Dannevirke to Owahanga horse trek events keenly contested

The pony dual jump required teamwork at Pongaroa.

While focus on equestrian sports in the media tends to be about racing and showjumping there is another kind of horse sport, which featured at Owahanga and Pongoroa in January.

A large group of people meet to enjoy each other's company, celebrate the summer and compete in equestrian events not normally seen elsewhere but requiring skill on horseback.

The sports have been running a long time.

This year is the 79th Owahanga competition — and the events have changed little.
Lorraine Stephenson says the traditional challenges are consistent from year to year because the same people are in charge.

Lorraine leads a trek from Dannevirke out to Owahanga taking four days, involving 35 horses and riders as young as six. They stay at Waione and trek to Owahanga.

This year the weather was superb, a welcome change after riders were drenched most of the trek last year.

The sports were held in fine, calm but overcast weather at Owahanga and involved 80 to 90 horses and riders. There were junior (under 16 years) and open sections competing in such challenges as barrel racing, bending, turning, a flag race, potato race and jumps of different types.

One of the features of the Owahanga day is the steer riding in the evening, with many coming out from town just to watch.

This year there were 10 riders, including two women. It was won by Adam Thomas with Luke Abbot second.

The trekkers then moved on to Pongaroa where a similar event a week later was staged with the same range of challenges and a Handy Dog competition, which was won by B Dillon in the Open and C Derbyshire in the Maiden.

The trekkers then returned to town from Waione, making the journey in one day. Lorraine says the events are all about having people connected to the land. Her 14 grandchildren are all involved and they have learned to love the land and the sports. One 18-year-old grandson in Australia where he works and unable to make the trek, texted "It sux to get old!"