The Spring Show has been a favourite since she was a kid, and a happy hunting ground for her as well.
There was the time she and The Dreamer won the North Island speed pony championship here, and she finished second the same year in the North Island pony grand prix.
“I have always loved coming here.”
Hackett has ridden her whole life and says the past year in particular has brought huge gains.
“I had some awesome coaching from Alison Rowland (Takapoto’s former head rider).
“It is all about that fine-tuning. There were so many things I thought I knew but I really had no idea about.
“My flat work has improved so much and it makes jumping so much easier.”
She and fellow Takapoto rider Jake Lambert have 15 horses in work.
Helping them out is working student Meg Bissett.
The riders have brought six horses between them to Gisborne.
Hackett is competing on her own Global PH Cocofino, who she describes as “unique and naughty but super sharp”, seven-year-old Takapoto Checkito and six-year-old Takapoto Saffron.
“We’d love to have a good competitive team right through the age groups to Grand Prix, and that is something we continue to work on,” says Hackett, who is on the Equestrian Sports New Zealand high performance talent development squad.
She’s looking forward to today’s Grand Prix in which she will be riding Cocofino. The pair she placed in the top 12 in the Gold Tour at Takapoto in February — her best-ever result.
She’s also done well across the Tasman where she was based for six months before taking the job at Takapoto.
She and Cocofino were based at Chatham Park, one of the best competitive showjumping operations in Australia.
The Kiwi combo placed second in the prestigious Stal Tops Young Rider Series without even jumping the final round.
Horses have always been part of Tyla’s life.
Parents Michelle and Bernie Hackett are successful trainers of trotters, winning the Inter Dominions in Australia and with plenty of Group One victories to their names.
“I have loved horses forever, just like most horse-crazy girls.”
The best thing about her job are the possibilities, she says.
“The adventures they can take you on are amazing.”
While she didn’t cross the Tasman this winter, she and Lambert are looking to take a small team back to Australia next year to compete.
Long term, the goal is far bigger . . . “Olympic Games”.
And to get there, she’ll be grabbing every single opportunity she is given to keep her dream alive.
