Darbylea and Buster - he's my "heart horse"

When it comes to her "Buster", Darbylea Allard is as smitten now as she was when she got him five years ago.

"Buster is my heart horse and my best friend. The partnership we share is truly special."

Her latest success came just last month when they were judged the HRNZ/ Woodlands Stud Best Standardbred Exhibit at the Franklin A&P show. They also had some top three placings and took the win in their rider class.

"I could not have been prouder. I feel so incredibly lucky to call this beautiful horse mine," she says.

Born in England, Allard came to New Zealand when she was eight. It was only a few years later that she started just hacking others' horses. It wasn’t until later in her teens that she started learning to ride properly. Now 26 and based at Waiuku, Allard works as a vet nurse and has three of her own horses.

"I usually come up every day on my lunch break to ride them and then feed up after work so I see them twice a day if not more."

She's pretty clear that Buster is her favourite.

"He's the best ever," she says proudly.

In his racing days Buster was the well-bred Sunny Pegasus (Pegasus Spur - Quick Sun), a two-race winner for trainer-driver James Stormont.

When he was retired in 2020 Allard had no hesitation to take him for his Life After Racing.

"He was advertised for rehoming by the farrier who had shod him during his racing career," says Allard, "although taking sight unseen isn’t something I would normally do, I saw a photo of him and thought 'that's my horse'"

She acquired him just a week or so after he'd been retired.

They have clearly come a fair way together since then, including qualifying for Horse of the Year in 2025 in his first season of showing.

"He placed in three of his classes in the standardbred ring at Horse of the Year among standardbreds from all over New Zealand."

"Cross country is his favourite by far," says Allard, "but any jumping, if you point him at a jump his eyes just light up."

"He's confidently placing top 10 in all of his events now."

Along the way there have been many highlights including last year's Battle of the Breeds at Cambridge where thoroughbreds and standardbreds compete against each other in a number of disciplines.

"He won best performed Standardbred there and he won the best Conditioned and Conformation out of all the Standardbreds and Thoroughbreds so that was a big accomplishment."

Also last year they did a Horse Trial for the first time.

"Prior to Christmas we went to Brookby Horse Trials and he came fifth out of a huge class of 30 - there were thoroughbreds, warmbloods all sorts in that class."

As for their goals in 2026?

"I need to do more work with his flat work .... his canter has come a long way but keeping him in a frame is a work in progress for me and he sometimes like to lift his head in his transitions and when it comes to showing that's the sort of thing they look at."

She also wants to go to more horse trials and to go bigger.

“We are only competing 65cms eventing at the moment with the hope to step up to 80 cm in the future. Even though he has confidently jumped individual fences and combination of up to 1.05 metres, it is as much about my confidence in the competition as it is his.”

And that's why , Allard says, the combo works - they are both learning together.