Northland's Heather Edwards received recognition for her more than 65 years of working with the region's pony clubs at the annual 2010 Sport and recreation (Sparc) Volunteer Coach of the Year Awards - receiving the prized Lifetime Award.
The Waiotira Pony Club coach is also district commissioner for Bream Bay/Kaipara Pony
Club, and also finds time to assist Northland's coaches with their training.
Waipu Pony Club president Marina Boniface said Edwards' father was a founding member of Whangarei Pony Club in the 1940s, when Edwards was just four years old.
"I have witnessed Heather's contribution to pony club since 1994. She truly is one in a million.
"For a mother, grandmother, and great grandmother, her energy and commitment to pony club is endless and her knowledge inspires both young and old," Boniface said.
Mayoral hopeful Isopo Samu received the general award and overall regional award.
More than 254 nominations were made across the region.
Sport Northland hosted the event and organiser Tama Jones said the judges had a tough time picking winners because the quality of the nominations had been very high.
They based their decisions on a variety of criteria, including the level of involvement in coaching, the number of teams coached, and the overall contribution the volunteers had made to the community.
"Everyone nominated for the awards deserves to be applauded for what they have done for their athletes, their team and their sport. To stand out the winners have had to have done something very, very special and it was amazing to see the feats our Northland coaches have been doing in their respective communities," Jones said.
The student coach award went to Kerikeri's Georgia Grimme for her work with teaching people at Special Olympics Bay of Islands how to ride horses.
Meanwhile Whangarei's Isopo Samu collected the general award and regional award for his work with in rugby circles, coaching and mentoring a JB6 team.
Winners receive coaching apparel from Sparc and a generous supply of products from awards' sponsor Wattie's.
As the overall regional winner, Samu also wins travel and accommodation to Sparc coach development workshops as well as a ticket to a significant sporting event to be held in 2011.
