Prospects of a wet week for the Horse of the Year Show in Hastings, as unlikely as it seemed yesterday, isn't a big worry to North Canterbury riders Tayler and Anna Nalder and mum Pam Burns.
Settling into the Hawke's Bay Showgrounds, with hundreds of other riders, horses, trucks and floats, they've seen rain in Hawke's Bay before, and don't mind it, as long as it's in some moderation.
But according to a MetService forecast, today will be the last of 10 days in a row without rain in Hastings, the rain will star in shower mode on HOTY opening day tomorrow, worsening to heavy rain at times over the next two days with at least some precipitation predicted each day until after the horse show finishes on Sunday.
The girls, and the equine team of Icebreaker II, Acclaim and Nora, are ready to ride after a trip which took eight hours from Cust to Blenheim on Friday, Saturday morning on the inter-island ferry, and a few more hours in the truck up State Highways 1 and 2 to Hastings.
"Hopefully the weather will not bee to bad," said their mum, who makes numerous trips around the South Island with the girls, and has experienced shows with events cancelled because of rain.