Nine-year-old Skye Stevenson with her pet Pixie and her massively upgraded pony poo stand. Photo / Peter de Graaf
Nine-year-old Skye Stevenson with her pet Pixie and her massively upgraded pony poo stand. Photo / Peter de Graaf
A young pony poo entrepreneur expects to be back in business today, two months after vandals trashed her roadside stand in the Bay of Islands.
Nine-year-old Skye Stevenson started bagging and selling pony manure last year from a stand next to State Highway 10, just north of Waipapa, and usedthe proceeds to buy feed for her horse.
She wasn't too upset when people took bags of poo without leaving a gold coin, but she was at a loss to understand when someone smashed up her stand for no apparent reason.
A Facebook post by her mum and a story in the Advocate, followed by an appearance on Seven Sharp, sparked an outpouring of support for Skye.
Skye Stevenson in May when her roadside pony poo stand was destroyed by vandals. Photo / Peter de Graaf
It also prompted the owners of the local Mitre 10 to help the young entrepreneur rebuild.
Skye said ''kind people'' had invited her to the store so she could help design a new pony poo stand. They built and delivered the stand and gave her paintbrushes and paint.
Yesterday Skye and friends were busy painting the stand with the aim of re-opening for business today. She now had three horses so she had plenty of poo bagged and ready to sell, and lots more feed she needed to pay for.
The new stand got a thumbs-up from the keen horse rider.
''I like it. It's got sides and a roof and a lockable money box. And I got to choose the colour, blue is my favourite.''
Nine-year-old Skye Stevenson and friends get to work painting her new pony poo stand. Photo / Peter de Graaf
Mum Chantelle Stevenson said she was grateful for the support her daughter had received.
''The response has been amazing. Mitre 10 rang and said they wanted to help because Skye was part of the Waipapa community. They went the extra mile and included her every step of the way.
''She's been very happy and she can't wait to get back in business.''
A day before the new stand arrived someone quietly rebuilt Skye's old stand from the wreckage left on the roadside, Stevenson said. That was now being used as a shelter for Skye's pet goat.
Mitre 10 Kerikeri marketing co-ordinator Jessica Mathurin said store staff were upset when they heard what had happened to Skye's stand.
''So it was an opportunity for us to help our local community. We're here to help, even if it's something as simple as a pony poo stand.''
