THE Defender Horse of the Year Show in New Zealand came to a close last Sunday, the sixth day of competition mainly in dressage, eventing, showing and show jumping, with some other equestrian pursuits such as mounted games on the schedule.

No doubt, there were Irish connections across all disciplines, but here we are focusing on the showing section, as north Co Dublin’s Kevin McGuinness was invited to judge the over 148cm saddle hunter classes, as was Britain’s Vikki Smith.

There were also one Australian and five New Zealand judges on the overall panel at the show, which currently, and for the next 10 years at least, takes place at the Tomoana Showgrounds in Hastings on the North Island.

Travelling champion

Selected as their champion by McGuinness and Smith, Trevalda Mountain Storm had to travel across the Cook Strait to the Hawke’s Bay venue, as the grey gelding is produced by owner/breeder/rider Tracy Crossan from her Trevalda Irish Sporthorses base in Ranfurly on the South Island.

She and her husband Gavin, who were mentioned in these pages last year by hunting correspondent Noel Mullins, farm 720 hectares, where their horses are well outnumbered by cattle and sheep.

Tracy bought her first horse when she was a 19-year-old student and that purchase just happened to be Kingsway Salix, a member of the first New Zealand crop of the Irish Draught stallion Kingsway Diamond, who had been imported into that country by the late Thady Ryan. Tracy successfully competed with ‘Lou’ in all disciplines and then bred from her. Her home-bred HOYS champion is by the British-bred ID stallion Ballineen Blue Mountain out of Tarahill Kulzari, who is by Branigans Pride out of a thoroughbred mare.

The Crossans stand both the 19-year-old Ballineen Blue Mountain and fellow Class 1 ID stallion Derrynasagurt Silver. That 2017 son of Fast Silver, who was bred in Co Galway by Michael Healy out of the Castana mare Tanas Queen, was imported into New Zealand (travelling through Germany and Austalia en route) in 2021. He has been shown on the flat and over jumps, while his first crop of foals were born in 2023.

True to type

Commenting on her championship success in Hastings, Tracy revealed to the Irish Horse World: “I’ve spent my whole life wanting to breed true to type hunters for the show ring and it was great to have this recognised and appreciated by international judges.”

McGuinness’s wife Jane Whitaker accompanied her husband to New Zealand to enjoy a holiday, while watching some of the dressage competitions, which took place on all six days of the show.

However, once the organisers learned that she was on the Traditional Irish Cob inspector list, Jane had to miss much of Thursday’s dressage to judge the ridden gypsy cob class.

This not only required a change of focus, but also a dash to the shops to buy a dress! Her winner was the Karyn Morris-owned and Sophie Trew-ridden GR Princes Royal Prize, a 12-year-old Tobiano gelding by Westmoreland Lion Prince.