Shane Rose Australian rider at Horse of the Year Hastings talks about wearing a mankini in the saddle. Video/Warren Buckland Reporter/ Mitchell Hageman
There’s no shortage of heartfelt Hawke’s Bay stories in the newest season of the TVNZ+ show Young Riders, which follows ten young horse riders as they compete across NZ in the 2023-24 show jumping circuit.
From gutting losses to soaring success and even equine miracles, reporter Mitchell Hageman discovers how hope and a bit of help can shine through in even the darkest times.
As Cyclone Gabrielle’s floodwaters swept through 17-year-old Annie Moffett’s family orchard in Hastings last year, the talented equestrian feared for the safety of the animals she loved so dearly.
“We didn’t know if it was going to get any higher. If it got any higher, we didn’t know how the horses would cope,” she recalled.
A metre of water had ripped into the house and surrounded the property, but something special happened amid the fear and chaos.
Looking over the devastation from her attic, she saw her horses, which looked like they were facing certain death, banding together to survive.
“We had a little foal who was only a couple of months old then, and the mum and my mare, who had never met the foal, were on either side trying to keep it afloat.”
Hastings teen Annie Moffett shares the story of her horse's survival as well as her drive to compete in the new series of the TV show Young Riders. Photo / Greenstone TV
Moffett and her family’s road to recovery hasn’t been easy. The floods destroyed their home and vital equestrian equipment.
“It’s been a bit hard. Our truck got flooded, and we’ve been looking for a truck and only just got one in the last couple of weeks.”
But the kind nature of those in the community has allowed Moffett to continue doing what she loves, and she said “heaps of people” had helped.
Moffett has been a successful showjumper on ponies, and this year took on the challenge of stepping up to jumping her horse Sam in the Young Rider and Junior Rider classes.
“It was my horse’s first time doing Young Riders and we finished 8th at Horse of the Year, so that was pretty exciting.”
Moffett’s story isn’t the only Hawke’s Bay tale seen on screen in the new season of TVNZ’s Young Riders.
Cyclone Gabrielle washed away the Puketapu bridge, which left Tessa Mason and her family stranded and without power for six weeks.
The show will explore the harsh reality many families and equestrians faced during this time and their various successes after overcoming extreme adversity.
Coincidentally, Mason’s main horse is Stella, who happens to be a full sister to Moffett’s horse, Sam.
Puketapu teen Tessa Mason rides WP Stella at the Land Rover Horse of the Year 2024 in Hastings. Photo / Jaimee Whittaker
Central Hawke’s Bay’s equestrian achievements haven’t been forgotten either. The fiercely competitive Carrington sisters from Central Hawkes Bay have a sibling rivalry for the ages.
Other riders shown competing in the circuit hail from all across the North Island, including Kerikeri, Tamahere and Rotorua.
The first four episodes of Young Riders drop on YouTube this Friday and on TVNZ+ from May 17.
Mitchell Hageman joined Hawke’s Bay Today in January 2023. From his Napier base, he writes regularly on social issues, arts and culture, and the community. He has a particular love for stories about ordinary people doing extraordinary things.
