Horse show organiser quits

Kevin Hansen.

Horse of the Year organiser Kevin Hansen is quitting the event he has managed for the past 18 years in the wake of a surprise decision last month to tender out the running of the high-profile Hastings show.

Mr Hansen had previously said he would put in a bid to continue managing the event after this year's show.

But in a statement yesterday he said after "lengthy consideration" he and his son Andrew, who has also been involved in running the event, would not take part in the tender. Instead they would "focus on new opportunities" after their contract ended following next month's event.

"Rather than go into this process it is better business practice for us to develop other event opportunities with our new Australian business partners, on both sides of the Tasman," Mr Hansen said.

Last year the Hansens' company Event Pro merged with a similar Australian-based business, Equine Productions, and Mr Hansen said he planned to move to Sydney in April, although at that stage still intended running Horse of the Year if the opportunity was available.

"We are fully committed to event managing a successful Horse of the Year 2015," Mr Hansen said in yesterday's statement.

"We have worked tirelessly and will continue to do so to make this show one the people of Hawke's Bay and the New Zealand equestrian industry remember." The half-year report of Horse of the Year (Hawke's Bay) Ltd is on today's Hastings District Council agenda because the council has a one-third stake in the business, as do Equestrian Sport New Zealand and Show Jumping Hawke's Bay.

The company made a $108,000 loss last year and the latest accounts show it received income of $554,000 during the six months to the end of November, $297,000 below the $851,000 it budgeted for and $62,000 below what it received during the same period a year earlier.

But the chair of the company's board, Hastings Deputy Mayor Cynthia Bowers, said this week the shortfall in budgeted income was not significant because the accounts covered the show's quiet period.

Ms Bowers said indications were that revenue for the full financial year was tracking well.

Horse of the Year is touted as one of the biggest sporting events in the Southern Hemisphere and Mr Hansen has an extensive network of contacts in the equestrian world.

Hawke's Bay showjumping star Maurice Beatson said last month it would be "a sad day if Kevin is not involved" in the show.

But in their commentary attached to the Horse of the Year (Hawke's Bay) half-year report, Ms Bowers and the company's general manager, Ian Wilmot, said with Event Pro's contract to manage the event expiring later this year "as a matter of good business practice" the board were putting the job out to tender.

It expects to finalise that tender process in May.

Ms Bowers could not be reached last night for comment.