Hunua horses

27/04/2024

Good advice!

27/04/2024

Something to aspire to!

27/02/2024

This is where your money goes folks!

Sponsors are VITAL to the running of events. This visual is from Auckland Manukau Dressage Group and shows the breakdown of the average costs to run ONE class at a premier league dressage show. You can see how much of those costs sponsorship covers. Would you pay upwards of $100 per class to enter on top of the other fees needed to enter? I think not.
Why is it then riders are so hopeless at contacting sponsors to say thank you?
I have just recently sponsored a big show and at the time of writing this post, I haven't heard from a single rider. I have seen a couple of posts where I have been tagged which is super cool cos I love photos! There may have been more but FB tagging is hit and miss at the best of times so I may have missed them. Instagram seems much more reliable with regards to tagging notifications.
I don't do it for the thanks, I do it to give back to a sport I enjoy and the clubs I support BUT like anyone, it's nice to know it is appreciated by the people it's helping otherwise it's hard not to wonder sometimes, why do I bother. I know, and have heard from other businesses, that because no appreciation is shown, they don't do it again. Because I have to pick and choose, I can't say yes to everyone, I've said no to shows where I've got no acknowledgement for my investment. Nothing from riders and very, very little from OC's.

What more can be done do you think to get riders to take 5 - 10 minutes to fire off a thank you message to sponsors? I'd love to hear your thoughts.
I know a lot of OC's do most of the following:
Reminding riders in the riders notes
Reminding riders on their FB groups
Reminding riders over the speaker and at prize giving
Providing cards for riders to sign to send to the sponsor
Providing a contact list that has all the sponsors details

Not sure how to go about thanking sponsors? Check out my blog post called 'How to thank your sponsors'.

21/02/2024

This is great news and totally deserved by Melissa!

Almost two months after the Olympic race for individual quota places ended on 31 December 2023, the FEI has finally confirmed which countries have obtained one of 15 individual slots.

27/01/2024

Good advice!

Good idea 😂
credits: Pinterest

08/12/2023

Puhinui International Horse Trials

04/10/2023

If you ride in the forest or at the beach you need to make your opinion known by completing the survey

𝗣𝗨𝗕𝗟𝗜𝗖 𝗦𝗣𝗔𝗖𝗘𝗦 | 𝗛𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗦𝗮𝘆
Have your say on public spaces for equestrian activities (this includes trails, beaches, parks, forests…) by filling in this 5-minute survey: https://survey.alchemer.com/s3/7169957/National-Equestrian-Community-Have-Your-Say. We want to hear from ALL equestrians across the country to understand about your use, experiences, challenges and opportunities. This will help to provide direction and strengthen our case moving forward. Closes 29 October.
From the National Equestrian Facilities Steering Group
ESNZ Jumping & Show Hunter ESNZ Endurance ESNZ Para-Equestrian ESNZ Eventing New Zealand Pony Clubs
PHOTO: kajetan-sumila-dWFhf0IHe_k-unsplash

24/07/2023

Hard to find your grey horse in the fog.

16/06/2023

Looks like a great opportunity!

Save the date for this exciting Camp!!!

Dressage NZ
Hartstone Equestrian Ltd

10/06/2023

A good article on Stewarding from Carl Hester!

One of Britain’s greatest dressage riders and trainers, Carl Hester MBE on the role stewards play, and why we must appreciate them

11/05/2023

11/05/2023

Royal Windsor Horse Show puissance - meet first-timer Nici Wilson and her ex-eventer Guaranteed Quality who finished equal third

07/05/2023

On the way home now after a great weekend Stewarding at the Wendy Richards memorial Dressage Championship for Dressage Rotorua.

02/05/2023

12/03/2023

A celebration of NZ Eventing season 2022.

The ESNZ HP Eventing Team came together in the UK at the end of 2022 to celebrate a fabulous year. Two bronzes at the Eventing World Championships, 1 and 2 i...

31/12/2022

How do you g*t an extra job like this?

21/12/2022

Any advice on cover repairs? I have a summer cover that has a rip above the leg strap retainer on the side. Needs repairing, my regular person has dissapeared!

13/12/2022

Love this!

In my job as a dressage coach I teach a large number of young riders, and a big percentage of them are teenage girls. I see the wonderful relationship they have with their parents as they are brought to lessons and spend weekends together at shows. It is an expensive and tough sport and I know, also as a parent, the big sacrifices that are made to keep young riders in the sport. I always say that a parent will never regret a moment or a dollar spent in keeping their children in sport, especially this one. This post that I have shared really touches my heart, because the love of horses I believe creates caring, hard working and empathetic people.

13/12/2022

How we used to have fun, back in the day!

08/11/2022

21/10/2022

Cool crisp day in Taupo, Stewards are about to start their day at the BOP Dressage Championship.

12/10/2022

Too cute 😍

12/10/2022

Cleaning up some gorse as a prelude to fencing off our waterways thanks to Topline Fencing & Retaining Ltd.

03/10/2022

Thought provoking article regarding the use of the whip!

https://www.worldhorsewelfare.org/what-we-do/sport-and-leisure-horses/use-of-the-whip-in-racing #:~:text=In%20horseracing%2C%20in%20addition%20to,their%20position%20in%20the%20race.

02/10/2022

No way would my pony cope with this 😍