Three days of world-class horseplay in Marlborough

The Marlborough Equestrian Park has undergone a major revamp in preparation for a widely-anticipated national showpiece.

Hosted by the Marlborough Pony Club, New Zealand equestrian’s biggest weekend arrives in Marlborough with the National Pony Club Eventing Championships over Anzac Weekend, after many long days spent adding as cross-country component to the multi-purpose facility at Spring Creek.

Marlborough Pony Club’s Michelle Campbell, Elisa Cowan and Pip Forsyth believe the volunteer time and sponsor money invested to host the National Championships for the first time since 1992 will set eventing in the Top of the South up for further success.

“The club committee that organised the National Championships have done an amazing job especially in adding on this cross-country track to the park so we’re really quite excited,” says Michelle. “A kid in Marlborough would be driving to Christchurch most weekends to participate in eventing otherwise, so we’re really keen to have more events visit us.

“Having this all-access facility on our doorstep permanently will really benefit local riders wanting to take up this discipline seriously, whether already riding or keen to get involved in the future.

“Lucy Shaw has done a fantastic job designing the brand-new cross-country track, and we’re hoping for 200 riders throughout the three days”.

While the Eventing National Championships are next up, the Equestrian Park will be busy hosting large events through 2025 with September’s South Island Showjumping Championships and December’s Dressage World Challenge.

Despite being the smallest region in rider numbers, the Marlborough/Nelson/West Coast team won the Teams Championship in 2016, but coach Elisa Cowan says this year is a launch pad to show local riders the high standard while keeping fingers crossed for the weekend’s successes.

“Whenever there’s an event here lots of competitors come along and by adding cross-country to the Equestrian Park we can run more events here as we haven’t been on this New Zealand stage of eventing for quite some time.

“Developing the park to cover all three disciplines gives our young riders something to strive for, especially as the [top of the south] region has just recently produced Olympians Melissa Galloway and Jonelle Price, especially as Melissa is being so generous with her time for nationals.”

Friday will be dedicated to dressage, while the spectator-favourite cross-country takes place on Saturday before the event finishes with Sunday’s showjumping.
Pip Forsyth says by getting the course up to an international standard, they’re only adding to the possibility of more events coming to the region.

“It’s literally been thousands of hours of work, and the reason it’s happening is down to how everyone from club members to sponsors have pulled together to put Marlborough equestrian in a great place.”