Sitron was modelled on the Norwegian fjord horse, a rare breed which was nearly extinct 140 years ago, but which has since recovered through the efforts of rare horse lovers and organisations all around the world.
Several of these sturdy, attractive horses will be among the largest contingent of rare horses ever to gather in New Zealand as part of the Otago Equine Expo, to be held at the Otago Taieri A&P Showgrounds in Mosgiel on October 28 and 29.
Rare breed horses, including globally endangered breeds such as the Highland pony, Paso Fino, Clydesdale, Morgan, Icelandic and the Timor pony (once known as the Anzac pony) will come from across the South Island for the event.
It will be the first display presented at the Otago Equine Expo by the newly formed Rare Horse Society of New Zealand.
Society co-founders Liselle Silver and Megan Hopkinson, both of Canterbury, will be showcasing their own horses, and are delighted at the number of rare horse owners who will be taking part in the display at the expo.
Miss Silver said the rare horse display would take up about half of the showgrounds during the expo and would include some riding and jumping events, as well as giving visitors a chance to meet and pet them.
"A display like this is a great opportunity to promote these endangered horse breeds and to educate the public and equine professionals about them," she said.
"It is also a chance for people to meet the breeds in person, and for us to share information about the conservation efforts that are going on here in New Zealand and around the world.
"If horse people get to encounter these beautiful rare horses and ponies at an event like this, perhaps they will consider joining us."
A classic example of a rare breed in need of urgent preservation was the Timor pony, which was now only found in small numbers in East Timor, a wild population in the Northern Territory of Australia and in New Zealand.
"If something is not done, this breed will die out, so we will have to work closely with Australia to retrieve some of the wild population and get that bloodline into New Zealand," Miss Silver said.
In New Zealand, heavy breeds such as Clydesdales were once common on farms, "but tractors took their jobs from them". Crossbreeding to create lighter, riding horses, had diluted the breed.
Miss Silver was looking forward to bringing Bee, her own "lovely" Paso Fino pony — a breed that originated in South America — to next weekend’s Otago Equine Expo, and hoped to ride her during the event.
"She’s a really lovely horse, so I’m looking forward to showing her off."
The Rare Horse Society of New Zealand is hoping to put on displays in all corners of Aotearoa, with the aim of raising awareness and helping conservation efforts.
- The Otago Equine Expo will be held next Saturday and Sunday, October 28 and 29, from 9.30am-3.30pm at the Otago Taieri A&P Showgrounds, Gordon Rd, Mosgiel. The event aims to bring together horse lovers from across the region, and to highlight all things equestrian to the wider community.
