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Horses for all courses in annual sale
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
ONE of New Zealand’s few remaining annual horse sales was held in Gisborne yesterday.

About 250 people gathered at Matawhero Saleyards to choose from 150 horses.

Top price at the four-hour sale was $3200, paid for a “nicely-presented” four-year-old Cricklewood-bred gelding.

PGG Wrightson stock agent Peter McGrannachan said a catalogue was not put out before the sale because it was “near impossible” to know how many horses would turn up.

Numbers were similar to last year but there were not as many broken horses to choose from.

But any that looked to have been handled, “sold pretty well”, he said.

Two sold for over $2000 and anything with a bit of quality to it sold for more than $1500.

Unbroken Coast-bred horse numbers were up a bit on last year.

The horses were brought from as far north as the East Cape lighthouse. The Coast horses were liked for their constitution and nature, and had a good reputation, said livestock manager Craig Morgan.

People came from all over the North Island and took home horses that would be used as station hacks, trekking horses and showjumpers.

“There are people who want to buy a horse they can break in themselves and make them into good showjumpers — you still get those sort of people along,” said Mr McGrannachan.

“To find a good hack now is getting difficult because of technology and motorbikes.

“A lot of horses came from the big stations out the back, like Waipaoa and Hihiroa.

“But they have stopped breeding them now, so they are getting few and far between.

“But there’s still a contingent of unbroken horses from the East Cape from one or two stallions still running around up there.”
The young rider on Lot 15, lost his “shoe” as he rode a gelding in front of potential buyers at yesterday’s annual horse sale at the Matawhero Saleyards.
A miniature six-year-old mare, centre, was sold for $175 and was ridden by five-year-old Zack Taylor and led by six-year-old Danielle Taylor.
Lot 14, a five-year-old mare from the Coast refused to make this jump and was passed in at the auction.
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