The 2009 Horse Expo Report

Horse Expo 2009 was a huge success!

A wide range of events – including a world championship farrier competition – combined with perfect weather to bring big crowds to Horse Expo New Zealand at the Helensville Showgrounds on Sunday, April 5 2009.

Aside from the World Cup of Heavy Horse Shoeing (see separate article below), probably the biggest draw card at Horse Expo was the two demonstrations of new equestrian sport Hoofball. Hoofball was demonstrated by a team from the Waikato, lead by Mary Torok & Leslie Hodgson.  With a local ‘Horse Expo’ team, they showed how to introduce a horse to the giant balls and then teach them how to play with them.

The reactions from the new-comer local horses varied from spooky to totally  unfazed, and soon both riders and horses were enjoying chasing the balls around the arena and scoring goals. The Hoofballers practised during the day and held a brief game later in the afternoon, with several other riders joining in. Audience and riders alike agreed it is a fun sport, and one enthusiastic group are considering putting together a local team.

The Horse Expo main arena was busy all day, starting with a display from the local Helensville Pony Club, which began with young lead-rein riders showing how children start in Pony Club, and followed by older riders competing in a ‘tip and out’ jumping competition.  After the first riders were eliminated, Emmaus Foster and Jamie Masters battled it out to reach 1.17m.

The Warkworth Roping & Barrel Racing Club demonstrated how their riders learn to rope using a horse-drawn, mechanical steer, and showed off their skill at barrel racing. Visitors to their stand later in the day were able to try out roping for themselves – albeit from the ground, rather than horseback. 

Dune Lakes Lodge from South Head brought along an unbroken three-year-old to show how to train a young horse in float loading - something many riders need help with.

The audience enjoyed two musical freestyle demonstrations by Charmian Pearson-White on her Grand Prix horse Abenstern.  Riverhead resident Charmian has risen from humble pony club origins to be now riding Grand Prix, which is Olympic level. Abenstern looked a picture at Horse Expo, and Charmian explained to the audience how she trains with him for an hour a day, six days a week.

Local carriage driver Mairi MacIver, along with Michelle Reddy from Papakura, gave an in-depth display of their exciting sport, starting with Michelle showing how to tack up a pony for the carriage, followed by Mairi doing a carriage-driving dressage test in the main arena and finishing with a circuit of a small carriage driving course, including a typical hazard from a competition.  A third driver, Gaylene, worked with her mini and the audience enjoyed the variation between the three sizes of horses and the two and four wheel carriages.

Wabe, a purebred Friesian stallion from The Friesian Stud in Muriwai, was extremely popular with the main arena audience when he and owner Hayley Tait showed their dressage skills.  Despite being a stallion, Wabe is particularly people-friendly, and audience members were encouraged to pat him – as were people in the general crowd later in the day when Hayley rode him around the Horse Expo grounds.

The Auckland District Mounted Games Association held a pairs competition over both the Saturday and Sunday, with the open final on the Sunday afternoon.  Among the competitors were a number of riders competing to go to London for the World Mounted Games competition in July this year. The World Team selectors were at Horse Expo which ensured the competition was strong, and Expo visitors were treated to a series of thrilling finals games.  People who have never seen mounted games are always amazed at the vaulting, speed and agility of the riders and ponies. 

Waitemata Hunt Club introduced the Horse Expo crowd to the spectacle of hunting, with a drag followed by a small pack of hounds and around a dozen riders jumping a range of brush and cross country jumps. Although Waitemata Hunt rides on farms from Muriwai to Ahuroa during the January-July season, most people don’t have the opportunity to enjoy the sight of hounds and horses across farmland, so they were a great crowd pleaser with the audience which lined both sides of the racetrack.

The aim of the Kumeu Kidz Kartz & Pony Trust is to nurture young talent and give horse-mad youngsters the interaction, instruction and hands-on experience they need to become the harness drivers of the future. They fielded a team of about eight young drivers and ponies and held two races on the racetrack immediately after the Hunt Club demonstration.

Always a delight to watch, the Auckland Miniature Horse Club showcased a range of mini horses, including ten foals for sale.  The minis were popular with the children who were able to get up close and cuddle them, and the adults were astounded how high the little horses could jump in their arena display.

The final arena demonstration for the day was from the New Zealand Side Saddle Association, with two elegantly attired women riding matching grey Percherons and explaining just how they managed to stay on their mounts. The Percherons were part of a trio ridden through around the grounds earlier in the day by three beautiful brides in full wedding gowns – in reality riders from Warmbloods out West, who supply horses and riders for promotional purposes.  

Demo Corner is the more interactive part of Horse Expo, where people can get up close to specific demonstrations and quiz the presenters.  The programme this year covered cranial sacro therapy, feed supplements, Bioptron light and colour therapy, Equissage massage, equine dentistry, release body therapy and Reiki massage. The presenters all had trade stands which were popular in their own right.

Horse Expo is a relaxed day primarily aimed at information and education rather than competition. Many visitors brought their dogs and enjoyed the sunshine, variety of horses and events, and shopping.  Trade stands varied from tack, feeds, services and gear to artwork from four different equine artists and holistic therapy treatments.

Farrier Competition

After three days of hard work, the World Cup of Heavy Horse Shoeing again rests in New Zealand’s hands.

With six teams - five from around New Zealand and one from Australia - the farrier’s event began on Friday, April 3 with a workshop at the Helensville Showgrounds, followed by a day spent forging on the Saturday.

The competition culminated during Horse Expo New Zealand with a full day of hot shoeing, in which each team of farriers had to craft shoes and then shoe a Clydesdale – a process which took almost six hours.

Points earned by the farriers from both the Saturday and Sunday competitions were collated to find the winners, with the World Cup of Heavy Horse Shoeing going to the Wanganui team of Patrick Schimanski, Jordaan Aplin and John Hawthorne.  The Helensville team of Bruce MacDonald, Jim Bryant and Kim Hughes came second.  Third was a team from the Wairarapa.

The judge was Andy Reader-Smith, flown out from England especially for the event.  Originally from Taranaki, Andy has lived and worked in Dorset for the past 15 years. He crafted six different shoes in the UK, which he brought with him to Horse Expo where they were used as templates for the farriers to replicate on the forging day of the competition.

The Clydesdales used for the Heavy Horse Shoeing were provided by Paul & Bobby Stroobant of Kia Kaha Stud at Inland Road, Helensville.  The constant crowd which watched the competition was impressed to see them stand patiently all day while the farriers worked with them.

Read a report from the 2008 Horse Expo.