Students get close-up look at Horse of the Year

TENT CITY: Tents are being set up for Horse of the Year, at the Hawke's Bay Showgrounds, Hastings. PHOTO/Paul Taylor.

Young business students will get the chance to see first hand how The Farmlands Horse of the Year Show benefits the region.

Some local high schools have been invited to the show with Karamu High School and Havelock North High School booking in a trip.

Havelock North High School's business studies teacher Rachel Hulls will take 12 students to the event who will be looking at the show from a business angle.

"They are doing very low level study on the impact of the show on Hawke's Bay," Ms Hulls said.

"They are very interested in seeing first-hand how much benefit the region gets."

Those in the trade area could expect a few questions from the teens.

"None of those coming have ever been to the show at all, so have little understanding of just how big it is. I think they will be blown away by what they see and how important it is to our community from a business point of view."

Karamu High School Year 12 dean and English teacher Emma Wiggins will be taking students to the show and hopes to increase the presence of equestrian sport within the school.

"We are a fairly urban school and we are keen to build the sport of equestrian," Ms Wiggins said.

The school has a handful of "committed equestrians" and the students heading to the show are mostly riders. Karamu also has two students competing at HOY and the visiting group are hoping to see Hunter Durrant and Kate Browning in action, as well as former pupil Melody Matheson who continues to do well in showjumping.

Karamu offers equestrian studies as a correspondence course.

"This is an opportunity to support those riding at HOY and encourage the others."

Ms Wiggins said the students were keen to see behind the scenes and looked forward to meeting some of their equestrian idols, including the Wilson Sisters of popular television show, Keeping up with the Kaimanawas fame, and Olympian Maurice Beatson.

Plans are afoot to extend the invitation to more schools next year.