Organisers, riders ready for Equidays

Andrea Kewish and her mare Spring Fling have entered a new showjumping event at Equidays 2016 next month. PHOTO/SUPPLIED

Preparations are being fine-tuned for New Zealand's premier equine event, Equidays 2016, at Mystery Creek Events Centre, near Hamilton, from October 14 to 16.

Behind the scenes, event organisers are hard at work, but so too are riders and horses around the country.

Cambridge mother-of-two Andrea Kewish, 41, has entered in the Wade Equine Derby, a new show jumping event for 2016, designed to appeal to amateur riders or younger, less experienced horse-and-rider combinations.

The Wade Equine Derby will be held over the same challenging course as the Hyundai Premier Derby, but with the jumps at a lower height of 1.10 metres to 1.15m. The Premier Derby is set at 1.35m.

"I'm really looking forward to it," said Kewish. "Equidays is one of the few show jumping events in New Zealand which includes a derby at this height. It's fun but difficult too. I would never enter the premier derby, as the jumps are set at 1.35m which is too big for an amateur like myself."

The derby course is a test of skill and endurance not often asked of show jumping horses.
To prepare for the event, Kewish is training with her 10-year-old Selle Francias-thoroughbred cross mare, Spring Fling, at venues around the wider Cambridge area.

"We are practicing jumping drop fences, ditches, going up banks and making sure she is confident on different kinds of terrain," said Kewish.

Kewish has been attending Equidays since its inception six years ago, mostly as a spectator. Last year she rode at Equidays in the FEI World Challenge qualifier (1.10-1.20m) and was placed ninth.

Equidays competition manager Kerry Willetts said they have been inundated with entries in the Wade Equine Derby. "We've intended to do it for a few years but we were worried it didn't have the appeal of the bigger classes," said Willetts.

"However it has proven to be very successful and the class is almost full."

Willetts said competitors in the class ranged from younger children to adults. Among them are "up-and-coming riders who will be our future stars".

Willetts has been involved with Equidays since it started in 2010. "The competitions have grown a lot. Each year we've added another new competition," he said.

Also new this year is the invitational Horseware Ireland Double Slalom, part of the Friday night show jumping spectacular.

An exciting event for spectators, at the Double Slalom two horse-and-rider combinations go head-to-head, racing each other on identical courses to beat each other and the clock.

Returning again this year, after much success in 2015 are the FEI World Jumping Challenge, the JLT Bloodstock Pony Six Bar, the Pony Grand Prix, the GH Mumm Champagne Horse Grand Prix, the Hyundai Premier Derby, Honda Pony Derby and the Isuzu D-Max Show jumping and Cross Country Challenge - Accumulator. The prize pool exceeds $60,000.

A key focus of Equidays is education and, alongside the competitions and entertainment, more than 40 hours of educational clinics and seminars will run daily led by top equine experts. Equidays 2016 also includes two spectacular night shows and more than 200 exhibitors.

* See equidays.co.nz or visit equestrianentries.co.nz for the full competition schedule.