Monday, 14 December 2020, 8:05 am
Taupo rider Monica Oakley and Artist managed to turn the
tables on Olympian Clarke Johnstone riding Aces High in 2020
in the Veterinary Associates CCI 4 Three Day Event after
being beaten into second by Johnstone at the same event last
year. In the three day format the jumping phase happens on
day 3 and is jumped in reverse order of placing. Coming into
the final phase in second place Monica and Artist jumped a
measured and precise round leaving all the poles up which
put the pressure on overnight leader and last year’s
winners Aces High and Clarke Johnstone and . Aces looked to
Sunday, 13 December 2020, 8:21 am
Clarke Johnstone and Aces High showed their class and
experience by putting in a faultless round and claiming the
lead in the 4 Long format cross country at the Puhinui horse
trials. “It was a very, very good round after number 7. He
was pretty flightly to begin with – strong winds and the
flags – he took a bit of an exception to that but after
fence 7 I gave him a slap on the shoulder and told him to
pull his head in! After that he was completely
focussed.”
When asked whether it was now Aces High
or his Rio mount Balmoral Sensation (Richie) who was top of