Tristan Thomas rides Matai Zarité at Defender Horse of the Year Photo by KAMPIC | Kerry
Winner: Matai Zarité
It’s been the season of the superstar mares and one of those to really catch the eye of many has been Tristan Thomas’ Matai Zarité.
The winner of the ESNZ Eight-Year-Old Series was bought by Tristan as a 15-month-old from breeder Carin de Groot. The mare, who is by Euro Sport Centavos out of Matai Perigree Moon, who is by Corofino II, has come successfully through the age group series, including winning the National Seven-Year-Old Championship and series.
“She’s been produced carefully and properly,” says 26-year-old Tristan, a chemistry and physics teacher at Rotorua Boys’ High School. “She is extremely confident, very rideable and consistently jumps large tracks effortlessly.”
Tristan rides her with minimal and simple gear, including no kick out boots, a loose cavesson bridle and full cheek snaffle. He doesn’t use a martingale or spurs on her.
“Zari has had an outstanding season,” says Tristan. Her list for the season is impressive, placing in all six of her Horse Grand Prix starts including her first win, placing third in the Silver Fern Stakes and sixth in the Olympic Cup at the Defender Horse of the Year Show, was the top performing eight-year-old at the National Young Horse Show, fourth in the Silver Tour Final at the Takapoto Classic, entered into the elite mare stud book and winning the Eight-Year-Old Series by a massive margin. The combination only stepped up to Grand Prix this season.
Their efforts have not gone unnoticed and Tristan has fielded a lot of interest in the mare, from both on and offshore. “Although many people would think I am crazy not selling her, 15 years ago I was that little kid sitting in the grandstand in awe of all those jumping in the Premier Arena (at HOY),” he says. “The Norwood Gold Cup, Silver Fern Stakes and Olympic Cup seemed an impossible goal then so to be able to compete at this level is a dream come true. I have the most incredible teammate in Zari and she owes us absolutely nothing. I think I would find it extremely difficult to part ways with my girl.”
Zari is 16HH but in her mind she’s far bigger. “She doesn’t know she’s small,” says Tristan. “She has a lot of power, is exceptionally scopey, is careful and has the biggest heart. She believes she can jump anything and has a lot of confidence. I am not the smallest or shortest rider but she carts me around effortlessly.”
Tristan is already looking forward to next season including, all things going well, a World Cup start. “We have to assess how her fitness is and how she is feeling and will then make a more certain plan closer to the time. Being just eight, she has a huge future ahead and it would be nice to regularly compete at World Cup height.”
Results –
Tristan Thomas (Rerewhakaaitu) Matai Zarité 62 points 1, Tara Gower (Cambridge) Riverhills Legend 38 2, Logan Massie (Dannevirke) Adele 13 14 3, Oliver Croucher (Cambridge) Takapoto Koru 8 4.
Diana Dobson
May 2025