Sometimes it's a tight squeeze and the groom is critical for balance.
Sometimes it's a tight squeeze and the groom is critical for balance.
Once again, hidden in the tiny hamlet of Makotuku, a mighty equestrian battle took place from March 4-5, when the Hawke’s Bay Carriage Driving Association held its Combined Drive.
The event occurred again this year only slightly curbed by Cyclone Gabrielle, which had made some paddocks too boggy to use, but the course designed by local Karen Coe with the co-operation of ever-generous landowners was still a great challenge and “a wonderful event” according to Colleen Rebay who has been coming to this event since it began in Makotuku over 20 years ago.
The Doon Tholand-led Merry Mickey team on a fast loop around the macrocarpas in the marathon.
She and her son Jacob brought with them this time her team of two horses Milo and Niki mother and son, grand and great-grandchildren of her first two horses a way back then.
She says Makotuku provides an unique experience because everyone is housed at the Makotuku Domain and the events take place around it in a real community atmosphere where locals are fully involved as well.
It combines good facilities, normally great prizes, and excellent terrain to test the best combinations but this year, in a nod to the devastation created by Cyclone Gabrielle, local businesses were not tapped for prizes, and $20 of each entry fee plus raffle proceeds were donated to Hawkes Bay relief.
Sadly a number of entrants could not make the trip because of travel disruption but Mandy Moon of Warkworth in Auckland, however drove 11 hours with her two horses over two days to be there.
The two-day event attracted 26 entries, therefore, down from the 30 entries last year which was the most ever in 2022.
It was however a very exciting two days as teams competed with the judging focus on appearance, time, and accuracy of driving.
On Saturday, in stunning weather, competitions started with dressage in the morning from 10am at the Makotuku Domain and were followed with cone driving in adjacent fields where the combinations race a slalom course like show jumping only the horse and cart must negotiate 20 sets of cones (road markers minus a top on which a tennis ball sits) without dislodging a tennis ball.
Colleen and Jacob Rebay from Waverly with Milo and Niki head out on the Marathon.
The Makotuku Marathon finale on Sunday is described as one of the toughest on the NZ calendar. Each combination travels the local roads and farm terrain, a distance of 12km entering five venues with sets of obstacles. It started early – 8.30am. Care is taken of the horses’ and ponies’ veterinary tests before and after the event and the course is adapted in length a little to take into consideration the size and experience of the combinations.
For all the teams the marathon was the highlight, set in overcast weather with not a breath of wind from nature but plenty from the horses and drivers. A group of 20 judges and helpers brought from all over New Zealand were scattered around the venues a former local - Heather Taylor coming all the way from her home in Otorohanga to participate once again.
Over the weekend most of the 26 combinations consisted of one horse, driver, and groom but there were two two-horse teams from Waverly and Warkworth, several miniature horses, and several ponies competing.
Long-time local competitor and helper Colleen Constable took her horse Bart out for her swansong event and loved it, saying it was great and she is forever grateful to the local landowners for the use of their land.
