Loburn's Mel Morris has joined her father, Lyndon Morris, on the horse committee for this year's show and will also be competing in hunter events along side her sister, Sarah Morris, and nephew Ben Wood.
''I will be competing over the two days,'' Mel says.
''I've been competing for 30 years on and off. I started out when I was 10.''
Mel has had some success over the years on her 20-year-old gelding Malluka and will be competing with him in four classes on Friday and one on Saturday.
''Malluka has been around for a number of years and he's been a very good horse.''
She is also riding her father's horse, Kosciuszko, in four classes on Friday and two on Saturday, with Ben also riding Kosciuszko in the Kennels Cup for qualified hunters and riders aged under 20.
''Kosciuszko is just stepping up. My father owns him. I compete with him and my nephew uses him for hunting in the winter, so he's a real family horse,'' Mel says.
The Kennels Cup competition has been moved from Friday to the main oval on Saturday to encourage young riders to get involved.
''It's been running for years and, when I was eligible to enter, it was pretty prestigious to win,'' she says.
To be eligible for the Kennels Cup, riders need to be under 20 years of age, be a member of a hunt club and to have ridden the horse in at least three hunts during the season.
Other changes this year include moving the breed classes to Friday to avoid clashes with other showing classes on Saturday.
Once again, riders and their horses will be able to earn qualification to the Horse of the Year competition in Hawkes Bay in March in some sections.
Mel says the Rangiora Show is also good preparation for both horses and riders before the New Zealand Agricultural Show in Christchurch next month.
Competitors travel from as far north as Marlborough and as far south as South Canterbury.
There is free entry to watch the horse events on Friday, October 25, with hunter and pony hunter jumping and breed classes in the morning, and showjumping and novice showing classes in the afternoon.
The open competitions will be held on Saturday, with showing classes in the morning and championship hunter and pony hunter jumping late morning and early afternoon, and then the champion horses lining up in the grand parade ''as the big finale''.
Mel is in her first year on the horse committee, supporting her father, who has been horse convenor for more than 30 years.
''It takes a lot of work and a lot of time for everyone involved in the show, so hopefully if we can get some nice weather, it will be a good day.''
