Berrington and Kiwi Iron Mark together again

A match made in heaven: June Berrington on Kiwi Iron Mark, a horse owned by her late daughter, Melanie, who was a regular competitor at the Gisborne Show. Eye Witness Images picture

June Berrington’s journey is both inspiring and heartbreaking. It’s also well known in the horse world, so when she jumped her way around her first-ever 1.1-metre course at the Poverty Bay A&P Show, many rode it with her.

Berrington was competing aboard Kiwi Iron Mark — he’s competed against the best in the world in the hands of Katie Laurie (nee McVean) and has been campaigned successfully in the United States by Jeffrey Fields. He was owned by Berrington’s late daughter, Melanie Purcell, who died six years ago from cancer. She was a popular rider who always had a smile on her face and loved to compete in Gisborne. She ended up with Iron Mark after a swap with another rider.

When Laurie won the FEI World Cup Series, she continued the dream of her good mate Mel and took the horse to Las Vegas to the world final. They didn’t win that, but they were the victors in another big class at the show. Following the 2015 final, Iron Mark remained in the States. He was briefly on the market, but didn’t sell. Meanwhile, Berrington was competing in dressage with her horse Max in New Zealand but that wasn’t going as well as it could have.

“I came home and was so cross with Max that I packed him off to the arena and jumped him — he had never jumped in his life,” she says. Berrington used to hunt with Mel but hasn’t hunted since Mel died. Jumping with Max in the arena made her smile. “I actually enjoyed it.”

She pulled him out of the next dressage tournament and headed off to a central Hawke’s Bay show where they placed in low hunter classes. It took them to Wanganui for another outing, where someone wanted to buy him.

“It was a good home so I said ‘yes’.”

Driving five hours home with an empty float didn’t make her happy at all. She called her husband Tapio Kajavala, who immediately suggested they bring Iron Mark home from the United States for Berrington to compete on him.

The rest is history. He has been back at their Whakatane property since December and Berrington is ecstatic to be out competing on him. Her first outing was to Taupo for a dressage competition. It was a fitting place to start, as it was also where Mel had her last ride on him. And while dressage isn’t really Mark’s thing, Berrington is just happy being out there doing everything.

“Never in my life did I ever think I would be jumping like this, but I just love it,” she says.

The big 17.2hh chestnut has plenty of fans and he loves all the attention that comes his way.

“He is such a dude, and the best nana horse you could ever want.”

His arrival back home means Berrington and Kajavala now have three of Mel’s gingas at home — Jimmy the dog, Nemo the cat and Mark. Berrington has been coming to the Gisborne Show for more than 20 years — and she loves it, but this year was all the more special, and she’s heading home with ribbons as well.