More wins but still more to do for Taylah and Michelangelo

By Dave Di Somma, Harness News Desk 

At just 20 Taylah Dolan has already achieved a lot. But she has at least two more goals on her to-do list.

In recent years Taylah and her Art Major gelding Michelangelo have been a force in the Show Ring, with countless ribbons from shows all over the country.

This year their most recent success has come in a competition sponsored by Harness Racing New Zealand and the New Zealand Standardbred Breeders Association.

After the 2026 Horse of the Year (HOY) was cancelled it was decided to run a Ridden and In-Hand competition so that the efforts of those showing horses could be recognised and rewarded.

Entrants had to send in their top five results from RAS (Royal Agricultural Society)/ A&P Shows from August 2025 - April 2026.

Points were then allocated depending on performance, with bonus points for those finishing Champion or Reserve Champion.

In the Ridden Award Michelangelo and Taylah Dolan finished first, ahead of Royal Runabout (raced as Swift And Smart and ridden by Edie Van Der Vis) and Willow Bay, ridden by Sarah Kirk.

The $1000 prizemoney was divided among the top three.  

It capped off another busy and successful season for Taylah and Michelangelo.

"We did five shows during the season with our wins at the Canterbury A&P and the South Island Premier the highlights."

Taylah, who's been around horses all her life,  believes the success is the culmination of years of hard work finally paying off.

"He (Michelangelo) has come ahead in leaps and bounds, he's doing everything that I ask of him  ... it's very encouraging."

"We get on great - we know how to get on our A game and that's taken a couple of years."

Some of that has come down purely to trial and error.

"Like different procedures before shows, different variety of riding and warm ups and things like that," says Taylah.

Taylah also has regular coaching to improve her own technique as well as her mental focus.

"I like things to be perfect and have learned that calmness is key."

"If you make a mistake you can't get upset you have to keep going."

Taylah has had Michelangelo for around eight years. He was trained by her dad Steve during a brief racing career.

Clearly talented, he won four races from nine starts before injury forced his retirement in 2017.

"He hit his knees bad and got a bowed tendon - that's what stopped him."

"Originally he was going to be Mum's (Leanne) horse but I kinda stole him."

The ability he had on the track has been replicated by his performances off it.  

"He's arrogant," says Taylah, "he knows he's good and likes to think that it's 'his way or the highway'".

Micheangelo is usually ridden about five times a week.

"He's quite a fatty," laughs Taylah, "so it's hacking, jumping, flat work and fitness - that's my week with him."

This year she plans to do some eventing with him as well.

Taylah is one of 10 HERO educators employed by HRNZ. HERO (Harness Education and Rehoming Opportunities) is a re-homing and re-education programme to help prepare retired standardbreds for their Life After Racing. She is also studying through Otago Polytechnic with the aim of ultimately working in a veterinary practice.

For all their success though there is one particular goal that has proved elusive.

"In 2024 and 2025 I was Reserve Champion (Ridden Standardbred) at HOY (Horse of the Year)."

"I still really want to win HOY."

After its cancellation this year HOY's future is far from certain with talk of a scaled-down version possibly in 2027. 

Another "dream" is to take Michelangelo to Australia and do the circuit there, particularly in Sydney.

"The judges at the South Island Premier were Australian and they said we'd go well over there so that sowed the seed," says Taylah.

But it's a big move and not to be taken lightly.

"I might need to win Lotto!"

In the HRNZ-NZSBA competition Southlander Davinia McDonald won the In-Hand section with her horse Macklemore. We will have her story next week.