Kiwis Claim World Mounted Games U17 Crown

New Zealand have secured their first age group world title with victory in the U17 World Mounted Games Team Championship at EQUITANA Auckland.

The team led from the front on finals day, heading into the second part on 60 points and finishing the day on 133 points. Behind them were Australia and Wales tied on 99, and forced into a tie break to decide second and third, which went to Australia. Defending champs England were a bit unlucky to lose a pony today, and failed to fire, finishing in fifth place.

New Zealand coach Amie Bentall was rapt. Bentall is no stranger to top-flight competition, having been on the triumphant Kiwi team to win the open title in 2013.

“I did think this was a good strong team but the biggest challenge for us was the lack of international competition,” she said. “Other teams ride all the world events and are used to the pressure and top competition. We only ride against ourselves, so are not used to that pressure.”

Her team – Leah Zydenbos (Christchurch), Sky Notter (Clevedon), Olivia Brooks (Napier), Salem Noter (Clevedon) and Emma Mathieson (Pukekohe) – had peaked perfectly today.

“It was a process of building up through the event to today,” said 26-year-old Bentall, who has been doing mounted games since she was nine. “It is very cool to win this.”

There was also a strong Kiwi feel to the Southern Hemisphere team who took out the B Final. It was a particularly special win for coach Patris Christensen whose mother died yesterday. In a mark of honour her team and other riders wore black arm bands.

“She was so horsey,” said Christensen. “She made me promise to finish what I started. She would have been so proud of this win.”

Her team only just missed out on making the A Final by a single point, and in the build-up to their world champs had tied with the New Zealand at an open competition.

The team comprised Rylee Mason (Hastings), Sophie Daly (Hastings), Casey Mitchener (Auckland), Nerida Evans (Australia) and Michael Crawley (Australia), and Christensen said a big challenge was just how the players would all gel together to compete as a team.

Christensen had high praise for Mitchener who had never ridden in a world competition before.

It was a close B Final, with the team only .5 ahead going into the last race.

“They really rose to the occasion – they were just fantastic.”

It was her first job as a coach, but she is still competing as a veteran and is a current NZ teams and pairs veteran champ.

Results –

A Final:

1. New Zealand 133 points

2.Australia 99 points

3. Wales 99 points

4. Ireland 93.5

5. England 86 points

6. USA 84 points 6

7. Rest of the World 72.5 points

B Final:

1. Southern Hemisphere 53 points

2. Scotland 51.5

3.Canada 36.5.