A Week ‘Til Horse of The Year

A Week ‘Til Horse of The Year
by Diana Dobson

There’s just a week to go before the first horse trots into an arena for the 2015 Farmlands Horse of the Year Show in Hastings.

Show director Kevin Hansen is promising the best six-day event ever . . . and it’s his last.

“It’s going to be a great celebration of the past 16 years of shows,” he says.

And while he thrives on watching top competition, Hansen gets an even bigger buzz out of seeing crowds enjoy the sport.

“I want everyone to see what I see when I watch showjumping or eventing or dressage,” he says.

For the past 16 years Hansen has given his all to entertain and educate people about the wonders of horses. 2015 marks the 17th consecutive show in Hawke’s Bay – it’s also the year he wife Sue pack up and head to Sydney to start a new phase of their life.

There will be many highlights this year – from the return of two-time HOY Eventer of the Year, Olympian and World Champs representative Jock Paget, to the first time an international dressage combination have travelled to New Zealand to compete, and the big question as to whether Katie Laurie (nee McVean) can pull off a record-equalling sixth Bostock International Olympic Cup victory.

While it seems impossible to keep introducing new things to the show, Hansen manages to do just that.

Last year’s live streaming proved such a hit all over the world, that’s it back, bigger and better this year.

“This will be one of the highlights of the show,” he says of Equestrian Live’s (www.equestrianlive.co.nz) efforts. “It is a superb service that will be available to those not at the show and can be enjoyed world wide.”

As well as competing in the Land Rover 3* eventing, Paget is also guest speaker at the Plus Four Hall of Fame Gala Dinner, where he will be interviewed by local radio host Ross Holden.

“That’s going to be a great night,” says Hansen of the Hall of Fame dinner. “It’s always a celebration, and it will be fascinating to hear about Jock’s highs and lows of the last couple of years.”

Just who will be inducted into the Hall of Fame – a closely guarded secret – is always eagerly anticipated.

The action in the Land Rover Premier Arena rolls right through the week (March 17-22) with Gerrit Beker (Tauranga) tasked with challenging each and every combination.

This year the Bostock International Olympic Cup is not a qualifier for a World Champs or Olympic Games, so Hansen is hopeful a few more riders will step up to the challenge.

But Hansen says the biggest heroes of the show are those behind the scenes – all 450-plus of them who work tirelessly to ensure everything ticks along.

“They are just magnificent,” says Hansen. “Without them, we just wouldn’t have a show.”

WHAT: Farmlands Horse of the Year Show
WHERE: Hawke’s Bay Showgrounds
WHEN: March 17-22

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NOTES TO EDITORS
You will be able to access daily results through the website (www.hoy.co.nz) too, if you have riders competing in other disciplines that may not be covered in the general releases. There are a number of releases on the website too, that you may find interesting.

Things not to miss at the 2015 Farmlands Horse of the Year Show

• Take a picnic and set up near the Waikoko Lake for the best view in the house of the John Nicholson-designed cross country course on Saturday – it promises to be thrill-a-minute, heart-stopping stuff, and top eventer Jock Paget is competing.

• Check out the Kaimanawa Heritage Horses CopRice Stallion Makeover Competition – which runs Wednesday, Thursday and Friday – where wild horses become trained mounts, showcasing the beauty and talent of horse and rider. These combinations have been together just 250 days, building trust and developing relationships that must be seen to be believed. The final is part of the Hawke’s Bay Friday Night Extravaganza – another stunning evening’s entertainment for the whole family.

• Australian dressage rider Jeremy Janjic and his stunning Friesian Django of Cacharel (owned by Lynn and Dick Jenkin of Tashkent Friesians)will compete in the Grand Prix CDI, Grand Prix CDI freestyle and the Intermediate II at HOY. It is the first time a Friesian has represented Australia offshore, and they are the first international combination to have travelled to New Zealand to compete at this wonderful show.

• Head over to the showing rings (running through to Friday) and watch just what goes on behind the scenes to make these horses and riders look as smart as they do before they enter the ring.

• Don’t miss the Bostock International Olympic Cup on Sunday afternoon in the Land Rover Premier Arena – it is the diamond in the tiara of this most wonderful show and features the very best horses and riders in New Zealand.

• Can showjumping’s golden girl Katie Laurie (nee McVean) win a record sixth Bostock International Olympic Cup?

• Be entranced by the beauty of the GJ Gardner Homes Dressage Kur – dressage to music – on Sunday between 11.40am and 1.40pm in the Land Rover Premier Dressage Arena. The action in the Land Rover Premier Arena stops while this incredible class is under way. Those in the Grandstand will have a perfect view of the dressage arena, with everything also relayed on the big screen.

• Make sure you catch the Taste of the Bay Night Market on Wednesday in the Land Rover Premier Arena from 6pm. Entry to the showgrounds for this event is free from 6pm.

• If you’re heading to the show, make the most of the free parking on Bennett Road, where complimentary shuttles will ferry people to the showgrounds during competition hours. There is parking available on Kenilworth Road for $5 a day.

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