Pint-sized Central Districts jockey Robbie Hannam looks up to most people.

But on Saturday he almost needed binoculars to see the face of the man he was asked to interview at a celebrity function during the Taranaki Thoroughbred Racing's winter meeting at Pukekura Raceway.

One of the smallest senior jockeys riding in New Zealand at 1.49m (4feet 9inches) with his boots on, Hannam seized the opportunity to quiz the Taranaki Mountain Airs American import, Marcus Campbell.

Hannam put the 2.14m (7ft) basketballer to the test with a few tricky questions that Campbell cleverly sidetracked.

"What are the chances of you teaching me to slam dunk," asked Hannam. "About the same as you teaching me to ride a horse," Campbell hit back with as quick as a flash.

Things were made a little easier for Hannam when one of the organisers gave him a chair to stand on to get the microphone near Campbell's mouth.

The two were celebrity guests at a function organised as part of a fundraiser for the Taranaki Wanderers Cricket Club.

It was all in good fun and proved a major talking point around the course.

The Taranaki Wanderers development cricket team comprises 14 talented secondary school cricketers from throughout the province. On July 7 the tour party will head to the UK to play 14 youth teams in a 21-day tour.

It will be the second time the Wanderers have toured, the first time being in 2007. No fewer than three of the squad on that trip have since gone on to play national age group cricket.