was the first of the original clear rounds start in the jump off and posted a slick double clear. Although she had a slightly slow start to the jump off she absolutely flew around the second half of the course and with the mares huge ground covering stride she crossed the finish line in 61.53 seconds.

Cameron and Nicolette were next into the ring and the little horse was really trying, galloping between the fences and it looked like he would catch Kuna’s time as he sailed over the last but the clock was stopped at 63.04 seconds to slot into second place.

Raymont with Cecil set off around the track with conviction and were unlucky to pull a rail 3 fences from home, posting a great time of 60.70 seconds.

The pressure was on as the last rider entered the ring, James Arkins on Bling Du Rouet. Arkins is renowned for his daring and speed in jump off classes, and from the pace he established at the start it was clear that if he left all the fences up he would claim the title. It was not to be as an early rail fell, however, Arkins kept the pace up and finished in an incredible time of 56. 14 seconds and went into third position behind Kuna and Cameron.

The other action in the Olympic arena was the second Jumping NSW Mini Prix Qualifier, The Equestrian NSW Young Rider Qualifier 2 and the Equestrian NSW 1.50m height class.

For the Jumping NSW second Mini Prix Qualifier, Leopoldo Palacios set an imposing, technical track which really tested the scope and adjustability of the horses.

The treble combination proved to be very influential in the first round with a number of horses running into trouble at this point on the course. 8 combinations posted faultless rounds on the board to make the jump off with a great mix of riders, from Olympic silver medallist eventer Shane Rose to the 14 year old Victorian protégée Jasmine Dennison.

Rose was first out in the jump off with the Vivant gelding Virgil, posting a great clear in a time of 44.17 seconds, this was followed by a clear from Dennison on Bubble and Squeak just slightly slower in 45 seconds flat. Tom McDermott with Laguna Beach were looking to back up Friday’s win and did a phenomenally tight rollback to the third fence on the course and posted a clear in the time of 41.81 shaving just over 2 seconds off Rose’s time to go into the winning position.

George Johnson with Wondaree Sprite posted the fourth double clear but his slower time of 45.04 put him just behind Dennison. Rhys Stones with Oaks Altador set out absolutely flying and keeping all the rails in the cups looked like he would steal the win as he galloped to the last but he finished just one second shy of McDermott in the time of 42.87 seconds.

The last rider on course was Billy Raymont on Chironic Dominant Visage who galloped around the track in 40.31 seconds to post the fastest time of the class, but a rail in the combination kept him out of the top 5. Sunday’s Mini Prix Final is shaping up to be a show highlight with Palacios sure to set a challenging course for the top 20 combinations that have made the cut for Sunday’s class.

34 combinations started in the Equestrian NSW Young Rider AM5 which saw 9 riders post clear rounds to make the jump off. Mitchell Peulic from Dural and CW Conquest was the first combination on course and threw down the gauntlet posing a clear in the time of 36.89 seconds. Try as they might the following riders could not catch his time, with Savanna Hopkinson and Barrichello finishing the closest to Peulic in the time of 38.33 seconds. 20 combinations have made Sunday’s Young Rider Final after the two qualifying rounds.

The final class of the Olympic Arena was the Equestrian NSW 1.50m A2, which was the final hit out for the elite combinations before tomorrow’s World Cup Qualifier. Two combinations posted clears, with the Queenslanders asserting their dominance with the stylish Olivia Hamood on Nero GHP conclusively taking the win in 74.12 seconds. Billy Raymont and the black thoroughbred Stardom slid into second with a time of 78.20 seconds.

The Equestrian NSW Arena Two saw the second junior qualifier first up in the morning. The junior events are always a strong competition with all vying to post strong performances to make the final.

The extremely talented Jasmine Dennison from Mount Eliza used her already enviable wealth of experience for a 14 year old winning with Fosbury Flop, from the current NSW Junior Champion Madeline Sinderberry from Condobolin with Fernhill Zinzan.

The Jumping NSW Amateur saw 34 combinations jump in the A2 competition. Jess Grant from Canberra decisively took the win with her lovely mare Cosmorex Coffee Vienetta, from Ned Calcroft of Moss Vale on the very experienced Budweiser.

The last class in Arena Two the River Farm Stables 1.25m open was dominated by the experienced combination Vicki Roycroft and Noblewood Park Casino Royale.