Equestrian: Wanganui Adult Riding Club come second at North Island Teams Event

The Wanganui Adult Riding Club had their best result so far at the North Island Teams Event (NITE) in Foxton earlier this month.

The six-woman team competed against 15 other clubs that are part of the NZ Riding Clubs & Bridleways of New Zealand Inc, in six phases of team horse events over January 4-5.

They finished runnerup at Foxton Racecourse, an improvement on their previous best finish when they came third overall in Hastings in 2018.

Spokesman Paul Harrison said the team had been practicing and fundraising for over six months for the event, having entered NITE for the last four years.

One of the phases which requires the most practice is the Quadrille, a dressage event for teams of four riders.

Teams have to come up with a theme for horses and riders to wear costumes, then choreograph a music routine.

The Wanganui club chose the movie Sister Act and performed as nuns, placing second in the phase.

They also got third placings in Games and Rescue Relay, came fourth in Formation Jumping and Riding Club Mount, and eighth in Working Hunter.

Accumulated points meant Wanganui just finished runnerup to the Le Trec NZ club from Wellington, who were at their inaugural NITE and had phase results of three first placings, two seconds, a sixth and an 11th.

Kapiti Riding Club hosted the event to mark the 40th anniversary of the NZ Riding Clubs (NZRC), of which local Brian Pyke was a founding member and instrumental in getting NITE underway.

The Wanganui team consisted of club president Stacey Houlahan, riding Charlie, vice president Melanie McGovern (Zarla), Kelsey Harrison (Roman), Lynette O'Leary (Herb), Susan Cameron (Mia) and Molly Milne (Wonder Jump).