👋🏼 Hello Hamilton
For three days next week, from 16 October, Claudelands will be transformed into a world-class equestrian competition, with around 400 horses and an expected 18,000 visitors.
Featuring 12 different equine disciplines and 14 international presenters, Equifest is a one-of-a-kind event in the Southern Hemisphere and an exciting addition to Hamilton’s expanding events calendar.
And with the Wiggles performing at Claudelands tonight, the venue will undergo quite the transformation for the event.
Every space will be used during Equifest, including the indoor arena. This involves 450 tonnes of sand for the floor!
International superstars
Ammie Hardie, Managing Director at Core Events, told me several international equestrian names have made time in their schedules to come to Hamilton for Equifest.
“We’ve actually got the world champion equestrian vaulter coming and we’ve got a showjumping coach from Italy. Eight Australians, three Americans and one Canadian coming in for all different disciplines”.
This includes Australian dressage rider and coach Brett Parbery, who is flying in for just 24 hours, taking time out of the Australian Dressage Championship to teach a dressage masterclass.
New Zealand country music star Kaylee Bell is also headlining Equifest’s Festival of Speed on opening night, with other fun activities planned including line dancing on the sand.
A leg up for Hamilton
The event’s move from Taupō to Hamilton this year is expected to give the city a significant economic boost.
I spoke to Mayor Tim Macindoe about what the event means for our city:
“We’re expecting hundreds of people to come, a lot of them will need accommodation, when people come from out of town they tend to go to eateries, it’ll be good for hospitality and the accommodation sector.”
Mayor Tim Macindoe makes a new four-legged friend.
The Waikato has long had a strong connection to racing and equestrian activities, so for Tim, bringing Equifest to Hamilton makes sense.
“It’s been a big feature of the Waikato for quite a long time and I think this is a really great next development.”
More reasons to explore Hamilton
Visitors from across the Tasman are also being targeted, particularly with Jetstar now offering direct flights from Australia to Hamilton.
There’s a big push planned for exploring the rest of Hamilton, with Equifest tickets including 50% off entry to Hamilton Gardens, plus 50% off entry for children at Hamilton Zoo, and the Exscite children’s zone at Waikato Museum.
Exscite is an immersive play space for tamariki.
“We need to get a lot better than we have been about promoting things like the gardens and the zoo to external people” Tim told me.
“It's amazing how people not far from Hamilton still don’t know that we even have a zoo, not only do we have a zoo, it's a heck of a lot better than Auckland’s. It is one of the best zoos in the Southern Hemisphere.”
There’s more to come
Equifest isn’t the only major annual event to make the move to Hamilton.
The Campsaver Secondhand Motorhomes and Caravan Show is also moving from Taupō to Hamilton, making its debut at Claudelands on 28–29 November this year.
The PB Festival, happening at Claudelands on 14–15 November, is another new event, bringing a huge range of activities including a full floor of fitness, wellness, food and recovery brands, live classes and a recovery zone with things like a cold plunge.
The growing number of major events coming to Claudelands is just one sign of Hamilton’s continued growth, with plenty more on the horizon.
Quick poll: 🏇🏼 Are you excited for Equifest to come to Hamilton?
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And a special thanks to Sarah Blake for contributing many of the words ✍️ and some of the shots 📸 for this edition of Hello Hamilton.
— Ben Woodgates
