Gourlie saddles up

Maria Gourlie at the Hawke's Bay Showgrounds, where she's stepping out of the boardroom and into the yards to help crank up the Royal New Zealand Show, being held in Hastings October 21-23.

When it became obvious another hand was needed on deck to help market the Royal Show in Hastings, Maria Gourlie was a natural first choice.

Stepping into the role of acting marketing manager ahead of the October 21-23 show, while permanent appointee Anna Hamilton prepares for maternity leave, Mrs Gourlie has run the horse section, which will have more than 2000 entries.

She's ridden at the show, her mother and father rode horses, and teenaged daughter Annabelle will be competing.

A businesswoman in her own right, running event management operation Mediawise, which she started in Gisborne 23 years ago and which she now runs from home on an Okawa lifestyle block, she also has experience at the board table.

Four years ago she became the first woman to serve on the A and P Society's board, an achievement she duplicated this year in joining the board of Hawke's Bay Racing.

While entries for the catalogue closed off last week, entries are still being accepted across most classes of the Wednesday-Friday show, which is expected to attract well over 30,000 people as the Hawke's Bay show becomes a Royal Show for the first time in 12 years.

The feature showjumping event, the first World Cup qualifier, is expected to have at least 12 horses and riders in what is seen as a particularly exciting feature of the show.

"It is the first premier show of the season, and Hawke's Bay does attract the best horse and rider combinations," she said.

A particular attraction for riders is a competition comprising points from the Hawke's Bay show, with those from the Poverty Bay show in Gisborne a week earlier. A $10,000 prize pool is at stake and Mrs Gourlie believes it will help both shows.

The entries, regarded as good across the equestrian sports, along with showing and harness horse classes, are symbolic of the interest across all animal classes of the show, including cattle, where most breed classes will have strong competition.