Spectacular carriage driving at Makotuku

Malcolm Baker drives his four-horse team in the marathon. Photo / Dave Murdoch

Makotuku was the centre of the North Island carriage driving world last weekend when 30 drivers and their horse-carriage combinations came from all over to compete in the annual combined drive.

It's a popular event as it combines the three disciplines, precision drive, dressage and marathon.

In the precision drive the combination goes between road cones topped with the tennis balls which they try not to knock off.

Dressage is all about etiquette and appearance as well as the rapport between horse and driver while the marathon is a 16km cross-country challenge in three parts.

Another reason Makotuku is popular with the drivers is because it is the only true rural course that is the longest in the North Island and combines varying relief and obstacles.

One driver said the willingness of local farmers to open up their land for the cross-country was wonderful.

There are about 40 drivers in the North Island and they meet regularly at different urban venues during the season. They are all good friends and look forward to the weekend away, with transport big enough to provide accommodation and cartage for horse and carriage.

Most popular is the four-horse team of Malcolm Baker from Hastings.

Baker was keen to try out his new combination with two new inexperienced horses in the front as he will be demonstrating the team at the Horse of the Year in Hastings next week, for the first time in a decade.

Julie Cooker and Leanne Gunson of Gisborne drive Boots through the cones.

There were other very well-known combinations including Team Boots pairing Julie Cooker and Leanne Gunson of Gisborne with Boots, a gypsy cob stallion.

What is remarkable about the sport is the number of father/son and mother/daughter combinations. It is not always the younger one being the groom, who hangs on for dear life and helps angle the carriage around the bends.

Oliver Behrens at 14 has graduated to driver with dad on the back.

Oliver Behrens, 14, with dad Warwick as groom on the marathon course.

Carriages vary dramatically from pretty spartan to the best costing $5000 or more.

Local enthusiast Colleen Constable said the support from sponsors in Dannevirke particularly made all the difference to the success of the weekend and she was grateful for the support.