Georgie Bolton's 3-day eventing win - "what a way to finish the season"

By Dave Di Somma, Harness News Desk 

As debuts go, Georgie Bolton's first appearance at the National three-day eventing championships went like clockwork.

The Canterbury-based Bolton, who's "been riding horses since before I could walk" claimed her first national title when she won the Whiterock Quarry CCN80 Championships at the John Jones Steel Ltd and Hinterland 3DE Championships.

They were held at the Dunstan Horsefeeds National Equestrian Centre at McLeans Island over Easter.

"It's the first time they've had the championships in Christchurch in 40 years and I haven't had one in the past that I thought was good enough or ready to travel up there."

"So I was pretty chuffed with the results on my team of greenies."

It was Bolton's biggest win in decades of competing. It came with Tanzi WSH while she was fifth in the same class with her own horse Contemplation (aka Texas), a two-race winner who also finished second to Leaderboard in the 2023 Wellington Cup.

"It is an absolute highlight to win with Tanzi and for Tex to get top six was good too. I couldn't be prouder of how he's improved in the last few months."

"The 80cm class is a lower level one but it is super competitive. There were about 35 that were balloted into it on previous results, and this is a pinnacle event, so it was great to get the win."

"What a way to finish the season."

Tanzi was second after the dressage and showjumping disciplines, only clinching the win when the previous leader failed to complete the cross country, an area where Tanzi and Bolton excelled.

"She flew round the course, no drama at all," says Bolton.

Making Tanzi WSH's win even more special is that the Warmblood is owned by her "great friend" (and work colleague) Natalie Gameson. Both are employed at HRNZ, Gameson as the Education and Animal Care Manager while Bolton is the Education Co-ordinator and HERO Manager. HERO is HRNZ's Life After Racing programme for retired racehorses.

"It's so great for Nat - she was super nervous over the whole weekend. She hardly took a breath from Friday until Sunday afternoon, but she is a fantastic owner to ride for!"

"It takes months to get horses ready for these comps with the three disciplines and she has done a super job with Tanzi on the flat."

It was also one of Bolton's last competitive outings over the fences for a while. She is five months pregnant.

"There are risks of course with riding, but they are both very safe and dependable horses and they looked after me."

Rounding out a highly successful weekend, Bolton and her team "Vodka and Vet Bills" were runners-up in the Kiwi Conveyancing Solutions Limited Teams Challenge.

Not that Bolton could indulge in traditional post championship celebrations.

"It's all lime and sodas for me right now."