There’s just a week to go before the first horse trots into an arena for the 2015 Farmlands Horse of the Year Show in Hastings.
Show director Kevin Hansen is promising the best six-day event ever . . . and it’s his last.
“It’s going to be a great celebration of the past 16 years of shows,” he says.
And while he thrives on watching top competition, Hansen gets an even bigger buzz out of seeing crowds enjoy the sport.
“I want everyone to see what I see when I watch showjumping or eventing or dressage,” he says.
For the past 16 years Hansen has given his all to entertain and educate people about the wonders of horses. 2015 marks the 17th consecutive show in Hawke’s Bay – it’s also the year he and wife Sue pack up and head to Sydney to start a new phase of their life.
There will be many highlights this year – from the return of two-time HOY Eventer of the Year, Olympian and World Champs representative Jock Paget, to the first time an international dressage combination have travelled to New Zealand to compete, and the big question as to whether Katie Laurie (nee McVean) can pull off a record-equalling sixth Bostock International Olympic Cup victory.
While it seems impossible to keep introducing new things to the show, Hansen manages to do just that.
Last year’s live streaming proved such a hit all over the world, that’s it back, bigger and better this year.
“This will be one of the highlights of the show,” he says of Equestrian Live’s (www.equestrianlive.co.nz) efforts. “It is a superb service that will be available to those not at the show and can be enjoyed world wide.”
As well as competing in the Land Rover 3* eventing, Paget is also guest speaker at the Plus Four Hall of Fame Gala Dinner, where he will be interviewed by local radio host Ross Holden.
“That’s going to be a great night,” says Hansen of the Hall of Fame dinner. “It’s always a celebration, and it will be fascinating to hear about Jock’s highs and lows of the last couple of years.”
Just who will be inducted into the Hall of Fame – a closely guarded secret – is always eagerly anticipated.
The action in the Land Rover Premier Arena rolls right through the week (March 17-22) with Gerrit Beker (Tauranga) tasked with challenging each and every combination.
This year the Bostock International Olympic Cup is not a qualifier for a World Champs or Olympic Games, so Hansen is hopeful a few more riders will step up to the challenge.
But Hansen says the biggest heroes of the show are those behind the scenes – all 450-plus of them who work tirelessly to ensure everything ticks along. “They are just magnificent,” says Hansen. “Without them, we just wouldn’t have a show.”
WHAT: Farmlands Horse of the Year Show WHERE: Hawke’s Bay Showgrounds WHEN: March 17-22
