Horse buyers' bonanza at Matawhero

MIXED SALE: The annual Matawhero horse fair yesterday produced mixed results, with a solid clearance for the unbroken animals, but only half the broken-in horses and ponies went to new homes. Holly Baines (pictured) from Riverside Road parades one of her ponies. One of the three she put up realised the top price in the broken-in section of $2500. Picture by Liam Clayton

A CROWD of several hundred horse and pony buyers from throughout the North Island, along with interested spectators, turned out for the annual horse fair at the Matawhero Saleyards yesterday.

The 90 unbroken horses and about 25 that were broken-in were paraded before a gallery of about 350.

Sales of broken-in animals did not match the size of the turnout, with about half passed in, but there was an almost total clearance of the unbroken animals.

“We sold 14 out of 25 broken-in and almost all of the unbroken stock,” said auctioneer Chris Hurlstone from PGG Wrightson.

“Vendors with realistic reserves were happy with the outcome. The genuine horses made good money.”

The prices ranged from $50 up to a top price of $2550.

A horse from Marika Station at Rere topped the price list in the unbroken category at $2100.

“The rest of the unbroken sold relative to quality,” Mr Hurlstone said.

Holly Baines from Riverside Road had three ponies in the line-up yesterday, and while one sold for $2550, the other two did not reach her reserve price and were passed in.

“The price for my first pony was pleasing and I was hoping the money would be there for my other two as well, but it was not to be.

“You have got to try these things and I was not prepared to move on my reserve price for them because I feel we have to try to bring the market up for this sale.

“I brought the three of them along because I feel the market needs to be higher,” Mrs Baines said.

“There are some good quality horses and ponies coming out of the East Coast, and some champions too.

“We have got to keep this sale going and people need to know that we don’t just have green ponies here. They are good to go with the right jockey.”

It is one of the few horse fairs around New Zealand.

Michele Murphy from Wairoa has been coming to the Gisborne horse fair since she was a child.

“A lot of people just take the day off to come here. It’s quite a social event. We have sold some and we have bought some here over the years, and it gives you an idea what your own horses and ponies are worth.”

It was the place to come for people who wanted horses for trekking, for riding schools or station hacks, she said.

“It’s not the place for the better horses, but certainly a great place to come for other animals, and a great day out for everyone.”