DIANA DOBSON
David Kirk has more than a passing interest in horses. The only All Black captain to have triumphantly hoisted the World Cup trophy above his head is also part owner of New Zealand Performance Horses - one of the rising stars of the national showjumping breeding industry.
Kirk, who was awarded the MBE in 1987, is the guest speaker at the Bomac-sponsored formal evening at the Hawke's Bay Opera House on Saturday night. More than 300 people quickly snapped up tickets to the event, leaving plenty wishing they had been better organized.
It will undoubtedly be a night to remember - with interesting tales in store from Kirk, a Rhodes Scholar, medical doctor and chief executive of Fairfax Media.
The Sydney-sider has been involved with NZPH since its inception in 1992. He was playing polo at the time and by chance met Warwick Hansen, another partner in the breeding operation, and chairman of the HOY Show.
Attracted by the logic of the concept - to bring into New Zealand semen from the best Selle Francais showjumpers in France and produce specific bred horses for Kiwis.
"It made a lot of sense," says Kirk, who has since given up his polo. It has been a long road, but finally New Zealand - and those behind NZPH - are starting to see the results with a number shining through in the age group classes and making their presence felt at grand prix level.
"We are breeding very high quality horses," says Kirk. They have fastidiously built up their mare herd to around 40 - including five fillies imported from France in the early days of the business venture. The best female stock are put back into the mare herd.
NZPH is constantly re-evaluating its herd to ensure only the best are kept.
This year they had 30 foals, with 24 back into foal for the coming season.
"Once you get to that scale, then you are building enough horses of quality."
Kirk and his partners have learnt plenty over the years.
"We've made mistakes but we're improving all the time." He can't fathom why others don't cash in on their expertise.
"Why people insist on that very hit-and-miss way of breeding a showjumper is beyond me," he says. "I am absolutely bemused people will spend $2000 to $3000 on a hit-and-miss breeding campaign without looking at what is available and the caliber of those bloodlines."
Kirk said any breeding programme that relied on getting lucky with a horse off the track and taking it to a New Zealand or imported stallion where they may get lucky was just too uncertain.
New Zealand needed to have its own critical mass of top quality horses right here.
He was looking forward to coming "home" for the 2007 HOY Show.
"The show has got better and better."
With so much experience to draw on, it is guaranteed those lucky enough to hear Kirk talk at the formal function are in for a treat.
He's not giving too many clues, aside to say it will involve New Zealand, what it means to be an expat, the media, horse breeding and - "if anyone wants to hear it" - a bit about rugby.
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