2018 HNHS School Magazine HNHS Magazine 2018 | Page 64

E Equestrian Back Row: Front Row: Kendyll Miller, Carys McCrory, Libby Charlton, Helen Bell Mackenzie Heaton, Samara Thorpe, Tess Gordon, Gabrielle Bell, Macy Heaton HNHS Equine Group 2018 Heretaunga Pony Club Team selections for this year were Tess Gordon and Grace McKay (Year 11) who competed in the hack division at the Pony Club Show Hunter Championships held in Foxton during October. This is a group for all students interested and participating in equestrian activities. Mostly, our members are competing successfully at Pony Club and ESNZ events throughout the season. They generally have their own ponies/horses and will have a wonderfully supportive parent driving a truck or horse float most weekends. Our Team Captain, for her final year, was Tess Gordon. Other Year 13 members who sadly left us this year were Gabrielle Bell, McKenzie Heaton, Kenyll Miller, Rebecca Richards and Danielle Thorpe. We wish them well for their future equestrian endeavors. The Teacher in charge was Mrs Helen Bell. Horse of the Year, held during March in Hastings, is the premier event for all equestrian competitors and we had a number of our member competing. In 2018, Year 10 student, Olivia Apatu, won the hard fought Pony of the Year individual show jumping title while a student at HNHS. Two of our students, Ally Stevenson (Year 12) and Laura Foss (Year 11) were also selected for the challenging Saba Sam Hawke’s Bay area team show jumping competition. They had to jump two rounds of show jumping at 1.15-1.25m. Area Team Selections Inter school Events The 2018 season was another successful one for our members. Selected for the Hawke’s Bay area for the prestigious Pony Club Area Eventing Championship were Year 13 students, Kendyll Miller and Gabrielle Bell. They were both competing in the DC category. This event comprised of three phases over three days. They included dressage, followed by cross country and show jumping at 1.05m height. Participants in this event travel from all around New Zealand, including the South Island, with their horses. At the same venue, Year 10 student, Samara Thorpe was selected as a reserve for Hawkes’ Bay area for the Pony Club Team Games Championship. Both these events were held during the April holidays in the Wairarapa. HNHS entered an eventing team into the Secondary Schools Eventing Championships held 19/20 May at Taupo. The team was comprised of Tess Gordon, Kenyll Miller, Samara Thorpe and Carys McCrory. They had a fun weekend and won the team spirit cup. The 2018 HNHS Equestrian Event was held at Hastings Equestrian Park on Monday, 20th August and was open to all schools, including intermediate and primary. Kirsty Heaton (mother to McKenzie and Macey) was the organiser of this annual show and she was tireless in her efforts to make this event successful. She was helped by an enthusiastic group of HNHS parents. Approximately 80 entries, with their horses, arrived to a very cold morning at the equestrian park near Flaxmere. No rain, but a heavy frost greeted them. They competed in two rounds of show jumping and one round of cross-jump which included the solid cross country style jumps. There were three choices of height: 70-80cm, Heretaunga Pony Club team selections included Samara Thorpe and Carys McCrory (Year 12). Samara competed in the Bruce Forbes Eventing team at 80 cm height in January and both Samara and Carys competed in the Cambridge Pony Club Show Jumping team event in February. Final 64