The new owners of a rural Otago pub are not horsing around when it comes to the importance of having a thriving local watering hole.
Donna Hall and Jim McDougall bought the Strath Taieri Hotel in August and next month will host the finale of the Goldfields Cavalcade as 400 riders converge on Middlemarch.
A born-and-bred local, Mr McDougall said supporting this type of event was his "bread and butter".
Ms Hall said when the pub closed in November 2024, Mr McDougall knew someone needed to step up and keep it alive as it was a vital hub for a rural community
"We’ve got a lot of farming families around here; it can be quite isolating ... it’s quite nice to actually have somewhere they can come in the evening and catch up with their peers and talk," she said.
Ms Hall and Mr McDougall bought the pub, building and all, outright in August 2025, and say they have never looked back.
"The Middlemarch community is amazing — they support the pub and the pub supports the community groups, so it just works really well."
On having a horse in the pub to mark their support of the cavalcade, Ms Hall said Jacko was not the first, and probably not the last, horse to hang around inside the pub while his owner finished a pint.
"It’s happened many a time over the years we’ve been told, so no-one even blinks."
On March 7, the cavalcade will have its grand finale in Middlemarch where more than 400 riders who have travelled by horse, wagon, foot, or bike will converge for a noon parade, market stalls, and an evening hoedown.
Riders will meet in Middlemarch after days of trekking across Otago, on one of 12 different tracks starting from different points around the region.
It has been estimated it would be the biggest event in the town since the Middlemarch Singles Ball 25 years ago.
Funds raised will go towards a new roof for the Middlemarch swimming pool.
The finale of the cavalcade is hosted by a different small Otago town every year and the new owners of the Strath Taieri Hotel stepped up as gold sponsors.
Their staff would be in town on the day as the duty managers and the pub itself will host live music over Saturday, the day the cavalcade participants were due to ride in to town, as well as Sunday for those wanting to continue festivities.
The cavalcade is expected to draw a crowd of more than 2000 for the market day, while the hoedown has capacity for 800 party-goers, making it one of the biggest events of the year for Middlemarch.
