Nor'West News: February 09, 2023
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NEWS<br />
North Canterbury <strong>News</strong>, <strong>February</strong> 9, <strong>2023</strong><br />
25<br />
Intense racing action at Amberley Trots<br />
By SHELLEY TOPP<br />
Amberley Trotting Club officials<br />
are struggling to understand<br />
why such asmall crowd turned<br />
out for their Waitangi Day race<br />
meeting.<br />
However, club president Ross<br />
Rennie believes the intense heat<br />
on race day, and during the days<br />
leading up to the usually<br />
popular grasstrack meeting, is<br />
the most likely reason.<br />
The picnicstyle, familyfriendly<br />
meeting usually attracts<br />
ahuge crowd, but with Waitangi<br />
Day temperatures soaring to the<br />
mid 30s, ‘‘it may have been too<br />
much of agood thing’’, he says.<br />
‘‘You always want to have fine<br />
weather for your meetings, but<br />
maybe people thought it would<br />
be just too hot to come out<br />
today.’’<br />
However, he also believes that<br />
the Waikouaiti Trotting Club's<br />
meeting, also run on agrass<br />
track, at Oamaru the day before<br />
Waitangi Day, may have had an<br />
impact with both clubs<br />
attracting smaller than expected<br />
fields for agrasstrack meeting.<br />
‘‘We had agoodsized field (of<br />
14) for our cup race but<br />
Waikouaiti only had six starters<br />
in theirs,’’ Ross says.<br />
With Rangiora Racecourse<br />
facing an uncertain future after<br />
a2022 review recommended ‘‘it<br />
should be disposed of after the<br />
<strong>2023</strong>/24 season’’, last Monday’s<br />
Waitangi Day meeting could be<br />
the last time the popular<br />
Amberley Club races at the<br />
course.<br />
Ross says he hopes that will<br />
not be the case and that<br />
‘‘common sense prevails’’ so that<br />
racing can continue at the<br />
historic course.<br />
‘‘We will be fighting hard with<br />
the Rangiora Harness Racing<br />
Club to make sure the right<br />
decision is made,’’ he says.<br />
In the home straight ... Runners<br />
in the Tyre General Amberley Pace<br />
head for the finish line during the<br />
Amberley Trotting Club’s Waitangi<br />
Day meeting, with the eventual<br />
winners John Dunn and I’m Your<br />
Huckleberry, (far right) leading the<br />
way.<br />
PHOTOS: SHELLEY TOPP<br />
Spin dancing with mum ... Near the grandstands Ashleigh Rennie<br />
and her daughter Indie Rennie, aged 3, dance to the beat of John<br />
McCabe’s live music, while Jenny Jennings, of Rangiora, (above)<br />
makes good use of an umbrella she bought in Venice to ward off the<br />
sun.<br />
Learning to respect others through learning martial arts<br />
Having fun ... Karate black belt trainer Paula Hart gets her young charges to warm up<br />
before the under five Karate class starts at the Methodist Church hall in Rangiora.<br />
PHOTOS: JOHN COSGROVE<br />
By JOHN COSGROVE<br />
They jump, they kick, run and laugh,<br />
and in doing so, the childrenatthe<br />
underfive karateclass learn some life<br />
lessons as well the intricacies of the<br />
sport.<br />
Karate black belt trainer(or Sensei)<br />
PaulaHart says it’s not all about<br />
punching and kicking.<br />
‘‘It’s about teaching them how to<br />
focus, how to concentrate on what they<br />
are doing,about listening and<br />
participating in activities,and also<br />
about learningtolose and win with<br />
grace.’’<br />
Throw in somediscipline and subtle<br />
lessons on selfdefence, and that’s what<br />
makes up the underfivekarate classes<br />
heldweeklyinKaiapoi and Rangiora by<br />
Ms Hart.<br />
Fouryearold twins Lachie and Leo<br />
Thompson’s mum Amy believesitis<br />
goodfun for her boys to take part.<br />
‘‘They are learning abit abouta<br />
different culture, aboutselfdefence,<br />
all while getting involved in something<br />
physically active with other children.’’<br />
KeriRia says it’sgreatfor his<br />
childrenWilliam 4, and Eli 2, to learna<br />
wee bit about selfdefence,discipline<br />
and fitness.<br />
‘‘Paula’s classteaches themabout<br />
handeye coordinationand using their<br />
hands and feet, and throughgroup play,<br />
she is helpingthem to learn about<br />
looking afterthemselves and others,’’<br />
he said.<br />
Paula says throughfun group<br />
activities, she is starting to teach the<br />
children whattodofor selfdefence.<br />
‘‘It’s done subtly through play,and we<br />
also teach the children to respect<br />
othersand not to fight outside the<br />
dojo.’’<br />
Paula is alsoaswimming coachand<br />
party planner/clown/fairy/ninja at<br />
FuntimeParties and says she beganher<br />
interest in martial arts over 10 years<br />
ago.<br />
‘‘Through it, Icombine my passions<br />
for helping others, clowningaround<br />
and working with children.<br />
‘‘GKR Karate Sensei HaydenWillmot<br />
helpedmeset up the programmes we<br />
trailed last yearinthe two centres.’’<br />
After keeninterestbyagrowing<br />
numberofparents, Paula now runstwo<br />
sessions aweek in Rangiora and one in<br />
Kaiapoi.<br />
Enjoying ... Patrick Kenyoun, 4, (left),<br />
takes part in punching practice, while right,<br />
Leo Thompson, 4, works the bag in kicking<br />
practice with Paula.
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