CountryLife | 22 September 2017

CountryLife Friday September 22, 2017

CountryLife – 1

SEPTEMBER 2017

A Cambridge News special publication

2 – CountryLife

Friday September 22, 2017

Ceramicist puts the art in earth

This month Country Life chats to local ceramic artist Diane Parker, who recently opened the Spotted Dove Art Studio on Kaipaki Rd.

By Steph Bell-Jenkins Perhaps everyone dreams of having time to pursue their true passion once they’ve put in the hard yards to build a career and raise a family.

Ohaupo ceramic artist Diane Parker has been living that dream for the past 10 years and is immensely grateful for it.

“It’s just such a pleasure to be able to sit quietly and just enjoy, without having the pressures of the past to contend with,” she says of the artist’s lifestyle that affords her time to relax and soak up inspiration while her clay pots dry in the sun.

“It’s quite a privilege, it really is. It’s a lovely thing. It wasn’t always like this but now it is and it’s just wonderful.”

Today, on the first Monday in September, Diane is seated at her potter’s wheel under the eaves of the Spotted Dove Art Studio on Kaipaki Rd, a purpose-built space where she creates, exhibits and sells her work.

“What an amazing day!” she exclaims, admiring the blue sky as her dog Elly May, napping on the swing seat

beside her, lazily lifts an eyelid.

Diane’s gaze returns to the wheelhead, where her skilled hands are tenderly shaping a spinning pot, thick brown clay oozing between her fingers as she works.

You can see in her face how lucky she feels to be here, on this spring day, doing what she loves.

At her Kaipaki Rd lifestyle block, a stone’s throw from The Olde Creamery Cafe, doves roost in the gardens and cows graze in the green fields beyond.

The peace of the Ohaupo countryside is broken only by birdsong, and the occasional, gentle swish of a passing car.

Inside Diane’s airy studio, her work ranges from the sculptural to the functional.

Bright green, white and rust-red stars hang from the walls on beaded wires, fiery lava spills over a glinting black “rock formation vase” and a sumptuously-curved, sculptured woman glances casually out the window.

“When you walk into my studio there’s just such a strong feeling and a sense of this is what I love doing,” she said.

“And I think other people tend to respond to that as well.”

Although Diane is quick to point out her art isn’t everyone’s cup of tea.

“Some people will come in here and drift through within minutes and exit and that’s really neat to watch that, it shows the diversity of people in the community. Whereas other people will come in and be drawn to a specific form, or the smooth-shiny or the figurative or yeah...it’s interesting to watch.

“Someone might come in and say do I have to take my shoes off and I’ll say heck no, come in, come in. And somebody else might say there’s stuff all over the floor. Well that stuff is clay and that’s fine, it’s a studio. It’s not a gallery, it’s actually a working studio and I think that’s my point of difference.

“When you visit, you’re actually coming into my work space and so a lot of the objects that are here are my own collection – my own library and my resource books and idea pieces.”

Diane describes her style as organic, grunty and earthy.

She has always loved clay, always felt destined to make art from it.

“You just know, don’t you?” she said.

“It’s just a delight to work with. I guess I love its earthiness. It’s very tactile. For me, because I’m a tactile

person, I enjoy – like any craftsperson – working with my hands.

“Some people don’t like clay; they don’t enjoy the feel of it. They find when it dries on their skin they don’t enjoy that powdery feeling, or they find it cold, but I don’t. I like everything about working with clay. Its diversity is amazing.

“You can move from a simple, beautiful little pinch bowl through to a wonderfully made vessel or a dinner set, from huge sculptures down to tiny little beads. And then there’s the umbrella of surface treatments and all the types of firing available.

“But every piece is a teaching, given they are objects being produced. Every

CountryLife – 3

Friday September 22, 2017

piece you make, you learn from it and you carry it forward.”

Diane’s love affair with the medium dates back to childhood.

“I suppose at school I’d always had an interest in art, particularly clay and ceramic,” she said.

“And when opportunities presented themselves I would go to the odd night school because they used to be quite a big thing back in the late 80s, early 90s, while I was working as an administrator.”

Before moving to Ohaupo eight years ago, Diane and her husband Peter owned and operated an engineering business in Hamilton.

Diane ran the administrative side of the company and thoroughly enjoyed working with her husband while raising their son.

Then, in 2007, an opportunity to sell the business arose and they grabbed the chance to completely change their lifestyle.

“We thought why not, so we did,” Diane said.

While Peter spent two years helping the new owner transition into the business, by chance Diane met someone doing Otago School of Art’s Diploma of Ceramic Arts, facilitated through the Waikato Society of Potters.

“It’s quite amazing how these things happen,” Diane said.

“He introduced me to the coordinators and so I sort of rocked up and away I went. It was fantastic.

I had the privilege of being tutored by some very talented and generous career ceramicists and production potters and that exposure actually put down the foundation stones for me to then move in whatever direction I felt like pursuing, which is pretty lucky.”

During Diane’s four years of parttime study, she and Peter bought a one-acre (4000m²) “paddock” on Kaipaki Rd and built a studio complete with a showroom area, kiln room, storeroom and bathroom – and an attached workshop for Peter.

Six months later they built a new home and planted vegetable gardens

and an orchard.

During that time Diane became heavily involved with the Waikato Society of Potters, entering exhibitions, holding workshops and working as a tutor. She served as president for four years and also had a stint as treasurer.

“They’re a fantastic organisation.

I’m still a member but I decided almost two years ago that I wanted to spend more time in my own studio and so I just developed my own practice,” she said.

“Although lately I’ve enjoyed doing some lessons and small workshops here, which is really nice.”

Two months ago, keen to share her space, Diane opened her doors to the public with the launch of the Spotted Dove Art Studio.

Very much a people person, she is now relishing the chance to meet with visitors and discuss her art.

“It’s very exciting when I sell my work; it’s very humbling when someone enjoys what you’ve produced and actually wants to take it home with them and enjoy it – that’s really cool,” she said.

Diane’s bright red open flag is flying most days and individuals or groups interested in viewing her work are welcome to call her on 027 710 7667.

Working harder and smarter

Round bale hay and silage, cultivation, crop planting and regrassing specialist, Regal Agriculture, constantly updates equipment to run the most cost-efficient and innovative machinery in the area. The Matangi-based business recently added two new Kuhn Balepack combi round balers. A unique patented 3D wrapping system with barrel wrap enables the machines to produce well-shaped, tightly sealed bales and better quality silage. The small bale kit can make bales as small as 80cm in diameter, which is great for customers wanting flexibility and ease of handling a smaller round bale.

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Regal Agriculture also purchases and sells standing grass, and has two curtain-side truck and trailer units for all bale transport requirements, short or long distance.

For all your agricultural contracting requirements, phone Dan Alderman any time for fast, friendly advice and service.

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4 – CountryLife

Friday September 22, 2017

Balancing the look, layout and style of your kitchen

When it comes to kitchen design, Rachele Simmons-Taling has the style gene. Rachele’s intuitive skill and her wide experience both here in New Zealand and the United States allows her to balance the look, layout and style of a kitchen to achieve a quality outcome.

Together with husband Paul, the couple opened their specialist showroom Berloni New Zealand four years ago in Rotorua.

Lead installer Paul is a licensed building practitioner with 23 years experience in building luxury homes in the United States and New Zealand. Rachele, an interior architect from the United States, focuses on kitchen architectural design and development. She draws on 22 years industry experience and has worked for leading

companies in several US cities.

Berloni serves a niche market. “I believe in quality sustainable product first and foremost and this type of product comes with an associated cost,” says Rachele. “The cabinet lines I have worked with

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Last year, as a first-time entrant, Berloni won the Trends International Design Award for Best Imported Kitchen New Zealand for a luxury Christchurch residence. 2017 saw them receive the Trends International Design Award for Highly Commended Kitchen New Zealand for a kitchen and home remodel in Auckland.

Rachele enjoys designing spaces with emphasis on universal design. She and Paul build strong client relationships, partnering with them throughout the design and installation process.

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CountryLife – 5

Friday September 22, 2017

Super sheep defies laws of nature

By Steph Bell-Jenkins

She is certain the trio are siblings.

“Sheep are notoriously difficult to mother on As any human mother in her right mind will tell another lamb,” she said. you, one pregnancy at a time is quite enough.

“It’s almost impossible, you have to be very But in an eye-popping maternal feat that has lucky and very clever to be able to get them to do left her owners baffled, a Cambridge sheep it – there are ways, but out in the paddock there appears to have defied the laws of biology by she would not have accepted another lamb if she carrying two separate pregnancies at once. hadn’t had it herself.”

“I just couldn’t believe what I was seeing,” said The new-born twins were good weights and local lifestyle block owner Lyndsay Searle of the looked “very normal and healthy”. moment she realised what her three-year-old Unfortunately, the male got sick and died after Romney ewe, Ella, had pulled off. two days, despite Lyndsay’s best efforts to save it.

“I’ve never come across it. We’ve had sheep The female, which has been named Jade, also got for 32 years now and nothing like this has ever sick but recovered. happened, and nobody else I’ve spoken to has Veterinarian Danielle Hawkins from Vetora Te ever heard of it either. I’ve mentioned it in passing Awamutu had never heard of a ewe giving birth to our sheep vets and they were quite surprised; twice in one month. none of them have come across it either.”

“I grew up on a sheep farm, I’ve been a vet for Lyndsay said sheep had three-week heat cycles, 17 years and we’ve been running the family sheep so Ella must have “got pregnant on one cycle and then got pregnant again the following one”.

“The hormones of pregnancy normally would stop her getting pregnant or even ovulating after the first time, so it’s just very, very weird.”

Lyndsay, a former midwife, is further confounded by the fact the twin pregnancy continued for three weeks after the first lamb was born.

“I’ve never even heard of any other animal that this has happened to,” she said.

Lyndsay said she and her daughter were out checking a mob of ewes that had already lambed when they found new-born twins with Ella and her much bigger daughter in the paddock.

Astounded to find the ewe feeding all three despite their obvious age difference, Lyndsay checked her records and confirmed Ella had indeed given birth to a single lamb about three Ellas the wonder ewe with her three lambs. weeks earlier.

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farm for the past 10,” she said.

“I’m not a sheep guru or anything, but it sounds more plausible to me that she picked the first lamb up before she had her own two.

“Although I have heard of dogs having a live puppy a week later than the rest of the litter, which you would also think would be ridiculous, so I don’t like to say it’s totally impossible.”

Country Life contacted Massey University about Ella’s case.

A spokesperson who consulted several lecturers could not confirm if the feat was technically possible. He said the most likely explanation was that a lamb was stolen from another ewe.

However, a story by Luke Kirkeby on the Stuff news website, “A birth ewe would scarcely believe”, documents the case of a South Waikato ewe that gave birth to lambs fewer than three months apart last December.

Photo by Lyndsay Searle

And Country Life found several mentions of similar happenings on overseas Internet forum at www.fwi.co.uk (Famers Weekly), including a post from “HolisticHealth” in March 2010, who wrote: “It’s not too difficult to envisage species with bicornuate uteri i.e. two fairly self-contained ‘limbs’ to the uterus, like sheep and goats, to empty each horn separately some hours, or even a day apart.

“When the distance apart is the length of an oestrous cycle, it is techically known as superfetation…and very rare in farm animals.

“When I was working as a vet in Yorkshire, a pig farmer showed me a sow that had given birth to a single piglet, then exactly three weeks later gave birth to several more – all healthy.”

Online encyclopaedia Wikipedia defines superfetation as “the simultaneous occurrence of more than one stage of developing offspring in the same animal”.

“In mammals, it can occur only where there are two uteri, or where the estrous cycle continues through pregnancy.”

Country Life contacted Massey University about Ella’s case.

A spokesperson who consulted several lecturers could not confirm if the feat was technically possible.

However, a local veterinarian had heard of it happening in cows.

A story by Luke Kirkeby on the Stuff news website, “A birth ewe would scarcely believe”, documents the case of a South Waikato ewe that gave birth to lambs fewer than three months apart last December.

If you have heard a story similar to Ella’s, Lyndsay would love to hear it. Please email steph@cambridgenews.nz with the details.

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6 – CountryLife

Friday September 22, 2017

Grass growth bucks the trend

By Steph Bell-Jenkins

At a time when many farmers are struggling with feed shortages, St Peter’s School’s Owl Farm in Cambridge has experienced phenomenal grass growth.

Demonstration manager Louise Cook said it was difficult to pinpoint why the farm had produced an average of 3.4 tons of dry matter per hectare over the season to date – about 1.5 tons per hectare more than the same time last year.

“We’re quite surprised by the amount of grass we’ve grown and we’re very grateful to be in this situation because it’s been quite tough for a lot of farmers. People are really battling.”

Milk production per cow is up at the farm as a result.

“Last year cows spent three days doing 2kg of milk solids per cow; this year we’ve spent six weeks well above 2kg per cow, so being able to feed them better has been of real value,” Louise said.

“We can only speculate on how the grass growth has been so good. One thing we know is that we’ve had sufficient feed on hand that we’ve been able to keep cows well fed on pasture and supplements and we’ve observed that cows have been content and aren’t roaming the paddocks and doing more damage.

“And because we’ve had more pasture cover we’ve had large leaf areas to maximise growth opportunities. Big leaf area means you can grow much more grass.”

Grass was one of the key talking points at Owl

Milk production per cow is up at Owl Farm.

Farm’s quarterly focus day last Wednesday, which attracted about 150 farmers and related industry professionals.

Owl Farm is a joint venture demonstration farm between St Peter’s School and Lincoln University, giving Waikato farmers access to world class information and resources.

Its focus days give farmers a chance to meet, network and share ideas while learning how the farm is working towards sustainable, profitable dairying.

In a highlight last Wednesday, St Peter’s year 10 student Ryan Wisnewski updated farmers on his science fair project, which showed Owl Farm’s wetlands were “highly effective” at removing nitrates from water, Louise said.

“The wetlands are there to mitigate nitrogen

losses from groundwater and the research so far indicates they’re taking about 90 per cent of the nitrogen out, which is huge.

“The longer the water stays in the wetlands, the more chance it’s got to lose nitrogen, and it’s actually staying in there longer than is deemed necessary, so that’s fantastic. We only know this because of Ryan’s hard work and monitoring – it’s great to see young New Zealanders doing some incredible investigations in environmental care.”

Owl Farm’s plan to integrate plantain into spring pastures was also discussed at the focus day.

“There is compounding research that is showing plantain is a vital piece of the puzzle in helping mitigate nitrate losses from cows,” Louise said.

“Research has shown it is massively beneficial and potentially in multiple ways. We’re looking

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Friday September 22, 2017

at Owl Farm

CountryLife – 7

Not just a tractor shop

at getting in on the ground floor and looking at ways of integrating it into our system. Our job is to figure out how to get plantain established and thriving on Owl farm.”

Owl Farm’s next workshop is scheduled for November 27.

In the meantime, anyone is welcome to take part in its farm walks every Tuesday at 11am, where the team is happy to swap advice and information.

“The granularity of what we’re doing is something we’re willing to share and discuss,” Louise said.

Visit www.owlfarm.nz.

St Peter's School student Ryan Wisnewski presented his science fair project to 150 focus day attendees.

Owl Farm demonstration manager Louise Cook runs a workshop at the focus day.

Owl Farm Management Committee Chairman Martin Bennett talks strategy.

Ben Peters (left) and Jared Drummond.

Waikato Tractors is not your run-of-themill tractor dealership, nor is it a sales-driven business. The privately owned company is all about service. Whether you’re a professional farmer or contractor, a lifestyler or someone with a giant lawn to mow, the team at Waikato Tractors will go out of their way to help you find the right machine for the job.

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8 – CountryLife

Friday September 22, 2017

Equidays 2017 enters home stretch

Equidays organisers are nearing the finish line as they make their final preparations for next month’s hugely popular event.

Event manager Ammie Hardie said Equidays 2017 was set to be the best and biggest yet, with organisers expecting more than 25,000 visitors to converge on Mystery Creek from October 13-15.

The event will provide a chance to watch and learn from some of the equine world’s biggest names, with 16 high-calibre local and international coaches arriving to run public clinics.

Meanwhile, for those who simply love horses, three night shows will showcase some of the country’s best riders and acts.

“I think this year we’ve definitely added a lot to the show,” Ammie said.

“We have a new off-road challenge based on the American sport of extreme cowboy racing, and the mounted games. This is an incredibly fun and different discipline, which is a bit like Top Town but with horses, and it’s really exciting to watch.

“We’ve also got more internationals than ever before.”

The event’s world-class clinicians include sixtime Olympic dressage rider Kyra Kyrklund and her husband Richard White, world championship Dutch show jumping coach Rob Ehrens, Texan

television cowboys Craig and Cole Cameron, top-level dressage judge Isobel Wessels, Swedish eventing coach Eric Duvander, Australian entertainer Dan Steers, horsemanship trainer Warwick Schiller and accomplished cutting and reining rider Justin Colquhoun.

“We work with some of the top riders and professionals to help us bring in those big names,” Ammie said.

“There is a very strong emphasis on the educational element of the show, so it’s important to have the best coaches who are creating the equine world’s top sportspeople.”

Competitions and demonstrations will also run

each day, with prestigious Grand Prix dressage and show jumping events to be contested on Friday evening.

Other disciplines to feature include showing, vaulting, cutting, polocrosse and natural horsemanship.

Equidays’ event ambassadors are the Wilson Sisters – Vicky, Kelly and Amanda – who show jump at a top level in New Zealand.

“They also do a lot of work taming wild horses, including the Kaimanawas in New Zealand, the Brumbies in Australia and the Mustangs in America and they have saved thousands of horses from slaughter every year,” Ammie said.

“This year they’re running the Top Talent competition, so they’ve asked New Zealand for audition tapes showing what people can do with their pony or horse. These acts will feature in our Sunday night show.”

Equidays will also boast more than 200 specialised equine exhibitors.

“It’s a great opportunity having these exhibitors all in one place – lots of people save their shopping especially for Equidays,” Ammie said.

This year, for the first time ever, the NZ National Fieldays Society is taking a slice of the event to Christchurch with the launch of Equidays South Island Edition (October 21-22).

“As a society we’ve never actually taken any of our events offsite, so we’re very excited about making it available to people in Christchurch and surrounding areas,” Ammie said.

“We’ve had lots of excited South Islanders; the ticket sales are tracking phenomenally down there. It’s also a huge opportunity for the exhibitors to showcase their products to another audience.”

Pictured left: Equidays’ 2017 ambassadors, the Wilson Sisters.

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Friday September 22, 2017

Show jumping legend heads to Cambridge New Zealand riders will have a chance to learn from one of the biggest names in world show jumping next month, with Dutch coach Rob Ehrens (pictured) heading to Equidays to share his wealth of knowledge.

“Rob is widely considered one of the very best show jumping coaches in the world – he’s incredible at what he does – so he’s a huge catch for us,” said event manager Ammie Hardie.

“Rob’s own riding career was exemplary.

He competed for the Netherlands at the 1988 Seoul Olympics, he’s taken part in five European Championships and four World Cup Finals, and he won the Grand Prix of Calgary

before finishing his career riding Celano at Hickstead in 2001.”

Show jumping is an English discipline that involves jumping a course of fences inside an arena.

Rob, who took the Dutch show jumping team to silver at the London Olympics in 2012 and gold at the 2014 World Equestrian Games, will be running numerous coaching clinics at Equidays and training all of New Zealand’s national squads.

“Helping the equine industry grow through these educational opportunities is a huge driver for Equidays in bringing out these big-name clinicians,” Ammie said.

CountryLife – 9

“Being so isolated from the rest of the world, we don’t have a lot of chances to train with some of these world class people.”

Numerous show jumping competitions will run throughout Equidays, right up to Grand Prix level.

“The Grand Prix is part of Equidays’ Friday night show and is a very prestigious and popular class that some of the crème de la crème of New Zealand riders will contest,” Ammie said.

Rob will also be taking some one-on-one coaching sessions with riders before heading to Equidays South Island Edition, which runs from October 21-22.

Ride ‘em cowboy!

Equidays is introducing a new competition based on American extreme cowboy racing this year – the Isuzu D-Max Off-Road Challenge.

“This takes its inspiration from a fast-growing sport called cowboy challenge, a Western discipline where horse and rider complete an off-road course while overcoming a variety of tricky obstacles,” said Equidays event manager Ammie Hardie.

“Competitors will be doing things like crossing bridges and opening gates – the idea is to prepare them for what they might find out on the ranch.

“It will take a very trusting horse to get through all the obstacles and that’s the idea, it really tests the horse’s confidence, training and trust, and the communication between horse and rider.”

Texan cowboy Craig Cameron will judge the challenge with his son Cole.

“Craig actually invented the sport, so it’s a huge

coup to get these guys coming,” Ammie said.

“They feature on a very popular American television show where they teach horsemanship.

Picture a true Texan cowboy and that’s these guys, they’re just fantastic.”

The challenge will run over three days, with the top 10 entrants from Friday and Saturday going through to Sunday’s championship round.

Youth division rounds will be happening at 11am Friday, 4.15pm Saturday and 2pm Sunday at the Isuzu D-Max Offroad Arena, while the rookie division will run at 4.15pm Friday, 3pm Saturday and 11am Sunday. Open division rounds will be held at 1pm Friday, 2pm Saturday and 3pm Sunday.

Craig and Cole will also by running educational clinics and demonstrations for the public at the arena from Friday to Sunday.

Texan cowboy Craig Cameron and his son Cole will be teaching at Equidays 2017.

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10 – CountryLife

Friday September 22, 2017

Dressage stars to coach at Equidays

Riders and members of the public alike will have an opportunity to learn from one of the world’s best dressage coaches at Equidays 2017.

Six-time Olympian Kyra Kyrklund, originally from Finland and now based in the UK, will be

running coaching and education sessions at this year’s event, along with her husband Richard White, a well-known coach and trainer in his own right.

Dressage is an Olympic discipline that involves

Kyra Kyrklund from Finland.

Photo supplied by Equidays

horse and rider performing a series of precise movements, while being judged on correctness, elegance and harmony.

Riders from around New Zealand had already applied and been chosen to take part in the clinics, Equidays event manager Ammie Hardie said.

“We always have huge numbers of people keen to ride in these things,” she said.

“To ride in front of a coach like Kyra is an incredible opportunity for our country’s dressage riders. She is world famous for her approach and has produced many different horses and riders to the very top level of the sport.”

Kyra will talk through her techniques with members of the public while coaching the demonstration riders.

“It’s a fantastic, hands-on way to learn,” Ammie said.

Isobel Wessels, one of the world’s most highly qualified dressage judges, will also be at this year’s Equidays teaching from both a judge’s and rider’s perspective.

“Isobel is from the UK and has a lifetime of experience judging, coaching and riding at a high level,” Ammie said.

Isobel will also be teaching at the Wade Equine Coaches Festival of Dressage, a special “preEquidays feature” at Mystery Creek on Thursday evening (October 12).

“This is a celebration of the discipline, also involving a Kyra Kyrklund masterclass and a Grand Prix competition that will serve as a qualifying class to the 2018 World Equestrian Games in the USA next year,” Ammie said.

Held every four years, the games are “bigger than the Olympics for equestrians”.

“They’re like the Rugby World Cup of the horse

world; they’re massive,” Ammie said.

“So to have a qualifying opportunity for our dressage riders to represent New Zealand next year at that event is huge for us and it’ll be the best of the best taking part.

“There are very few of these opportunities in Australasia, so having one at Equidays makes it that much more attainable for people not having to travel to Australia.”

Auckland rider Wendi Williamson, who has just returned home from representing New Zealand at the World Cup finals in America, will be one of the riders attempting to qualify for next year’s World Equestrian Games at Equidays.

A Grand Prix Spectacular will also feature in Equidays’ Friday night show.

also has two tickets to

Equidays’ Sunday Night Show worth $25 each.

Just send an email to claire@cambridgenews.nz answering the question ‘Who are the Equidays event’s ambassadors?’

Competition closes 5pm, Friday September 29, 2017. Winners will be drawn at random, no responsibility accepted for misdirected entries.

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CountryLife – 11

Friday September 22, 2017

Night show performers set to wow audiences Equidays’ night shows are perfect for horse-mad families and anyone keen for a fun evening out, featuring an action packed line-up of Australasian entertainers.

Saturday night’s Equitainment Extravaganza at 6.30pm will star Dan Steers from Double Dan Horsemanship in Australia, who will perform a fire show with his horse Double Image.

“The Saturday show is a lot of fun, with a variety of performances that show the amazing things you can do with horses,” said Equidays event manager Ammie Hardie.

“Dan’s wife Pia Steers is also coming to do a Roman riding display, which involves riding more than one horse at a time. It will be her first time performing in New Zealand and I don’t think we’ve ever seen anything like it here before.”

The Saturday show features several other drawcards, including a display of gymnastics on horseback set to music from Phantom of the Opera by athletes from Kapiti Vaulting, who are aiming to represent New Zealand at the World Equestrian Games in North Carolina next year.

“You’ll see them doing handstands on the

horses’ backs and flipping off them – it’s amazing to watch,” Ammie said.

Also taking the stage will be adagio dancing duo Silhouette, runners up in the New Zealand’s Got Talent television show. The husband and wife team’s repertoire includes “towering lifts, fast spins and artistic choreography set to inspiring music pieces”.

“We also have a challenge between scurry ponies and quad bikes, and an appearance from our Equidays ambassadors, the Wilson Sisters, which is sure to be a highlight,” Ammie said.

The Sunday night show, kicking off at 4.30pm to cater for younger audience members, will feature a Top Talent show hosted by Amanda Wilson.

The Wilson Sisters have been sifting through audition videos to select the best acts by amateur and professional horse trainers all over the country, who will attempt to wow and entertain the crowd to win a share of $5000.

“I’ve seen some of the auditions and it’s been awesome to see what New Zealand can come up with,” Ammie said.

“The girls describe it as a real ‘no rules’ competition, so they’ve had a huge amount of variety in the performances they’ve received.

We’ve got miniature horses, ponies and draft horses – it’s a real variety show.”

Friday night’s Grand Prix Spectacular will see some of New Zealand’s best horses and show jumping riders battle it out in the indoor arena.

Later, the top six dressage combinations from

the previous night’s big class will go head to head in a Grand Prix level freestyle competition set to music.

“These riders will be attending Thursday night’s Wade Equine Coaches Festival of Dressage with the intent of qualifying for the 2018 World Equestrian Games, so the six combinations will be the best of the best,” Ammie said.

Tickets are available now at equidays.co.nz.

Pia Steers' Roman riding display will feature in an Equitainment Extravaganza.

Australian entertainer Dan Steers will be at this year's Equidays.

Young riders flock to Mystery Creek Equidays’ hugely popular Youth Camp will again attract riders from all over New Zealand.

“We always have three times as many applications as we can actually take for that – probably more actually – so it’s a staple on a lot of people’s calendars,” event manager Ammie Hardie said.

The camp is for riders aged 18 and under, who stay for three days to attend seminars, ride in clinics and “just generally get amongst all the excitement that is Equidays”.

“It’s a really neat opportunity for them,” Ammie said.

Youth camp will run at the main event at Mystery Creek and at Equidays South Island edition in Christchurch from October 21-22.

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12 – CountryLife

Friday September 22, 2017

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