Trek to Te Apiti Wind Farm

Missy Lulu Plays Hopscotch

It was a crisp winters morning on 3^rd July when we arrived at Arthur & Carol Yeo’s place at Ashhurst for the Morgan Trek to the Windmills.

After a welcome hot cup of tea and a quick meet and greet with our Morgan friends at the house then it was saddle-up time.

About 25 riders in all we rode out for the windmills.

It was very scenic down at the Pohangina River and I think everyone enjoyed the river crossings.

Brett,  my husband had his new head-cam on board his helmet and this was his chance to really try it out!

I must admit I was a bit hesitant as to how my lovely Missy Lulu (Make-Believe Saratoga) would react to the windmills as she had never seen such “monsters” before let alone got so close to them!

I stayed close to Brett and his trusty standardbred Nugget just in case she decided to take flight.

In the end she was great and I even got several photos standing under the windmills!

Heading further along the tracks through the farm to the lunch spot we came across one spot on the track where there were very large moving shadows from the windmill above repeatedly flickering over the track - she was not keen as added to this were the loud whurring noises of the blades.   But I pushed her forward and she kept going – every time a shadow passed under her It was as if she was being beaten with a big stick as she did an enormous jump with each “beating” – I likened it to her playing “hopscotch”.

But we came through this in one piece, with me still on board – and carried on to the lunch spot.

We had a lovely lunch brought to us by the “non-riders” and were treated to hot savouries and a delicious carrot cake – thank you Arthur and Carol.

After lunch we followed the same track back home with fabulous views of Ashhurst and Palmerston North laid out below us.

Just before we reached the river again Arthur gave us the choice of continuing home to his place or taking a short excursion to “play on the train tracks” above the gorge.

Out of the 25 riders – there were 7 “players” so off we went.

We went cross country, cantering through some very scenic bush and the dropped down into the Manawatu Gorge and onto the railway tracks.

As Arthur opened the gates onto the tracks he promised we would hear the trains long before they reached us – however if we did see one it was every man, woman and horse for themselves – run (or gallop) for your lives!!

Needless to say we didn’t dilly dally and cantered very briskly along the 80 metres or so of train track. We then dropped into the bush and down to the river where we had many “hoons” and very quickly caught sight of the rest of the team crossing the bridge up in front of us.

We caught up with the last of the group as they were going into the gates at Arthur and Carols place.

All in all a fabulous trek and a great experience.

Thank you very much to Arthur for organising and leading such a wonderful ride and we hope you will make this a regular event.

It was also a great opportunity to meet and ride with other Morgan owners some I had only known by name in the regular Morgan newsletters I receive.

Ed Note.   Kay is our Champion Trailblazer at present and wrote this lovely story for us.