Tinks Pottinger (née White), pictured here with daughter Amanda at Puhinui, won the 1982 National Championships
Arran Station has a special place in the history of New Zealand eventing so it is fitting that it has been selected to host the 2015 National Eventing Championships in October
New Zealand’s top home-based horse and rider combinations will be at Arran Station, Takapau, in Central Hawkes Bay, for the National Eventing Championships in a month’s time, with the arrival inspection and horse ID taking place on 23rd October. The dressage and showjumping will follow on Saturday and the cross-country on Sunday.
There will be a celebration of the thirtieth anniversary of the first event at Arran Station in 1985 after the presentation of trophies, when a re-union party will take place. The property, currently owned by Silver Fern Farms, was owned by the Hawkes Bay Farmers Meat Company then, and has had two other owners in between.
These prestigious titles have not been held in the area since 1982, at Central & Southern Hawkes Bay Eventing’s previous venue, Larry White’s property Sherwood, at Ashley Clinton, near Takapau. The two White sisters from Otane quinellaed the top class, Tinks (now Pottinger) and Ginny (now McLeod) finishing ahead of Mark Todd.
The Forest Gate Trophy for the national champion is the oldest eventing trophy in New Zealand, first contested in 1957. It was presented by the NZ Horse Society (now Equestrian Sports NZ) in honour of Mr Duncan Holden, a founding father of the Society, who lived at Forest Gate, Onga Onga, in Central Hawkes Bay.
An intermediate title was introduced 1961, and as the sport grew, a novice title was added in 1980. These grades are now known as 3* (Advanced), 2* (Intermediate), and 1* (Novice), with Blyth Tait providing a trophy for a pre-novice title in 2008. It is the horse that is graded, not the rider, so rising stars can be recognised as youngsters.
So Labour weekend will see an influx of eventing riders and their support crews, as well as officials, from throughout the country, as these championships are run under FEI (international) rules, meaning all must be FEI accredited. It is huge credit to the small but dedicated committee that Arran Station was selected to host the 2015 titles.
Article by Virginia Caro
