KEY POINTS:
The Puhunui three-day equestrian event will go ahead after all.
The organisers said yesterday the 65 competitors in three international classes had agreed to a pared-down contest, among other measures taken to save the event, which will take place from March 9-11.
"We contacted the riders who had entered the event and they agreed to compete for minimal prize money," event technical director Susan O'Brien said.
The small number of entries had almost forced the cancellation of the event.
But a late rescue operation involving a fair amount of cost-cutting had ensured its survival.
Auckland Events chairman Glenn Wallace said everything had been in place to run the event, including major sponsorship but "when the entries closed there were only 65 across the three international classes - totally insufficient to justify the cost of staging the event at the level everyone had come to expect".
It was extremely disappointing that riders were not prepared to support the event after its date was changed from its traditional staging in December in the hope of better weather.
O'Brien said it had been important to try and keep the event afloat because an international officials' course had been organised; many people from around the country had arranged travel and accommodation to come to it; and delegates from Australia, Japan and Malaysia were expected.
Tich Massey, course designer and builder, had the tracks for the three classes at one, two and three-star level, all prepared.
"We don't need the decorations, just the flags and numbers, to make the course a good ride for competitors," said Massey.
- NZPA
