Katie Laurie is coming back to black.
The two-time Olympic showjumper who for the past four years has ridden for Australia says her heart belongs in New Zealand and the time was right for her to return.
“I want to be part of a team getting New Zealand to championships and do well,” she said from her Canada base. “I have a great horse in his prime years with some super talented up and coming ones too and I ride for New Zealand owners too.”
Her move has been welcomed by ESNZ chief executive Julian Bowden and chair of Jumping Penny Tapley.
“It’s fantastic to welcome Katie back into the New Zealand environment,” says Julian. “Her knowledge and experience will bring more quality into our jumping programme. Through the support of the Plaw family, the high performance team are developing a jumping programme that focuses on improving our system and outcomes. Katie being a Kiwi and with Kiwi owners we know will make a positive impact on the work being done.”
His sentiments are echoed by Penny. “It’s very exciting for New Zealand jumping, certainly as we turn our focus towards team representation at Aachen, Los Angeles and beyond,” she said. “Katie brings extensive international experience at the highest level which will strengthen our opportunities going forward.”
Katie’s decision to return hasn’t been made lightly and she says she has loved being in the Australian fold and what they are doing for the sport.
“But I feel more a Kiwi than anything,” says Katie. “Living in Canada you often get asked where you are from – it’s the accent. I am generally standing in front of them in an Australian jacket and start saying I am from New Zealand but now Australia . . . it always sounded so confusing.”
So she got to a point where she would just say Australia but that brought with it all the “normal Aussie questions”.
“I’d feel like an Australian imposter because I only actually lived there for four years.”
She grew up in New Zealand, and it was here she started her very successful riding career. Most of her family are still in New Zealand too.
“So it feels like the right choice. Just last week at the supermarket someone asked me again where I was from and I felt really proud to say New Zealand.”
Katie made her Olympic debut for New Zealand at Hong Kong in 2008 and was the nation’s youngest showjumper, and then in 2021 rode at the Tokyo Olympic Games for Australia. In 2010 wearing the silver fern she rode at the World Equestrian Games and in 2022 for Australia at World Champs. She remains New Zealand’s best placed at an FEI World Cup Jumping Final when she and Delphi placed sixth. It was the second time she had ridden at the final.
Her name is etched in all of New Zealand’s top trophies. She has won the Olympic Cup five times on five different horses, as well as claiming the Lady Rider of the Year five times and the Norwood Gold Cup thrice.
She first made the move to Canada without a horse and got a job riding while meeting people and getting to know the lay of the land.
“The next time I came back was with Delphi who I think was one of the best horses in the world and really helped me compete at that top level when I returned to ride again for the same stable.”
“If any other Kiwis want to come to North America I hope we can all work as a team. I would love to be the one encouraging the younger riders to do it if they can.”
Since moving fulltime to Canada, Katie has competed in Florida, California, Traverse City, Las Vegas, Thunderbird and Spruce Meadows. “It really is amazing the shows you have access to on this side of the world.”
Aachen World Champs (2026) and the Los Angeles Olympic Games (2028) are most certainly on her radar. “It is always a huge honour to ride for New Zealand,” she says.
Auckland’s Mike and Carissa McCall are her biggest owners and she also rides for Highland Farms. “We’ve got a bunch of very talented horses in the barn alongside some rather exciting younger ones we are training.”
Django is her top horse. The 12-year-old was born and bred in New Zealand by the McVean family and has had many great results in 5* Grand Prix and most recently was 12th in the $3 million 5* Grand Slam Grand Prix. Cera Caruso has been one of Katie’s most competitive horses ever. “He has jumped above what we have all ever dreamed he could and the one who has kept me up in the rankings for the past couple of years.”
He’s won and placed in many ranking classes at 5* shows. Also in her string are Tulara Zriensky and Roark OBF, a “super talented” six-year-old stallion by Emerald who Katie and his owner Jamie Lee have “huge dreams” for.
Supernova is a recent addition from Europe who Katie says has plenty of talent. “Every time I jump him I can’t stop smiling. He’s got an unreal feeling.” Shortly she has “a super flash looking” seven-year-old coming from the McCalls.
“New Zealand is an unbelievable place to breed and bring up horses and if you look back over the years and consider the size of our country, we have certainly produced some top horses and riders.”
Katie, with husband Jackson and children Grace and Royce live about 25 minutes from Spruce Meadows. “It’s a great place to live, one of the most beautiful spots in the world and an amazing place for the kids to grow up. They get the best of both English and western lifestyles over here so it will be interesting to see which way they end up going.”
For now, Canada will remain home with the kids in school and a successful business ticking over but they all look forward to heading Down Under more frequently in the future.
By Diana Dobson – ESNZ HP Media Liaison