Editorial: Horse of the Year show set to shine

Horse of the Year is riding into town this week. Photo / File

Even if you're not a horsey type you can easily pick up on all things equestrian descending on Hastings.

Rovers of the Land and Range varieties are cruising the streets - as too are the tweed and moleskins found on the glossy pages of Horse & Hound.

Yes Horse of the Year begins in earnest tomorrow and hundreds are expected to witness the wonderful spectacle that'll play out at Tomoana Showgrounds.

I've always respected those who organise the largest equestrian event in the southern hemisphere; the logistics must make it one of the toughest gigs to get here, and to get right.

Thing is, to the great unwashed, including me, a horse always looks so much nicer without someone on its back. They look tolerant but agitated - a half-ton of muscle ready to throw whoever straddles their spine.

A horse with a rider atop loses its beautiful lines; its contours are lost and the beauty reigned in.

But the flipside is that, unlike camels, their shape lends itself to passengers.

That's why we've been doing it for a rather long time. One estimate claims that horses were first ridden approximately 3500BC.

Hence equestrian is steeped in tradition and has become the wonderful art form that we'll see during the next six days at the showgrounds.

Event manager Dave Mee said a number of new features had been introduced this year to raise the bar for competitors and broaden the appeal for punters.

So for anyone who hasn't been I'd suggest get down and get amongst it. There's an amazing week coming up.