Sun and wine in Hawke’s Bay is always a great idea. And it will become even greater when you combine a trip with attending the new ‘Women of Inspiration’ evening at Australasia’s largest equestrian showpiece, the 2020 Land Rover Horse of the Year, on 12th March.
Equestrian is one of the few professional sports offering equal prize money to men and women at the elite level and the fact that they’re also going to celebrate women at the ECOYA ‘Women of Inspiration’ evening makes the sport even more attractive.
The event takes place at Showgrounds Hawke’s Bay Tomoana and features a sizzling line-up of influential and inspiring Kiwi women: New Zealand media personality, author, health and wellness warrior and new mum, Matilda Green, the first female chairwoman to ‘smash the glass ceiling’ in Super Rugby, Chiefs Chair Tonia Cawood, global-trotting entrepreneur and businesswomen, Katherine Corich, and CatWalk Spinal Cord Injury Research Trust founder, Catriona Williams.
“This panel of women have all given back to their own communities in various ways. In this day and age we need women to inspire other women, raise each other up and be each other’s champions – be it through charitable opportunities, business, sport, television or social media. This panel of leading ladies will inspire others through their diverse industries and so we’re looking forward to hearing them all share their stories,” says ECOYA General Manager Claire Barnes.
And their stories are truly outstanding! Catriona Williams, for example, began riding as a four-year-old and became one of New Zealand’s leading international equestrian riders representing New Zealand in both showjumping and eventing all over the world. In 2002, she had a terrible accident that left her confined to a wheelchair. But she never gave up and founded the CatWalk Trust to “get wheelies walking again” and has been the driving force behind funding innovative, cutting-edge, world-class spinal cord injury research.
Land Rover Horse of the Year General Manager Lauren Watson says: “It’s an all-inclusive chance for men and women to come along and hear the stories of some inspirational speakers, there will be canapés and G.H. Mumm champagne flowing and there will be plenty of laughs too!”
“As women, I think it’s so important to lift each other up at every opportunity. I’m passionate about helping others feel comfortable and happy in their own skin through a few different approaches and I saw this as the perfect opportunity to spread that message even further,” adds Matilda Green.
Two Hawkes Bay leading ladies, Deputy Hastings Mayor Tania Kerr and Napier Mayor Kirsten Wise plan to attend the event too.