John and Angela have been a valuable part of the NZHS management team in some role or another since 1995.
They are also breeding members who have produced many well performed sport competition horses (including one top international eventing star – Stoneylea Elessar [Espri LB/Happy Melody xx] – that was renamed Clifton Signature in that sport). He was also the Young Event Horse of the Year on 2 occasions.
Not only that, but their horses have also become – Gold Medal foals, top mare families, sports performance and Elite Studbook mares, National title holders and a National Young Dressage Horse champion over the decades of their well-organized breeding programme. The big shift came after consultation with Dr Ludwig Christmann in Verden, with the importation of the St.Pr.St EM Stoneylea Lusenka (Lauries Crusador xx/Lemon Park) and the dynasty that has followed is one of great quality and performance.
The imported St.Pr.St EM Lusenka (Lauries Crusador xx/Lemon Park) – and her family in 2013
With Dr Ludwig Christmann following the mare performance test with EM Stoneylea Welt Princess
John’s first task – and it was a huge one too – involved gathering the data as it had been transferred from paper form to electronic form, and in the process create a database in which to store and utilize it. This was a 2 year’s long task that was introduced in May 1997 with the printing of the first batch of “Pink Papers” birth certificates. John was then Studbook keeper so as to manage both the database and the registrations at the beginning. He retained that role until the year 2000.
Since then, John has been President on two occasions – 2000 – 2006 and again from 2013 – 2018.
Angela joined as a breeding member initially then was elected to the Executive committee in 1995. She became a Vice President on two occasions, between 2012-2013 and 2018 – 2024. She was also the Newsletter editor for a 2-year term.
She has been an experienced and valued studbook classifier for 30 years until her resignation earlier this year. This role was granted after the required training in Germany in the mid 1990’s and then being accepted onto the Commission after gaining experience in the field under the guidance of Eric Ropiha on return.
During the 2019 studbook tour with Volker Ehlers
Congratulations to you both – and thank you for your dedication and service.
