It’s been a busy year for Seija Parkkali-Glew who has had her dedication and commitment to equestrian industry recognised with two volunteer awards.
At last month’s Dressage NZ Awards in Christchurch, the Mid Cantabrian took out the title of Volunteer of the Year for the 2025/2026 season.
The accolade followed her being named the Greg Donaldson Contracting Volunteer of the Year at the 2026 Mid Canterbury Sports and Recreation Awards in May.
The 42-year-old has been riding since she was age 12.
She said her mum rode and she just always wanted to ride.
She started off riding with a pony club and since she had gone on to undertake eventing, jumping, A&P showing and dressage, which was her main focus these days.
“It’s an amazing feeling doing dressage, it’s like dancing with your horse,’’ she said.
‘‘It’s like teaching your horse gymnastics.”
Dressage is a growing sport in New Zealand and Ashburton groups help bring riders together so they don’t feel so isolated in their sport, Parkkali-Glew said.
‘‘Dressage and getting your jumping correct are the foundations to doing well across the disciplines including eventing,” she said.
She rides most days along with coaching, providing governance and hands on helping at events.
She runs On Top Equestrian a business of repairing saddles and helping riders fit them correctly.
Parkkali-Glew said the winning of the awards is great exposure for the sport.
‘‘It was both humbling and overwhelming to win the dressage award” she said.
Her list of achievements is long and includes being an ambassador for Equestrian Sport New Zealand.
She is involved in the equestrian pursuits from grassroot level through to national roles.
For a number of years she has been a member of the committee of the Ashburton Dressage Group.
In January, when the group hold a two day event at the Ashburton Showgrounds, Parkkali-Glew takes on the role on event manager organising draws and timetables and co-ordinating the event.
‘‘The local dressage committee are an amazing group to work with, we’re friends and we have so much fun,” she said.
A major project Parkkali-Glew was very involved with was trying to establish a large all-weather areas at the Ashburton A&P Association grounds.
Parkkali-Glew is on the organising committee for the South Island dressage championships. They run a three-day dressage championship at McLeans Island in Christchurch at the national equestrian centre.
Her passion is coaching and she is a qualified New Zealand Dressage coach.
‘‘I enjoy teaching people how to train and ride their horses correctly,” she said.
She is currently preparing for the Demo and Dabble event later in the year. It is a new initiative that began last year and she was made an Equestrian Sport New Zealand (ESNZ) ambassador with them.
‘‘The event teaches pony club riders and novice adult riders how to ride and encouraging them in their sport,” Parkkali-Glew said.
At the end of August she will be involved with the South Island Secondary Schools Equestrian Cup in Christchurch where she will also be an ESNZ ambassador.
It is an “interschool” event and teams from Mount Hutt and Ashburton colleges will be taking part in dressage, eventing, showjumping and endurance riding.
Parkkali-Glew breeds, breaks in and trains her own horses so there is a special bond between rider and horse
