Northland contingent ride high

Northlander Samantha Felton on Henton After Dark at the Horse of the Year at the Hawke's Bay Showgrounds, Hastings. PHOTO/APN

A crew of Northlanders has returned from the NRM Horse of the Year in Hawke's Bay having done themselves and the region proud.

Hikurangi rider Vicki Wilson was one to produce top results, with seven wins and nine placings.

Included in her wins at New Zealand's biggest equestrian event were the Tom Gadsby Memorial Premier Stakes on Showtym Cadet MVNZ and the 6-Year-Old Horse of the Year title on Equador MVNZ, owned by Mount View Sport Horses.

Joining her in the winning ranks at last week's event, sister Amanda and Showtym Rebel took the Canterbury Equestrian 5-Year-Old Series.

Amanda also placed fifth in the Young Rider Series and Vicki, on Showtym Cadet MVNZ, third in the Grand Prix Series.

The Wilson sisters have gained nationwide recognition for their training efforts with Kaimanawa wild horses.

Also competing at the event was Whangarei's Nakeysha Lammers, who won the national Pony Grand Prix series and the Junior Rider Series.

Meanwhile, former Kerikeri resident Samantha Felton nailed the quinella in the NZ Horse & Pony CIC2* class, winning on Henton After Dark and also finishing second on Ricker Ridge Escada.

Felton, who moved to Kerikeri from Australia when she was at primary school, is studying at Waikato University but is said to have learned her riding skills in Northland. She is also a New Zealand talent-development squad member.

The Horse of the Year show was a record-breaker, making director Kevin Hansen a happy man.

With more than 83,000 people flooding through the Hawke's Bay Showgrounds gates over the six days, an extra 8500 tickets were sold this year.

Also taking part was Sir Mark Todd, on Kate Wood's Drakkar, and Belgian world champion Philippe Le Jeune.

Hansen may well be exhausted from the biggest show yet, but plans have already begun for 2015.

"It's always great to sit back at the end of the week and look back on a tremendous show, and this one really is one of the best, but we are always looking to make it better next time," he said.