Clyde Pony Club 'Godfather' easing off the reins

Graham Barkman, of Alexandra, has devoted more than 50 years to the nation's pony clubs and equestrians. Photo: Yvonne O'Hara

Seeing children learn to ride well and compete successfully has led to a 54-year involvement in pony club and equestrian events for Graham Barkman.

In fact, Clyde Pony Club branch call him the 'Godfather', and he has the hat and jacket to prove it.

Now retired in Alexandra, Mr Barkman (86), still teaches riding skills, was involved with the Central Otago Riding for the Disabled group and has been the Clyde Pony Club president for 18 months.

A former crop, sheep and cattle farmer near Drummond, he has been involved with the pony club movement ever since he and his wife Betty's four children were small.

The children all rode their ponies to school and they joined the Otahuti Pony Club in 1964.

''We used to breed our own ponies as the Haeata Pony Stud, and at one point we had 57,'' he said.

He was president and instructor for the Otahuti branch and coached for the Western Southland, Lorneville Makarewa and Central Southland pony club branches.

He was vice-president and president of the Southland Pony Club from 1971 to 1977 and then became district commissioner for Southland from 1978 to 1985.

He is a life member of that organisation and was a delegate to the larger Otago Southland Area organisation for more than 20 years.

In addition, he was elected vice-president and then president of the Otago Southland Area from 1997 to 2003 and was a delegate to the New Zealand Pony Club Association's Committee of Management for 13 years.

At the national level, he spent eight years as the NZPCA's vice-president, and three years as president, from 1999-2002, with a further three years sharing the role.

A ''feather in his cap'' came about when the association's programme to train its riders and teach them horse anatomy and correct feeding etc, attracted the interest of the Ellerslie Racing Club, which adapted it for their riders.

That was then run in all racing clubs in New Zealand.

He was made a life member of the Otago Southland Area in 2008, and then became a life member of the national association in 2014.

''I am the only South Island life member at the moment.''

Mr Barkman was also the manager of the transtasman exchange horse trials team, which competed in Australia in 1991.

He said biosecurity then was far more relaxed.

''We used to do our saddle blankets in a hot wash in the laundry and put an invoice or note on the box [they were packed in] for the [biosecurity] officer to look at.''

He was a dressage judge for many years and remains a show-jumping judge.

He has announced at many A and P Shows and three Horse of the Year shows.

''I was a Springston Trophy guardian for nine years, and the idea of a guardian is to keep the Springston Trophy competition as near as possible to what the instigators [orginally] wanted it to be.

''I am trying to slow down and have recently given up announcing,'' he said.

He had announced at Lake Hayes A and P Show every years since 1972, missing only one during that time for family reasons.

He was also involved in setting up the South Island Showjumping Championships in 2000.
And was involved with the Drummond and district scouts for 14 years.

And just when he thought he would retire from horses altogether, now some of his four great-grandchildren are learning to ride, and they have miniature horses.

After Betty died in 2010, he moved to Alexandra as the couple had made a lot of friends there.

He said he got enormous satisfaction from seeing the children learn to ride well and compete successfully.

When not involved with horses, he gardens and is learning tai chi.

-By Yvonne O'Hara