Māori horse experts not getting credit they deserve in equine industry

Māori horse trainers are facing being discredited in the industry, despite being a significant part of New Zealand’s equestrian sport.

Te Hapori Hōiho founder and TV producer Michelle-Rose Whetumarama Lee says that negative assumptions about Māori horsemanship are limiting Māori trainers' and riders’ success.

Lee says that, due to this prejudice, when many Māori horse trainers develop their horsemanship and their skills are not necessarily recognised.

“There are a lot of pre-conceived notions about our people that Māori horsemen are rough.

“They’re just kind of seen as a couple of Māori boys from up the coast. They are kind of used as cannon fodder.

“It’s unfair,”says Lee.

A popular mix breed in the New Zealand equestrian market is called the ‘Gisbornebred’.

Lee says that ‘Gisbornebred’ is a nickname for these horses but are in actuality a Māori breed called Wiwi Nāti from the East Coast.

She says, however, that the Gisbornebred’s reputation means that they sell for significantly more money than Wiwi Nāti do.

“One of the horses sold at auction for $8,500.

“That same horse six months later was sold for $25,000.

“There’s a massive difference between what someone will pay when buying a horse from a Māori community, as to what they get on sold for within months.

“Our people will sell the horses on for much cheaper and are forced to because no one will pay more for them.

“We have the capacity to breed great horses and the New Zealand broader market reaps the benefit,” says Lee.

Ngāti Porou iwi member Winky Foley owns horse Trudeau, who is up for Olympic Selection for eventing and has received a coveted award from the New Zealand Warmblood Association as a Warmblood of Distinction.

Alex Campbell of equine stud farm Hangaroa Landcruisers is someone who is trying to give Māori horseman more of a platform.

Campbell films and posts their horsemanship work on Facebook, to help give Māori horsemen the exposure they deserve.

“I say to them, this is unique.

“It’s unique to you and that’s unique to your heritage.”

Campbell has received a lot of international attention for videos he has posted online.

“People from across the globe can’t get enough of them.

“They’re getting a lot of positive exposure and acknowledgment for the right things and they’re realising, shit, this is pretty cool.”

Listen here to Michelle Lee about how the Te Hapori Hōiho charitable trust was founded.