The Sunday News
Mandla Moyo, Sports Reporter
MATABELELAND Equestrian Federation have accepted 53 riders for the 65th edition of The Horse of the Year Show scheduled for 10 to 13 August at the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair Arena.
From this list are five rider combinations from the Zimbabwe Republic Police who will battle it out for this ultimate horse jumping show award in this part of the country.
According to Matabeleland Equestrian Federation vice-chairman, Hayley Freeland, this contest comes up in three legs that is dressage, showing as well as show jumping.
For the dressage phase the rider plus the horse must perform a set tasks precision in order to accumulate the highest number of points. Other factors that will be assessed during the execution as well as the sitting position of the pilot among other riding skills.
The showing stage is about the general presentation of the rider, equipment in addition to the horse that is to say smartness. During the jumping stage competitors will start from the lowest height which is 70cm rising up to 110cm. For the battle all eyes will be on the Six Bar Jump where riders jump six fences set in a straight line. The barriers are placed at equal distance apart with the first fence placed lower than the subsequent fence.
“After each round where more than one competitor goes ‘clean’ or tied for the fewest faults, the six fences are raised higher for each subsequent round until there is a winner.
“Occasionally, if there are three multiple jump-offs, the final fences may be raised to an even higher level. This event is the real crowd pleaser of a class and we have some good sponsorship money to entice the riders,” said Freeland.
The decider is the championship classes to be held on Tuesday testing the participants over two rounds.
For this task, horses jump in order of merit according to their performance in the classes on Sunday and Monday with the highest qualifier at that height going last. All these events are open to girls, boys, women as well as men from seven years upwards to prove their riding skills at the highest level. Last year this sought after crown event was won by Celeste Wright on board Lightening Dawn.
