A 17 hour day for Harry Bateman and his team was made worth it with great success at Brendon Stud in Brighton. Four horses made their way to the competition centre, including Harry's top horse Zuniek VD Tojopehoeve Z competing in the prestigious "Talent Seeker" Horse of the Year Show qualifier, starting at one metre thirty-five in the first round.
A strong field of 50 entered with 10 making it through clear to the second round including Harry, which ensured a nail-biting jump-off against the clock. Entering the arena after 7 jumping already, Harry knew what it was going to take to qualify his mare Zuniek for the final. A swift round with no faults however 5 seconds faster than the former leader pushed the pair into top place with only 2 remaining. However, first place honours were snatched away by professional Tom Whitaker, pipping them to second place within a second of time on the clock.
Second place was good enough to earn qualification for the Talent Seeker final, a class that Zuniek and Harry had previously qualified for in 2019 also. With only 5 weeks to go, training is full steam ahead for the final.
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