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Horowhenua

Region: Wellington
Website: http://www.horowhenuadressage.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/111157865881874/

We are a locally run dressage group in the Horowhenua District in the Lower North Island of New Zealand.
We presently have around 60 current members.
We aim to provide rider training and education, and hold training/non registered shows and registered shows throughout the year. We cater for the rider just starting out in dressage through to the rider competing at advanced level.

In around 1989/90, the late Fred Barnes got together a group of enthusiasts and formed the Horowhenua Dressage Group. Informal dressage competitions were held at the Ohau Pony Club grounds usually on a Wednesday night.

In 1991, Margaret Harris called a meeting at Ferndale and it was agreed to officially form a Horowhenua Dressage Group as a sub group of Wellington Dressage. Some of the first members who are still actively involved are Kaye Emeny, Carol Bloomfield, and Cathy Devenport.

The first President of the Group was Margaret Harris (now a life member); and the first Treasurer was Karen Trotter (at present, President of Dressage N.Z.)

In the early days four tournaments a year were held, usually at Levin Showgrounds although a couple of the first ones were held at Otaki Racecourse and a winter series of five ribbon days held at Waikanae Park. Members also helped out Dressage Wellington when they hosted the North Island Dressage Champs at Trentham racecourse by travelling down and erecting the arenas.

Now there are two tournaments a year, both held at Foxton Racecourse as the ground conditions there are suitable for all year round use and there is no risk of cancellation due to ground conditions. We also hold a series of practice days for various Levels    at  Waikanae Park on the sand arena during the Winter Months.  These are proving very popular with large numbers of entries necessitating having 2 divisions in Level 1.  Musical freestyles were introduced in 2011 and these gave riders a chance to practise their tests.

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