Equestrian riders from throughout the country competed in a team event at the Stratford showgrounds.
The Coastal Adult Riding Club hosted the North Island Team event from January 6-7, thanks to a grant from the Toi Foundation.
The competition had eight teams, with horses and riders travelling from Kāpiti, Ruapehu, and Taranaki. The event has five phases, which can be completed by any four competitors from the teams of six.
The first day of the competition started with the riding club mount and involved a thorough inspection of each horse and rider, followed by an obstacle course. This had three compulsory elements — opening and closing a gate, trotting poles, and cantering a figure eight.
The course was timed and points were awarded for completing each obstacle. In the afternoon, the ridden quadrilles took place. Each team chose a musical theme and designed an arena pattern and a costume to match, and the winning team had a Lion King theme, with their horses dressed as a giraffe, warthog, zebra and a lion.
