Our Team
Meet Enzo
Enzo is a spirited and charming horse with a heart as big as his personality. Known for his gentle nature and intelligence, he’s a favourite among riders of all levels. Whether in the arena, out on the trails, or competing in events, Enzo is always ready to give his best, making every ride a memorable experience.
Fun Fact: Enzo loves treats after a job well done and has a soft spot for pats and scratches on his neck!
Meet Fiona
Fiona is a remarkable Northland-bred bush pony with a story as inspiring as her spirit. Trained from the wild, she has come a long way and is now happily under saddle, taking part in riding lessons and continuing to build her confidence and education with every ride.
When I first mustered Fiona, we were both expecting, and she also had a foal at foot. Sadly, she lost her pregnancy, but her resilience and gentle nature have shone through every step of her journey. Today, Fiona is a kind, willing pony who loves to learn and has become a valued member of our lesson team. Whether she’s introducing beginners to riding or exploring new adventures, she always gives her best.
Fun Fact: Fiona absolutely loves going on adventures! Whether it’s a trail ride or exploring somewhere new, her curious and brave personality always shines through.
Meet Picasso
Picasso is our much-loved main lesson pony and a true favourite with riders of all ages. He is incredibly beginner-friendly and kid-safe, making him the perfect partner for those just starting their riding journey or building confidence in the saddle.
Calm, patient, and reliable, Picasso takes great care of his riders and is especially gentle with children. Whether it’s a first ride, a nervous rider, or a fun lesson learning the basics, Picasso is always happy to help and never in a rush.
If you’re looking for a pony who makes learning to ride feel safe, fun, and enjoyable, Picasso is your guy.
Fun fact: Picasso is known for his super steady walk and calm nature—he’s the kind of pony who looks after his rider just as much as they look after him!
Meet Valhalla
Val is our exciting young Warmblood and a very special future prospect. At just rising four years old, he already stands over 16.2hh, with plenty of growing and developing still ahead of him. With his impressive presence, athletic build, natural movement and curious personality, he has all the ingredients for an exciting competition career.
Val also has exceptional performance breeding behind him. His sire successfully competed up to 1.60m, while his dam competed up to 1.30m. The talent runs strongly through the rest of his family too, with his siblings and cousins successfully competing, giving Val some very exciting bloodlines to build on.
Unlike our lesson horses, Val will not be joining the lesson program. He is my personal future competition prospect and is being carefully produced with the goal of becoming my next serious competition partner. His training journey is only just beginning, so there is absolutely no rush — the focus is on giving him the time to mature, build strength and confidence, and develop into the best horse he can be.
Fun Fact: Val already seems to know he’s pretty special! He loves showing off his huge stride in the paddock and has a playful, cheeky personality.
Meet Zeek
Zeek is our handsome roan gelding with plenty of personality. He’s a clever, sensitive horse who has come a long way in his training and is continuing to develop into a lovely all-rounder. He especially enjoys his jumping and has a natural ability over a fence.
Zeek is also part of our lesson team, where he helps riders develop their confidence and skills. He can be a little cheeky at times and definitely has his own opinions, but that’s part of what makes him such a great horse to learn from. He encourages riders to be clear, consistent and confident with their aids.
Fun fact: Zeek absolutely loves jumping! As soon as the jumps come out, he seems to know exactly what’s happening and is always keen to get involved.
Meet Zephyr
Zephyr is our beautiful young filly and one of the newest additions to the team. She came to us completely unhandled, so her journey started right from the very beginning — learning to trust, be touched, lead and respond to gentle pressure. She’s incredibly smart, athletic and curious, and it has been exciting watching her confidence grow with every session.
Zephyr has some exciting breeding behind her, with her dam having competed successfully up to 1.30m and siblings already out competing in show jumping. The long-term goal is to carefully produce Zephyr as a show jumper while taking everything at her pace and giving her the time she needs to develop. In the future, she will also become part of our lesson program.
Her training hasn’t always been perfectly straightforward — she has definitely provided a few entertaining moments along the way! But every challenge is part of producing a confident, well-rounded young horse, and she continues to make great progress.
Fun fact: Zephyr means a soft, gentle breeze and comes from Zephyrus, the Greek god of the west wind, who was associated with spring and new beginnings — making it the perfect name for our spring-born girl.
Meet Tonka
Tonka — Forever Part of Our Family
Tonka, affectionately known as Tonka Toy, had a very special story from the beginning. His dam was a wild Kaimanawa mare that I trained, and only a few months later, she gave us the biggest surprise when Tonka was born.
He grew into a beautiful young horse with a kind eye, curious nature and the sweetest personality. Tonka was being started under saddle and had such an exciting future ahead of him. The plan was for him to eventually become my daughter’s horse, as well as a much-loved member of our lesson team.
Sadly, on 13 February 2026, we had to say goodbye to Tonka. His life was far shorter than we ever imagined it would be, and he never got the chance to fulfil all the plans we had for him, but that doesn't make his story or the place he held in our family any less important.
Tonka will always be part of our journey and will always have a place here at Bay Equestrian Centre. 🤍
Fun Fact: Tonka absolutely loved attention and would happily follow you around the paddock looking for scratches — a little habit that made him impossible not to love.
13 February 2026 — Forever remembered, Tonka Toy.