PRETTY AS A PICTURE: Waverley-owned mare Abalone Pearl won the Ridden Pinto Saddle Hunter of the Year title at the Horse of the Year under regular Dannevirke rider Lauren Dolan. PHOTO/RENAE FLETT
PRETTY AS A PICTURE: Waverley-owned mare Abalone Pearl won the Ridden Pinto Saddle Hunter of the Year title at the Horse of the Year under regular Dannevirke rider Lauren Dolan. PHOTO/RENAE FLETT
Waverley dairy farm worker Alana Vickers was walking on air after her seven-year-old pinto mare won at the Horse of the Year in Hastings last week.
Abalone Pearl, or Maggie as she is known at home, won the Ridden Pinto Saddle Hunter of the Year title under regular rider LaurenDolan from Dannevirke.
"In the morning she was awarded runner-up Inhand Pinto Saddle Hunter of the Year and when they started announcing the Ridden finalists I didn't think she'd made the grade," Vickers said yesterday.
"They begin announcing from sixth up to first and there were a lot of horses entered, even from the South Island, and when they got to third and second I thought we'd missed out. It was an amazing feeling to win at the Horse of the Year - it's huge."
Vickers bought Abalone Pearl just under three years ago and after discovering the mare had a displaced hip sought help from two horse chiropractors and a massage specialist from Stratford.
"I'd never owned a pinto before, but when I saw her I loved the look of her. Friends of mine had actually bought her, but in the end she didn't suit their needs, so I got down there quick smart and bought her myself. Dairy farming didn't allow me to spend time training for the big shows, so I asked Lauren if she could train and ride her. I'd met Lauren before and she is an exceptional rider.
"We plan to do a bit of eventing with her and send her back to the Bay to jump," Vickers said.
