High-level showjumper rolls back decades

BEN CURRAN/Manawatu Standard

BACK IN THE RING: Daniel Webb has a trot on his seven-year-old showjumper Abenaki Chief at his farm in Hunterville.

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Daniel Webb thought his showjumping days were over until a few years ago, when he got back on the horse after a 20-year hiatus.

Webb was a successful showjumper on ponies in his youth and was national Pony of the Year champion in 1984 and 1985.

He was following in the footsteps of his father Tony, who was a successful showjumper on legendary horse Reservation and attended a World Cup in Germany and the Equestrian Games at Stockholm in 1990.

The young Webb was given the opportunity to go to the Netherlands as a teenager and ride on the showjumping circuit, but turned it down and now lives on a 365-hectare farm in Hunterville.

This weekend Webb is competing in the Central Districts Showjumping Championship in Foxton on two horses, Abenaki Chief and Anasazi.

He returned to the jumping ranks because his children Jack, 11, and Morgan, 14, showed an interest in the sport.

"Our kids have taken a shine to it, so hence I've taken up competing again," Webb said. "I guess if my kids hadn't have been keen and wanted to get involved, we probably wouldn't have picked it back up again."

Webb will ride eight-year-old Anasazi in the 1.35m jumping class tomorrow at the Foxton Racecourse, and the class two grand prix on Sunday.

Abenaki Chief will be entered in the seven-year-old class tomorrow and the 1.30m jumping competition on Sunday.

Webb, 39, who is now into the third full season of his comeback, said he was just happy to be there.

"Twenty years was a long time to be out of the sport.

"I never thought I'd be back into it at all, so to be close to competing near the top level is a bit of a buzz."

During his time away from the sport, a lot changed on the showjumping scene, including the addition of more classes to involve a greater range of riders. Webb said it was good for the growth of the sport, as more people could take part and find a level of competition that suited them.

And what does his dad think of his comeback?

"He's quite positive and he's coming over to watch this week," Webb said.

Webb's kids will be riding ponies this weekend. Unlike a lot of modern riders, Webb owns, breeds and looks after his own horses. Anasazi is running in the Cathay Pacific Grand Prix national series this summer and Abenaki Chief is in the seven-year-old series, where he lies third after three rounds.

Webb said a run at the elite competition would probably remain a dream while he was in charge of a farm, was a bulldozing contractor and had a family to support.

"I'd love to go and do that level, but I've got to be realistic."

This weekend's competition will feature more than 550 riders, with about 50 from Manawatu taking part in a number of different categories. Hawke's Bay's Anna Trent, who went to the World Cup this year in Las Vegas, will be competing, as will Dannevirke legend Maurice Beatson.