Equestrian Shane Dougan and promising rugby player Isaac Thompson captured the major prizes at the 2006 Tararua Sportsperson of the Year awards.
Dougan, who won the senior sportsperson award, made a big impact both in New Zealand and overseas as an international endurance trail rider.
He picked up a third placing at
the New Zealand nationals, a gold in a Trans-Tasman clash, a first placing at the North Island championships and was selected to represent his country at the World Equestrian Games in Germany in August this year.
Thompson, the junior sportsperson winner, was a member of the Palmerston North Boys High first XV which placed third in the New Zealand secondary schools competition and a member of the Manawatu and Hurricanes secondary school teams. He also captained his school team to win the regional sevens and was a trialist for the New Zealand under-19 World Cup squad.
Named as Team of the Year for the third successive year was the Eketahuna senior rugby side which won the Wairarapa-Bush premiership for the third successive year, while Administrator-Official of the Year was Bruce Forbes whose association with the Alfredton Pony Club spans over 50 years.
He is also patron of the New Zealand Pony Club Association-an organisation he has served as president- and a course builder for the national pony club championships.
His service to the pony club movement was marked by the awarding of an NZM order of merit.
Coach of the Year is Lorraine Emery who has coached hockey teams at national level or the last six years, along with the Manawatu under-18 side and the Centreal Districts under-21 side.
The inaugural Sports Personality of the Year award, decided by public vote, went to karate administrator Bob Fryer with senior sportsperson merit awards going to Geoffrey Booth (motorcycle racing), Kathleen Wilton (rugby) and Anthony Barendson (canoe polo) while a junior merit award went to Tim Dawson (swimming) and administrator-official merit awards to Bob Fryer (karate) and Derek Cuming (rugby).
