The New Zealand Hanoverian Society (Inc.) www.nzhanoverian.com The New Zealand Hanoverian Society launched its own website late last month, at www.nzhanoverian.com.

As well as promoting the New Zealand Hanoverian locally and overseas, the new site will give members and breeders a central portal on which to promote and advertise their stock. Members and prospective members also have a resource area for downloading administration documentation, such as membership and registration forms.

Society president John Smith says the site is great for those wishing to learn more about the Hanoverian and its history in New Zealand.

"The resident breeding stallions are featured, as well as a history of the breed in this country since the importation of Winnebago in 1977. Since then New Zealand Hanoverians have been very successful on the world stage, with horses such as Monopoly, World Cup showjumper Super Moth, Olympic dressage mare Waikare - the first to represent New Zealand in this discipline at the Olympics - and many more."

The site has joined the web with the help of web designers and hosts, Horsetalk (http://www.horsetalk.co.nz), New Zealand's top equestrian web portal, which features news, information, classifieds, and site hosting for studs and organisations.

"We hope that members will embrace the opportunities that the web presents, and use the site for marketing themselves and their horses," Mr Smith says.

The society is also intending on starting a members-only hanoverian discussion group/bulletin board.

Stoneylea Farm (http://www.horsetalk.co.nz/nzhanoverian/stoneylea), has also joined the web, and is the first Hanoverian stud to go online under the nzhanoverian.com banner. Based in the Te Horo area in the lower part of the North Island, Angela and John Smith have been breeding Hanoverians since 1994. The farm has four broodmares who form the nucleus of their operation, which includes training and competition.

ABOUT THE HANOVERIAN SOCIETY OF NEW ZEALAND:

Formed in 1977, the society is a daughter organisation of the Hanoverian Verband in Germany, the world registered and approving authority on the breed. There are currently three approved stallions in New Zealand, and imported fresh and frozen semen is also used.
Website: http://www.nzhanoverian.com, launched Saturday 23 February.