On a sunny weekend in the middle of June, the
Havelock North High School Cycling team competed in
the Hawkes Bay Secondary Schools Cycling Champs.
The first day was the team time trial, and the team of
Todd Burnard, Nic Kelly, Mitchell Couchman, Lewis
Sheeran and Jono Williams finished 2nd to Karamu in
the U20 grade by just over a minute. Their time was 3
minutes faster than last year. This is a promising team,
with 4 out of the 5 cyclist returning next year for
another crack at the title.
The second day of the competition saw four cyclists
from the school taking part in the individual
criterium in perfect sunny conditions. Nic Kelly won the
U17 race over 60 km, while Jenna Tidswell won the U16
race over 45 km. Lewis Sheeran was unfortunate to be Cycling Team
pipped into 2nd place over 45 km, while Jono Williams Standing: Jono Williams, Todd Burnard, Mitchell Couchman, Nicholas Kelly,
Mr J. Kelly (Coach)
capped off a great weekend by winning the U15 boys
Absent: Andre Sheeran
raced over 30 km. Once again, a very promising bunch
of young cyclists that will hopefully continue their
success as they grow through the ranks.
It has been another busy year for HNHS equestrians. At the start of the school year New Zealand
Pony Club Championships were contested in all the
disciplines. Tess Gordon represented Hawkes Bay
in Eventing, Show Jumping and Dressage. Danielle
Thorpe and Kendyll Miller were selected to ride for
the HB mounted games team at their champs.
The first interschool equestrian events involved
some travelling for the teams, visiting St Matthews
and Nga Tawa with placings for Tess Gordon,
Chanelle Stride and Madi Wezel .
Next up was Horse of the Year show with many
riders and their mounts being successful in their
goals. Tess Gordon and Ally Stevenson in the HOY
title showing classes, Kendyll Miller in the pleasure
showing classes and Chanelle Stride in the Show
Jumping.
Over the winter many riders paired up with new
ponies and horses :- Lauren Bell and Gabrielle Bell
on their new mounts Onslaught and Letschacha
, Kendyll Miller on her new pony Chekkera and
Madi Bristow with her first pony Mac. The first
inter-school event in the new season was the HNHS
event, run this year by Sarah Smith and her Young
Enterprise company, Sarah by now was captain of
the equestrian team, after Madi Hall left us to move
to Singapore.
She didn’t get to ride Bruno in the competition as she was
so busy in the office.
A lovely sunny day with competitions in both dressage
and show jumping had most of our riders go home with
ribbons and placings. The top dressage team won the
Dressage trophy (Tess Gordon on Ataahua Captivate ,
Mackenzie Heaton on Master High Voltage, Kendyll Miller on Chekkera and Ally Stevenson on Willow).