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Once a year the Castlepoint Race Meeting gives station or farm hacks a chance to don racing colours and compete along a magnificent beach. Fiona Martin attends the Castlepoint Races located on the Wairarapa Coast on a gloriously sunny day.
Hemi describes the happy, family oriented atmosphere of the meet and beautiful coastal landscape. He says people are just waiting on the tide to go out so racing can begin. Charlotte explains how the races began in times of the early [European] settlers and notes this one is the longest running and most well known. She describes how Prince Charming, her own racehorse enjoys the location as it provides a new and stimulating environment.
Martin walks along the beach stopping to speak with a couple of ladies who have settled into their floral lounge suite, moved across the road especially for spectating today. An elderly gentleman who’s been involved with the races for fifteen years notes he’s seen an improvement in the type of horses racing over that time.
Horse owner, Charlotte describes the beach course and current terrain conditions. She thinks the only pressure of the day is really to fit in all the races before the tide goes out. The meet has a reputation as a fun day out with the weather being able to make or break it. Charlotte says both horses and people from the Hawkes Bay, Wellington, Palmerston, the Wairarapa and Waikato are drawn to this event.
Martin describes how residents living just behind the beach set themselves up on their front lawns whilst visitors line the back of the beach to spectate. Martin speaks briefly with a group of lads drinking jugs of beer who break into "song". A couple of other horse owners are interviewed about participant dress-codes and the alternative events like walking, trotting and sheep racing, events held to hold the crowd’s interest.
Although Charlotte admits she is dressed in shorts and t-shirt "for practicality rather than elegance" she acknowledges her mother won the “Best Dressed” fashion competition which she adds, is reallly just a bit of fun. She shares her disappointment that her horse Rawe didn’t make his third win this year but is delighted by the performance of her other horse, Prince Charming.
An interview with Cathy, one of the trainers of a winning horse, whose owner is also very excited and who are both looking forward to celebrating at the local Whakataki Hotel which Martin acknowledges is a fitting way to round off the day.