Equestrian: Horse and pony riders enjoy 'new normal' at three-day event in Hastings

Nina Sutherland, from Northland but now in Hawke's Bay, riding Tennessee Waltz at the showgrounds in Hastings on Friday. Photo / Paul Taylor

Three days of horse and pony events have ended successfully in what Northern Hawke's Bay Pony Club chair Lara Baker says is now well established "new normal" amid the cancellation of A and P shows because of the coronavirus pandemic.

More than 300 horses and their riders competed in the championships held despite the cancellation of the Hawke's Bay A and P Show, one of at least seven pre-Christmas show cancellations in the lower North Island.

"I didn't see a lot of the competition," Baker said. "The biggest part for us was sticking to all the rules and regulations, it takes a lot of hard work to get these horses ready, so they can compete."

The sport has over the past 18 months become used to shows staged in alert level 2 conditions and it has become "the new normal for us", she said.

The show started with dressage events on Wednesday and horse and pony riding and jumps were held on Thursday and Friday.