Horse Show Back in the Saddle for 2013

Thursday April 11, 2013

Horse Show Back in the Saddle for 2013

Hoiho, the television series that explores the bond between Maori communities and their horses gallops into its second season on Sunday, April 14 at 8.00pm on Maori Television.

The 13-part series starts in Tolaga Bay before heading on to Ngunguru, Kawhia, Turangi, Urewera and for the first time, the South Island.

Producers Brent Job-Iremonger and Michelle Lee of Kapu Ti Productions have searched for new events and kaupapa to give season two a fresh and exciting feel.

“The power of Hoiho as a series is that it celebrates rural Maori communities and how horses remain an important part of that lifestyle,” says Michelle Lee.

“Hoiho evokes a sense of nostalgia for those of us who may no longer live in country places but still relate to them from the past. Every Maori whanau has their horse story”

In the first episode, presenter Annabelle Lee-Harris rides bareback down to the Tolaga Bay wharf on what she considers to be the ultimate Maori horse.

Another episode visits a community that has been through some tough economic times, but has managed to overcome those adversities and come together.

Lee-Harris says the tiny northern settlement of Pouto was her favourite location.

“It’s a shining example of how a community can live, work and play together in a wonderful way,” she says.

“The kids are exceptionally talented and skilled riders and the folks there are the salt of the earth, so that episode has a special place in my heart.”

Maori have a long history with hoiho (horses), with the first horses arriving in New Zealand with Europeans - a stallion and two mares first swam ashore at Northland’s Rangihoua Beach in December 1814 and Ngapuhi became the first horse-owning iwi.

Hoiho tells of the long history and special bond between Maori and their horses – the untold stories that offer insight into iwi social, political and economic history.

Catch the new series of Hoiho on Sunday, April 14 at 8.00pm on Maori Television. Last season is available on catch-up on Maori Television’s website: www.maoritelevision.com.

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