Fashion in the field for iconic Karekare Beach horse race

Hat competition brings West Coast creativity to the beach

Spectators heading to the Karekare Beach Races on February 28 might want to riffle through their wardrobes and get imaginative, for the event will open with a hat contest and parade.

Run by the local Lone Kauri School, which along with the surf club is a beneficiary of the event, the contest will have classes for small children on up, and encourages creativity. “One child even fixed a goldfish bowl to a hat one year,” says Julie Mercer, a local parent, “complete with goldfish. It survived, but it didn’t say on the beach to watch the races!”

Past fashionistas doing well include former Mayor Bob Harvey’s wife, Barbara, though visitors often score highly with their fanciful creations. “There’s no theme really, we just encourage folk to have fun with it, the crazier and more colourful the better,” Julie says. “We’ve come up with some cash prizes, and the whole event will start with the hat parade to get us in the mood!”

Entries to the horse races remain open as the countdown to the event begins, though the increased prize purse and the opportunity for entrants to stay overnight the evening before the event has seen early interest in the pony and hack classes especially. “We’d like a few more thoroughbreds too,” says Caroline Grove, long-time horse wrangler for the event. “There’s nothing like the sight of thoroughbreds pounding past the thundering surf to stir up the crowd, and it’s huge fun as a rider to be able to give your horse its head on the beach, past a cheering crowd, without the pressure of serious competition!”

The Karekare event raises funds for the community-supported school, currently saving for sports gear and a new roof, as well as the hardworking Karekare surf club, now celebrating its 80th year in operation.

Surf club treasurer, and volunteer guard, Charles Lawson says “This event allows the community to get together for a common goal and share our wee paradise with the community at large. But most importantly it’s a way we can raise funds to assist our Surf Life Saving Club to make Karekare a safe playground for everyone.”

Charles is especially grateful to the organisations which have got behind the event, from Fulton Hogan to West Coast Vet, from the Waitakere Ranges local board to West Coast Construction, from Gull NZ to Piha Real Estate, Contract Landscapes to Bush and Beach and Grove Mitre 10, as well as a long list of smaller sponsors supplying raffle prizes, race prizes and even the coffee, thanks to Piha Store.

“We’ve got a few others still to confirm,” Charles says, “But this year folk have really got behind us, especially good news since the regular event nearly breathed its last in 2013.”

“With a Lactic Turkey running and walking event finishing on the beach as the hat parade starts, and with a $2 shuttle from Piha to ease parking pressures, we’re hoping it’ll be a busy day – and that everyone brings cash, as we can’t supply EFTPOS on the beach!”

Has he got his hat ready? “I’m leaving that to the kids,” he says. Hmm, we can’t wait to see what they’ve made for him to wear…

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