By David McCoy

ONE of the largest and most prestigious annual equestrian events in the Southern Hemisphere is to have a Northern Ireland judge for the first time.

Mrs Paula McCarthy, from Comber, County Down, has accepted an invitation to judge horses and ponies at New Zealand's Kelt Capital Horse of the Year Show, being held in March 2009.

Mrs McCarthy has judged at all the major shows in the British Isles. ADVERTISEMENTThe only Royal Show missing from her CV is the Royal Dublin - due to her husband, Robert's, involvement in the event.

She is looking forward to the New Zealand event ... more so as it opens its six-day run on St Patrick's Day.

In 1998, a group of Hawke's Bay Equestrian enthusiasts approached Equestrian Sports New Zealand, the owner of the Horse of the Year Show, for permission to run the event in Hawke's Bay.

For a number of years prior to this, the show had been held in Auckland, resulting in accumulated financial loses.

By March 1999, the resulting successful application saw the first show run under the new format, this being organized by the Northern Hawke's Bay Showjumping Group.

With a budget of under NZ$100,000 (£37,500), this show was run completely by volunteers and was a resounding success. The subsequent years have seen a tremendous growth in all aspects of the event.

"It is now eight years since those dreams turned to reality and in that time we have watched with pride as the Kelt Capital Horse of the Year show has become the biggest international event of its type in the country," said a spokesman.

"With this aim in mind, The Kelt Capital Horse of the Year Show has grown to become one of the largest and most prestigious annual Equestrian Events in the Southern Hemisphere. Attracting more than1,800 competitors and 2,300 horses to the Hawke's Bay Showgrounds becomes New Zealand's 'Equestrian City' with the buzz of competition by daytime and entertainment by night.

"The excitement of the event's five days culminates in each section awarding its own prestigious Horse of the Year titles, and ultimately the Showjumping Horse of the Year crown."

The 2009 event will be a FEI 5* event - only one of six in the world.