28/09/2026
Everyone please support Fiber Fresh National Equestrian Centre Taupo Eventing Taupō in anyway you can or we risk losing an amazing event centre. Below Virginia has posted and laid out the struggles for NEC. If you know companies or can sponsor in anyway I know they will truly be grateful. This is a sign of the times and how event groups and facilities are having to change.
FIRST EVENT FOR EVENTING TAUPO INC.
Many readers will be unaware of the Government requirement for all not-for-profit bodies to be incorporated as at 5th April 2026, or involuntary dissolution would take place. This is to ensure groups cannot be held liable for debts of individual members, or that individuals cannot be held responsible for the debts of the group or any accidents that may happen. It is essential for groups to be incorporated when applying for most charitable trust grants or funding.
In the past, horse trials have been run at the Fiber Fresh National Equestrian Centre on behalf of the NEC, but ESNZ has decided that all disciplines will be responsible for their own events at the NECs now, and pay to use the facilities the same as any outside organisation. Each discipline group is required to be affiliated to ESNZ in order to use their rules, and to be eligible for the favourable terms on indemnity insurance, which was previously covered by the national body.
As Taupo is not an area of the ESNZ such as Waikato, Bay of Plenty, etc, it was not easy to find the ten people required to form Eventing Taupo Inc. A meeting was held on 12th July in the Charisma Hall, with ten people in attendance, plus two advisors on telephone link, and the required constitution was approved. Opening a bank account was the first challenge. It is not straight forward opening an account for a group which requires multiple signatories, and has no money!
That is when we decided we could not run the September trials, but pressure was applied by ESNZ Eventing, resulting in a decision to run a “no frills” event. The bank account was finally open a few days before entries closed, and the General Liability Insurance was sorted just in time, four days before the event took place. The quote to use the NEC facilities required to run a horse trials event exceeded $4000! We had less than 140 entries, so no hope of any prize money apart from the Bonecrusher classes.
This second of three events at Taupo in the Bonecrusher Promotions Series for 80cm, 95cm and 105cm horses received very generous sponsorship, with the three winners also earning a rug. Amber Auret won the 105 class on Divani REQ, Sharlene Mitchell the 95cm on Diarnimo, and Zara Gollan the 80cm on Mount Tulloch Mischief. The final event of the series takes place at the spring trials on 6th-8th November.
Course designers Campbell Draper and Rowan Armer built the cross-country courses at cost, so no new fences and no labour charge, but those who attended the event would appreciate what a great job they did. I also want to thank the riders and parents from near and far who helped set up the dressage arenas and showjumps and dismantle them afterwards. If only more local riders could find the time to lend a hand!
It is more important than ever now it is costing so much to stage events at the Centre, that riders “do their bit” for their sport. Muzi James managed to fence judge for a class on Sunday, in appreciation of the event scheduling the timetable to accommodate her four horses. It would also have meant a lot if the High Performance squad, there in preparation for training in the days after the event, had found time to help. Surely they should be setting an example by assisting events they attend.
The future of eventing at the Fiber Fresh NEC Taupo is under threat, as sponsorship cannot be relied on to cover the costs, so some serious thinking needs to be done.
Virginia Caro
