Stephen Muggeridge took a step back in time when he set out for the 2011 New Zealand Horse of the Year Show - much to the delight of many.
The school bus driver opted to trade his usual mode of transport for his team of Clydesdales. They left their Takapau Plains
home on Sunday and are expected to reach reach the Hawke's Bay Showgrounds this afternoon.
Travellers along SH50 have loved seeing the team moseying their way along.
"It's just been brilliant," Mr Muggeridge said.
"There has been so much interest along the way with people saying how beautiful the team look. It's a real bit of nostalgia."
Mr Muggeridge breeds the gentle giants. As well as the five he is driving to the show he has another eight at home. He picked up the mantle from his dad.
"I was born and bred in Taranaki and dad was the last one over there to have the old Clydies, so when he died in 1985 I just carried it on."
The team will be competing at the show in the breed classes with the mares on Saturday as well as the working classes on Sunday. It's nothing out of the ordinary for him either - ploughing and other agricultural work is the norm for this man.
"We did 11 acres for a mate just before Christmas," he said. "When you are sitting on a three furrow ride on a plough with six horses in front of you well ... it's hard to explain. It is something else. You can study the horses as they work."
It's the 100th year celebration of the Clydesdale Society so it seems fitting Mr Muggeridge is heading to New Zealand's most prestigious show this way.
They have covered about 20km a day, a far cry from the the hundreds of kilometres the 800-or-so trucks have covered to transport most of the remaining 2600-plus competitors to the show.
The week-long Horse of the Year Show began yesterday with the first of the premier classes, the historic Bomac Norwood Gold Cup, on today.
