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Home / Whanganui Chronicle

New 'City Slickers' series takes townies on ride to remember

By Liz Wylie
Whanganui Chronicle·
26 Jan, 2015 05:37 PM3 mins to read

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LODGERS: Contestants got to experience a sweat lodge and some horse trekking at Tommy Waara's Raetihi property.PHOTO/LEWIS GARDNER A-130115WCLGHORSES2

LODGERS: Contestants got to experience a sweat lodge and some horse trekking at Tommy Waara's Raetihi property.PHOTO/LEWIS GARDNER A-130115WCLGHORSES2

Take six sassy young city dwellers, put them on horseback and see how well they fare in a rural setting with a rodeo challenge - that is the format for TV show City Slickers.

The first series screened on Maori TV last year and series two will feature Raetihi horse master Tom Waara and his daughter Lisa working with the young people in the Parapara hills.

Series producer Michelle Lee, of Auckland-based company Kapu Ti, said filming of series two has just been completed and the participants and film crew enjoyed their time at the Waaras' property.

"Tommy and his whanau are such amazing horse people - not only did he take the young people trekking, he built a sweat lodge for them to have that experience, too.

"They really enjoyed their time there and the next day they competed in the rodeo at Wairoa."

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Mr Waara said he learned about the sweat lodge experience when he visited the United States and spent time in Dakota with people of the Sioux tribe.

The lodge at Mr Waara's property is built in the traditional style with saplings that are bent to form the walls and roof, a pit in the middle where heated stones are placed and oilskins draped over to enclose it.

"The heat and the fragrances from the burning brushwood is intended to cleanse the body, mind and spirit; you come out of there feeling very good" Mr Waara said.

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Ms Lee, who started Kapu Ti with husband Brent Iremonger five years ago, said the concept for the show came to her when she thought about how much city dwelling teenagers miss out on.

"I am Ngai Tahu, a South Island-born kid, but I grew up on Waiheke Island, where I got to ride horses all the time and I felt sorry for young people growing up in cities who don't get those opportunities.

Kapu Ti also produces Hoiho for Maori TV, a travel series that explores the unique relationship between Maori people and horses.

"I pitched the idea for City Slickers and the first series was such a success, we have been able to produce the second one with Maori Language Commission funding.

"The contestants on the show don't know each other before filming starts and they need to be reasonably fit and fairly fluent in te reo.

"Our main point of difference to other reality shows is that we encourage the participants to support each other to get through the challenges instead of provoking animosity like some other shows do."

The contestants are mentored by kiwi cowboys Tui Teka junior and NZ rodeo veteran Clarry Church, who became a beloved uncle to the contestants during the first series.

Series two of City Slickers will screen on Maori TV in August.

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