Canterbury apprentice farrier James Avery has waltzed away with the Mitavite sponsored Vitamite Cool Performer PreNovice/Novice Challenge after another strong performance on Amarillo at the New Zealand Community Trust South Island FEI Three day Event held at the Sheds NZ National Equestrian Centre at McLeans Island in late April. Avery, 17, who moved down to Christchurch from Nelson earlier in the year has had a strong season aboard the 12-year-old thoroughbred gelding, who was formally ridden by Sophie Wigley. Avery kicked the season off in winning fashion at Canterbury Park last September taking out the Pre Novice. At the following event at McLeans Island, he stepped up to Open Novice, finishing third behind Emily Butcher with her two rides Let’s Be Frank and My Shout. A month later, he was back in winning form at McLeans Island, winning the Open Novice which gave him a handsome lead in the six-event series going into the second half of the season.

 

 

 

Avery started the autumn as he left off, finishing second at McLeans Island in the Open Novice, to Kate Cavanagh on the relative newcomer to this level, Gibraltar Rock. A niggling injury forced the duo to miss the fifth event of the series at Amberley.

Coming into the penultimate South Island Three Day Event it had been touch-and-go as to whether or not he’d start, but Amarillo came right just in time. He started the event more than 20 points clear of closest rival, Kate Cavanagh on Gibraltar Rock on 30.

Although Avery admitted feeling some extra pressure coming into the SI Three Day Event, he tried not to think about it. Lying mid-field after dressage in the hotly contested Devi Heating Systems CCI1*, Avery held his position with a strong cross country, clear but with 12 time penalties. A clear show jumping moved him up to fifth overall. He didn’t win the class but his fifth overall was enough to hold onto the series ahead of Kate on Gibraltar Rock second, who finished ahead of him in fourth. Amanda Brown moved up to take third with a strong win in the Striding Edge Horse Shoeing Pre Novice, with Kate fourth on her second ride Mendelssohn. Emily had to settle for fifth with My Shout. “I am absolutely rapt; he absolutely flew round the cross country. It’s a huge thrill to win the series,” said Avery. Certainly not the easiest of rides, Avery and Amarillo seem to have built up a good partnership in their 18 months together. Avery also finished third in Sheds NZ South Island Young Eventer on points behind Larissa Srhoy and Starburst, and Katie Rankin on Time To Tango.

The accumulator is the brainchild of Mitavite’s South Island representative Cam Price. Price says Mitavite had been looking for a way of expanding its support of eventing in the South Island while promoting Vitamite Cool Performer which is a relatively new product on the market here in New Zealand.

Mitavite has had great success with accumulator prizes in both racing and harness codes previously, and expected this too would grow. He says the benefit of the accumulator was that it ran throughout the season, not just one event, and gave riders something to chase for.

Vitamite Cool Performer is a Low GI Stabilised Rice Feed aimed specifically at performance horses. It provides a safe easily digestible form of cool energy that doesn’t overload or stress the horse’s digestive system, therefore avoiding fizzy behaviour. Vitamite Cool Performer is the choice of many of the world’s elite riders including champions Michael Whittaker, Clayton and Lucinda Fredericks, and Mark Todd.