Happy Birthday To Our Horses!

Today is a special day for our equine Team at Te Akau, as it's ALL of our Horses' Birthday! 

On 1 August, we can wish every Te Akau horse a VERY happy BIRTHDAY! It’s celebration day as all of our special equine friends officially turn one year older, regardless of their specific birthdate.

Our weanlings become yearlings, our yearlings become 2YOs with their sights set on the likes of the TAB TAB Karaka Millions 2YO (we've won eight), Group 1 Sistema and Manawatu Sires.

Our juveniles now join the 3YO ranks, eyeing iconic age races such as the Group 1 NZ 2000 Guineas, NZ 1000 Guineas, NZ Derby, NZ Oaks, and of course, the NZB Kiwi Slot race, which Te Akau won its inaugural running with Damask Rose last season. We will be hunting down another 'Kiwi' title with our Te Akau slot, as well as another TAB Karaka Millions 3YO win, and more in 2025/26!

Our 3YO fillies graduate to the rank of mare, and our colts (if they are still that lucky) become horses or entires. However, once a gelding, always a gelding!

Yes, today every horse becomes one year older in the southern hemisphere. Down here, we’ve got 1 August to mark the standardised birthday for every horse, while northern hemisphere equines celebrate their special day on 1 January.

The date, based on the equine breeding season, is used to standardise the industry, particularly horse racing, which uses the date to place horses in their age grades for races.

Standardising the age of horses was essential for the racing industry. As one commentator noted: “It is a little bit like kids in school. You have to have a single date you can use to make it more uniform. Say a horse is born today - the first of August - he or she will race with horses from now until the end of November, December. That puts them all in the same age group. It is very important to have restrictive races for age.”

Today is also an important day for the whole industry, falling just before Spring, as it kicks off the new breeding year. The foaling season has started now, and the serving of mares can begin on the first of September.

I am sure you will join us in wishing a very big Happy Birthday to all of Te Akau’s lovely equine team in New Zealand and Australia, and here's to an exciting new season ahead! GO THE TANGERINE!