Malcolm Baker and the only competition four-horse team in the North Island rounds a macrocarpa in the Makotuku Cross-country Marathon on March 11.
Malcolm Baker and the only competition four-horse team in the North Island rounds a macrocarpa in the Makotuku Cross-country Marathon on March 11.
There was plenty of horse power in action at Makotuku over the weekend March 10-11 as horses, drivers, grooms and carts came together for the Makotuku Combined Drive.
This is the biggest meeting of the North Island calendar, run by the Hawke's Bay Carriage Driving Association and held in beautiful weather at the Makotuku Domain and on neighbouring farms.
Youngest driver Oliver Behrns (12) and dad Warwick from Whangarei before they competed in the dressage.
There were 35 competitors, most of whom competed in the dressage and cones slalom on Saturday and the 16km cross-country marathon on Sunday.
Each day started at 8.30am to get through the busy programme.
Drivers and horses competed in the dressage at the Makotuku Domain.
Cathy Venn on a Bennington cart pulled by Poppy competes in the dressage.
This event is similar to equestrian dressage which judges the degree of control the driver has over the horse.
Competitors then completed a slalom in which the horse and cart were driven between orange road cones with a tennis ball on top around 20 obstacles against the clock. It was similar to show jumping with points lost if the tennis ball was dislodged.
Driver Helen Paddison, groom Jenny Wilkins and Bryn of Otaki on the cone slalom
Most competed with a single horse and cart, with their carts highly decorated and engineered. One Bennington cart was imported from England. The company supplies the Duke of Edinburgh stables.
There were two-horse teams and one four-horse team from Hastings competing — the only one of its kind in the North Island.
On Sunday the 16km cross-country marathon over local farms was keenly contested.
There were a number of obstaclesincluding Bumpy Circle and the Blackdog, in which judges scored each competitor for accuracy of turns through marked points.
Joe Pearson, (Dannevirke), Krissy Hulme-Moir (Gisborne) and Alison Cooper (Otaki) co-operate to shoe Greyway.
Most spectacular was the first entrant — the four-horse team driven by Malcolm Baker of Hastings with two passengers, moving so fast around and between huge macrocarpas at the Blackdog obstacle it was difficult to capture on film.
Carriage driving is in its infancy in New Zealand, with Hawke's Bay and Horowhenua quite strong. It is a huge and professional sport in Europe.
Paige Tholen from Otaki guides Bandit - both youngsters - the future of the sport.
Local co-ordinator of the event, Colleen Constable, whose horse was too lame to compete, declared the weekend marvellous for its entries, efficiency, camaraderie, team work, co-operation of local farmers and 31 sponsors.
"Makotuku last hosted the event in 2011 so us as organisers were all new to it," she said.
