Team title goes to Taranaki in tight tussle

It was gold and black all the way as Taranaki won the New Zealand Pony Club's team of the year crown in Hastings on Saturday.

Leading the way was captain Shannon Seaver with a very smart jump-off round to clinch the title after finishing in third spot last year.

Aboard her mother's hunter Jupiter Moon, Seaver came home with nearly two seconds to spare ahead of the second placegetter Alexa Cook (Hawke's Bay) on My Bushbaby.

Seaver and the stunning chestnut Jupiter started at a somewhat steady pace but flicked the turbo switch part- way through the round and still managed to leave all the rails in place.

There was only a whisker in it, but that was all it took to make Taranaki the New Zealand Pony Club team of the year.

The champion Taranaki team was Seaver on Jupiter Moon, Laura Hutterd on Spot U Later, Toni Bracegirdle on Marseille and Summer Russell on The Good Guy.

Seaver said her team was determined to bring home the coveted covers. Three of the team – Seaver, Russell and Bracegirdle – are members of the Inglewood Pony Club, with Hutterd a member of Stratford.

"We all just loved competing in the international arena," said Seaver. "It's nice to be able to support pony club too, as they've done so much for all of us."

From 14 teams on the first day of competition, just seven came back to do battle in the premier arena.

And in the end, it had to go to a jump-off to decide the overall winner of the competition run for youngsters in a Nations Cup format.

The four-person teams – two on ponies and two on horses – were selected from trials throughout the country.

- © Fairfax NZ News