Riders from Wairarapa narrowly avoided finishing last at the equestrian North Island Teams Event held for the first time in Masterton at the weekend.
Masterton Adult Riding Club spokeswoman Donna Harley said nine teams comprising 48 riders from across the North Island competed at the NITE equestrian contest held at Solway
Showgrounds with the Hamilton Older Riders Social Equitation team, Sing Stars, taking championship honours overall.
"Due to an unfortunate misunderstanding of the rules by Kapiti Riding Club, they were relegated to last place. So our local team actually came eighth in the competition."
She said there were six individual contest phases comprising the two-day meeting that finished on Saturday, including the presentation of horses and riders in Turnout, Teams Ride basic schooling exercises as called by a caller, Riding Club Mount obstacle course negotiation, fancy dress-themed Quadrille dressage to music, team Cross Country and the Gamblers Stakes Show Jump.
Ms Harley counts as an unqualified success the inaugural Masterton event, which was this year hosted in Wairarapa after the Masterton Adult Riding Club team took out the NITE champs in Taupo last year with riders including Ms Harley, Andrea and Bonnie Parker, Chris Lever, Sonja Garrity and Val Tester.
"NITE is a great event that encourages adult riders to take part in a competition that promotes fun and friendship centred about the team effort and encouraging confidence, horsemanship, and riding skills for all."
