11 April 2014

We are extremely fortunate to be holding two Musical Freestyle Clinics at Stable 88, Matakana. The first one is to be held on Sunday 4th May at 10.00am and the second one on the 8th June. This is a wonderful opportunity to broaden your freestyle knowledge in the comfort of this superb equestrian facility. We advise you to register early for these clinics - for further details click on our website calendar or see our Facebook page.

14 March 2013

Lots of new photos have been added of our lastest dressage day taken by Christine Monaghan of Tetotara Video Warkworth. There are two sections - Part 1 of Training Day 1 and Part 2 of Training Day 1 as there were too many for one file. If you want to upload them to other sites please make sure you credit her as the photographer. Happy viewing and happy riding until our next day.

6/03/11

It was touch and go as to whether today's day would go ahead with overnight rain creating some difficult decision making. The day actually turned out to be not too bad weather wise and with a few scratchings it was all over by mid afternoon. Check out the results and the Summer Series Points. If anyone has any photos they would like to put on the website please do as I hadn't checked the camera's battery and it was flat. Keep an eye on our calendar as I am sure we will be running another popular Unregistered Winter Series at Matakana Country Park.

12/07/10

On Sunday the 11th July we held the last of our winter series dressage at Matakana Country Park. We had a wonderful turnout and lovely weather. Thank you to Larissa Mortimer from Horse Vans NZ who sponsored the prizes for the highest score from each Level. In the Training Classes Liam Finch riding The Apparition and runner up Jenny Fraser riding Fair Dinkum won sponsors caps. In Level 1 Christine Jeffs on Starlight Levada,         Level 2 Regina Guggenberger on Hollywood Freestyle and Level 4 Tania Taylor on Hollywood Taylormade received sponsors jackets.

Lexi Porteous, our youngest competitor, riding Langtree Just for You won the overall points in the Training Division. Second was Jenny Fraser, third Christine Monaghan riding All that Jazz, fourth equal were Tyler Porteous riding Fairlight Acres Mandalay and Liam Finch.

Donelle Bowden riding Armani II and Tania Taylor tied for 1st place in the overall points for Level 1 - 5 Classes. Third was Christine Jeffs and 4th Regina Guggenberger. Congratulations to all these riders.

This series has proved very popular with many riders missing out as classes were full.

A big thank you to John Baker of Matakana Country Park and Michelle and Harold for the use of these excellent facilities. 

 12/07/10

Helen Hughes Keene Clinic

We are again privileged to have Helen Hughes Keene return for a clinic on the 7th August. Helen is a Candidate International Judge and a                  New Zealand Selector. This clinic will be held at the Matakana Country Park. The format will be the same as last year, when riders rode a test of their choice, then discussed it with Helen and rode it again under her guidance. Cost is $30 per rider - this includes arena fee. Numbers are limited and spaces are filling fast. Please contact Julie Barclay either thru the website or phone 09 422 5144. This clinic is open to members only and payment is required when booking.

To Julia Fraser on being voted "Dressage Judge of the Year"

The following article, written by Delwyn Dickey, appeared in the Rodney Times 6/08/09:

Julia Fraser has become the second Warkworth woman in a row to be awarded the Dressage New Zealand Judge of the Year.

Her love affair with horses started the first time she visited London from the family farm in Wales and saw ponies pulling milk carts. It has been an enduring infatuation that has seen her competing, after settling with her family in NZ as a youngster in 1951, at Pony Club and then Federation level. She also started judging dressage in 1970, and while Julia has stopped riding in the past couple of years, she is now one of the country's top List One Dressage Judges. With Dressage Waitemata based largely around the Kumeu area, Julia decided to see if there would be enough interest in starting a subsidiary club after settling in Warkworth 10 years ago. With 36 people turning up at the first meeting the club was soon running. Last year, Warkworth club member, Barbara Vercoe, won the National Award.

Pleased with the recognition for her efforts, Julia also says it is a great achievement for the small club to have two top Judges. Judging can take her all over the country. Julia judged events at Gisborne, Gore and Palmerston North last year, as well as at the Waitemata events at the Woodhill Sands Equestrian Event Centre and elsewhere in Rodney. 

 A great time was had by all when Regina, Patrick, Michelle and Pauline entertained us with their Christmas Quadrille on Friday night at the Matakana Country Park. The hours of practice that had gone in over the last few months certainly paid off with both riders and horses looking relaxed and happy. A very big thankyou to these riders and their mounts and also to Christine Monaghan who organised the display. The Quadrille was performed again at the Country Park at the Saturday morning market and also on Sunday at the Warkworth District Pony Clubs Christmas Ribbon Day ... their fame is spreading. After the Quadrille, Regina and her horse Freestyle entertained us with his many tricks. We then enjoyed a BBQ and wonderful desserts followed by cutting a cake for our 10th Anniversary. There were many cameras clicking so watch the website for photos and maybe a video.