Who are we?
The Waikato Combined Equestrian Group (WCEG) is an Incorporated Society made up of individual members. These include riders and supporters involved in many different equine disciplines. There are also about 14 different equestrian clubs affiliated to the WCEG. The WCEG is run by a Committee, all of which are volunteers. The Land, known as the Waikato Equestrian Centre, is leased from the Hamilton City Council. It is part of the Pukete Farm Park.
Click here for a copy of the WCEG INC. Constitution
Committee
President Dave Hall 07 849 7435
Vice President Judy Williams 07 847-7644
Treasurer Tim Hale 07 834 9909
Minute Secretary Fiona Taylor 07 849 7435
Committee Members
Margaret Bradding 07 854 7882
Glenn Forster 07 855 3215
Tessa Grant 021 621 941
Marc Wright
Admin Support Kara Lockhart 07 849 6328
0274834328
ahrs 07 8249296
Delegates from Affiliated Groups
Dressage Waikato Kara Lockhart 07 824 9296
H.O.R.S.E. Club Alison Cunningham 07 825 2806
Waikato Western Riding Dave Young 07 889 1080
St Andrews Brch of Hamilton PC Fiona Taylor 07 849 7435
Hamilton Light Horse Club Susan Martin 07 856 6660
Ngaruawahia Pony Club Kara Lockhart 07 824 9296
Waikato Hunt Inc. Marilyn Fearns 07 825-5817Wally Hawken 07 825-8064
Hamilton Group RDA Dna Wells 07 829 6171
South East Waikato Branch ofNZ Mounted Games Association Debbie Bailey 07 887-4042
Joy Hooker 07 843-1763
Hamilton Pony Club Kim Larsen
Cascade Natural Horsemanship Gp Wendy BeavenOur Patrons
David Goodin
Jim Wright
Noeline Jefferies
Committee Meetings are held every second Wednesday of each month.
Email: admin@horses.net.nzThe WCEG Inc. Committee and Members are bound by the WCEG Inc. Constitution
Website/Newsletter EditorAims and Objectives:-
The Waikato Combined Equestrian Group Inc, in developing the Pukete Farm Park in association with the Hamilton City Council, seeks to establish equestrian facility for the community that promotes equestrian excellence.
To develop and efficiently manage an Equestrian Centre providing services and facilities for a wide range of equestrian interests.
To provide a place of equestrian learning.
To promote recognised equestrian interests within the region.
To provide a place where people can experience equestrian activities.
MAP
THE SERIES OF EVENTS THAT LED TO THE FORMING OF THE WAIKATO COMBINED
EQUESTRIAN GROUP (Inc)A series of events occurred approximately 28 years ago which led up to the forming of the group to manage the land, situated in Pukete Road Hamilton and leased from the Hamilton City Council.
In the Beginning...
In 1981 Noeline Jeffries (who was Head Instructor of the St Andrews Branch of the Hamilton Pony Club Inc), wrote to the Hamilton City Council requesting them to put aside about ten acres of land so that riders who did not own their own pony could be given the opportunity to learn to ride and care for a pony. Council advised that it was a great idea but that they never had any land available at that time and suggested that a 'benevolent farmer' be approached. Nothing became available so the idea was shelved.
The power of one...
About a year or so later, a young pony club rider wrote to Margaret Evans (Mayor of Hamilton) saying that she desperately needed grazing for her horse and set up a petition signed by lots of other children requesting grazing that wasn't too far out of town so that they could purchase a pony.
This event coincided with the Hamilton City Council planning to relocate all horse events away from Claudelands. As the Hamilton Pony Club held their Gold Cup at Claudelands Showgrounds each year, they wrote to the Hamilton City Council requesting alternative venues. As a result of that letter, Margaret Evans responded, requesting a meeting at her residence in River Road, Hamilton.
Horse lovers unite....
Fran Johnson, Martin Letley, Noeline Jeffries, Hazel Barnes and Bev MacIntosh were nominated from the Hamilton Pony Club to attend that very first meeting with Margaret Evans whose daughter attended Hamilton East Pony Club. Margaret advised everyone in attendance about the land that had just come into the city boundary at Pukete which was zoned 'Recreational' and gave advice on how to put forward a submission in conjunction with other horse groups. Margaret suggested that all horse groups combine to become one united group in order to make an impact.
It was decided that the only way to contact all the other equestrian sports was to put an advertisement in the Waikato Times that ran for several weeks and worded as follows:-
"Attention All Equestrian Disciplines"
"Please attend an urgent meeting at the HCC offices in Caro Street for the future of the Equestrian Sport. If you care about your sport, please be there!"
As a result, the response was amazing. Approximately 65 people attended the meeting from various Equestrian Sports including, Pony Club, Dressage, Showjumping, Eventing, Western Riding, Horse Drawn Vehicles, Heavy Horse, Polo, Polocrosse, Hamilton Light Horse Club, ILPH, HORSE Club.
Mike Martin from the HCC's Recreation and Welfare Department chaired the meeting along with Margaret Evans and Bill Feathersone who also attended. They briefed the meeting advising Council's recommendations regarding combining all the Equestrian Groups under one umbrella and forward a submission to the HCC for the land at Pukete which had just come into the city boundary.
The first Committee
At that meeting, a committee was elected, Fran Johnson as President, Noeline Jeffries as Secretary, Martin Letley Treasurer and committee consisted of Hazel Barnes, Peter Neil (Light Horse Club), the late Viv Clarke (Dressage) , Bev McIntosh (Hamilton Pony Club), Sally Antram, Marnie Gower, Terry Wenn, the late Elizabeth Macfarlane, Janet Macfarlane, Debbie Knowles, the late Eric Knowles, Judy Williams, Wawrick Bryant, the late Heather Taylor, plus others representing their equestrian interests.
It was agreed that the group should be known as "Waikato Combined Equestrian Group". In March 1986 the WCEG became Incorporated.
900 horses in City Boundary
A survey was drafted and sent out to all horse groups to find out how many horses were privately grazed within the city limits. It was discovered that about 900 horses were grazing within the city boundary and in some cases poor quality grazing with no running water, unsatisfactory fencing, inadequate safety or supervision.
After many meetings, a submission was eventually prepared and forwarded to the Hamilton City Council in October 1983. This submission had two sections.
- Facilities for all the Equestrian Disciplines, Dressage, Cross Country, Showjumping, Polocrosse, Polo.
Council finally accepted the submission and the Group given the 'green light' to proceed with the development of Pukete Farm Park as outlined in Hamilton City Council's 1985 Draft Management Plan.
The Hall Arrives...
The committee put in a successful tender for the purchase of the St Joseph's school hall for $1,000. It cost the group $3,000.00 to have it lifted from its present site in Clarkin Road, Hamilton and transported to the land located at that time off State Highway One. The Riding School operated from the hall and Anna Monds was the first Instructor/Manager who moved from Rotorua to be housed in the old house situated near the site of the hall.
The grazing of privately owned horses was established in those early days as one of the main funding projects. Judy Williams was one of the original grazers and has remained ever since. The monthly grazing was $20 per month as the Group relied on grazing people to help with competitions and working bees.
Gorse, blackberry and mounting debt
After struggling with funding, It became very obvious that the committee were running short of funds and could not cope with the rising costs of running a riding school plus trying to buy equipment for the competitions. Eventually Anna was replaced with the McKenzie family who managed the riding school giving lessons and taking out treks using some of their own horses.
Bill Hall gave the WCEG a generous donation of $10,000.00 to clear the land and Jim Wright organised contractors to clear the blackberry and gorse and fence the area off State Highway One.
Not long after all this work was completed, Council informed the Group that the thirty hectares of land situated off State Highway One was to be used for Industrial Development. The committee were aware that area of land was on a month to month basis but hoped that Council would offer it to the Centre as part of the overall lease.
In those early days, many problems arose for the Group that were never envisaged. Debts were mounting and costs rising well above budget. Eventually a vote of 'no confidence in the Executive' was passed. As a result, a new AGM was organised and a new committee voted in to manage the Equestrian Centre.
The Hall moves again...
John Guy was nominated President, Noeline Jeffries remained as Secretary and Annette Wade Treasurer. With careful financial management on the part of Annette, the WCEG eventually traded out of the accumulated debt and all creditors paid.
The first project of the new committee was to relocate the hall as the HCC needed that portion of land for Industrial development. Eventually the remaining 40 hectares plus the two bedroom house in Pukete Road was negotiated in the lease agreement.
John Guy negotiated a deal with Warwick Johnson and together with John Wentworth, Norm Taylor, John's son, Warwick Bryant and others, the foundations were dug and the hall moved to its present site.
The boomerang and business booming...
During that period, the Riding School operated from the Old White House in Pukete Road, with Frances Swan from Raglan as the next Instructor/Manager.
In the late 1980's the new 'boomerang shaped' riding school building was erected by Modern Construction. Frances decided to move to Auckland, and Gillian Wilson (originally from Ireland) was employed as Instructor/Manager. The Riding School then started to make money with business booming.
Kaurilands Winter Dressage finds a new home
The competitions were going ahead with the Kauriland Winter Dressage Series being held on the WEC grounds after moving from Claudelands where it was originally held. The people involved in setting up Kaurilands were namely Debbie Knowles and the late Eric Knowles, Anne and Bernie Macdonald, Heather Taylor, John Wentworth, Noeline Jeffries. Bob and Sue Berkhan were approached to sponsor the covers for the topscore prizes and Modern Construction paid out the topscore prize money. Fundraising money, which amounted to thousands of dollars from this series was plunged back into developing the Centre.
Unsung Heros
The people who volunteered their time became Foundation Members. Some of the names that come to mind are, Debbie and the late Eric Knowles, Dawson Family, Jeffries Family, Wade Family, Pickin Family, Cunningham Family, Steve and Cathy Wardlaw, Letley Family, the late Viv and Ian Clarke, Sandy Larsen, Lorraine Geer, the late Heather and Norm Taylor, plus many others. It was these members who paved the way in the early days to set up the Equestrian Centre. Some of them have moved away or passed on.
X-country Constructed
Some years later, the cross country was designed by Beth Fife and built by Robbie MacLean. Alison Cunningham and her team of Horse Trial enthusiasts organized the first Horse Trials at the Centre over fifteen years ago now. It was a great success with over 250 riders competing. To this day the Horse Trials attract a large number of riders and a sub-committee has been formed to organize these events that are held in the autumn and spring each year.
CEO's and Constitutions
In the early 1990's Gillian Wilson moved to be with her family in Christchurch. after a very serious illness Kay Hogan was employed as Instructor/Manager of the Centre up until 1998. Noeline Jeffries was appointed CEO until 2003 when the group restructured and operated under a new Constitution with the Committee managing the WEC and Louise Aitken employed as Equine Manager.
Riding for the Disabled joins the WECG
After the Therapeutic Riding Group disbanded in the year 2000 due to lack of volunteers, Edna Loveridge recognized the need for it to be restored. In the year 2006, the Riding for Disabled (RDA) was established at the Centre and with Dna Wells as the Co-coordinator, this activity now caters for 80 riders, three days a week.
The next ten Years...
The Hamilton City Council has renewed the Waikato Equestrian Centre's Lease agreement. The terms are for another 10 years allowing the Waikato Combined Equestrian Group to confidently plan for the future. A big thank you to the Council for their generosity to the Waikato Equestrian Community and we look forward to building new and improved facilites for our riders.
(Thank You to Noeline Jeffries for providing much of the information in this article)
