A festive flair was sprinkled over Canterbury this weekend, with the K & J Blair Showjumping Canterbury Christmas Cracker hosting their annual show that attracted hundreds of competitors who displayed their Christmas cheer with an array of outfits, ranging from Santa hats and tinsel to a full blown gingerbread man costume!
Despite the wind causing a little havoc, the show carried on and some outstanding competition was seen with a fun and happy atmosphere carried over the whole weekend.
Katie Meredith wins the FEI World Jumping Challenge on ES Quincy. Photo credit to Michelle Clarke Photography.
Katie Meredith certainly had a cracker of a show, leaving with no less that three big wins under her belt. She kicked off her weekend with a win on ES Quincy in the Darryl Marshall Bayleys Nelson FEI World Jumping Challenge, in conjunction with Medentevprises & Jordan Eli, where she narrowly beat the in form Sofia Williams on Grassendale Enzo. ES Quincy went on to also win the PL Performance Horses Mini Prix, making it seven wins in a row for this successful partnership. Kate Houston’s turnout efforts came to fruition when she and Cera Chanel were awarded the Best Presented prize for this class.
Katie’s good fortune didn’t end there, when she scored a big win in the Property Brokers Grand Prix, locally supported by Kiwi Conveyancing Solutions, this time in the saddle of Sapphire SSNZ.
Katie Meredith wins the Property Brokers Grand Prix on Sapphire SSNZ. Photo Credit to Michelle Clarke Photography
”We had a great weekend jumping with our team. Show Jumping Canterbury headed by Pip Wylaars put on a great show in challenging conditions. I was so pleased with Sapphire SSNZ, bred by and owned with Salaco Sport Horses. We have brought her on slowly and she is starting to really reward us and show us how good she is now. We had super tracks to jump all weekend thanks to Donella Still.
ES Quincy owned by Tama and Desley Haas has won 7 classes in a row now, including 2 from 2 this weekend. We had a blast jumping the world challenge class, I think the tracks and ring size encourages really good, forward riding and it’s always a fun class.”
Molly Moffatt rode Lazarus GNZ to second place in the Grand Prix, with Emma Gillies and Benrose Black Jack in third place. Emma and Benrose Black Jack were another combination that celebrated a successful show as they also took home the win in the FMG Young Rider, locally supported by Syncroflex. Five combinations contested the jump off, with four posting a double clear, and the times were tight at the top. Emma’s winning time was 37.17, with Sofia Williams aboard Grassendale Enzo just behind in 37.31 for second place.
Emma Gillies wins the FMG Young Rider on Benrose Black Jack. Photo Credit to Michelle Clarke Photography.
Emma was thrilled with her win:
“It was a really great class, great competition and it means a lot to win such a competitive class with such a good caliber of horses down here. My plans with him (Benrose Black Jack) are to give him a wee break over Christmas and then we’ll head up north and do a few shows up there. Hopefully all goes well, and then we’ll finish the season and make a plan for the winter”
Katharine Coleman wins The Brave Pants Company Pro Am on Double J Sunshine. Photo Credit to Michelle Clarke Photography.
Katharine Coleman yet again took the pole position in The Brave Pants Company Pro Am, locally supported by The Dental Vet. The jump off was fast and furious, and while Katharine’s time of 42.40, aboard her long time stable mate Double J Sunshine, deemed unbeatable, the other placegetters were not far behind, with the top three all jumping double clear. Sonia McKerchar rode Riverhills Bayliner to second place in 42.46, and Harriet Gardner rounded out the podium in 46.48 on Endeavour I.
Eva Wylaars wins the Mainland Coachwork Junior Rider on Centanna II. Photo Credit to Michelle Clarke Photography.
As they often do, the Wylaars girls had a great show, Eva won the Mainland Coachwork Junior Rider on Centanna II. Eight combinations headed into the jump off and the talent really shone through with six putting another clear round on the board. Maygen Gubb riding PL Fox D’Amour were quick enough for second place, and Casey Mackintosh finished in third on Takapoto India. Not to be outdone by her sister, Johanna Wylaars finished at the top of the NZPH Seven Year Old Breeding Series, locally supported by Canterbury Saddlery, leaderboard with the only clear round on Demietta (Daminos x Octavia Queen/Don Quattro).
Johanna is stoked with how her young mare has stepped up this season:
“It’s really special to win, Demi’s had to step up to the number one spot this season with a few horse injuries. She’s stepped up really well and has been jumping super this season. The seven year old classes are great for stepping young horses up into some bigger classes. My plans with her are to focus on the seven year olds, and hopefully take her north at the end of the season for a wee run, just see where the season takes us really”.
Johanna Wylaars wins the NZPH Seven Year Old Breeding Series on Demietta. Photo Credit to Michelle Clarke Photography.
Molly Buist Brown rides SLE Limoncello in the New Zealand Warmblood Association Six Year Old Breeding Series. Photo Credit to Michelle Clarke Photography.
The six year old horses really showed off their talent, with over half the class jumping a clear first round in the New Zealand Warmblood Association Six Year Old Breeding Series, locally supported by Nayton Mitchell Racing. From the five that went in to the second round, three put down another clear to share first place:
- SLE Limoncello (Pennsylvania x NVME/ Voltaire II), ridden by Molly Buist Brown and bred by Jan Hunt.
- Krystal Clear I (Clearway x Cassina K/ Cassini I), ridden by Tamara Silcock and bred by the Goldengrove Stud.
- Aerial’s Airline Alley (Chacco Silver x Maria/ Ngahiwi One Eye), ridden by Summer Borrie and bred by Warwick and Fraser Tombleson.
Tamara Silcock rides Krystal Clear I in the New Zealand Warmblood Association Six Year Old Breeding Series. Photo Credit to Michelle Clarke Photography.
Summer Borrie rides Aerial’s Airline Alley in the New Zealand Warmblood Association Six Year Old Breeding Series. Photo Credit to Michelle Clarke Photography.
In the East Coast Performance Horses Five Year Old Breeding Series, locally supported by Canterbury Equine Clinic, Luce Williams popped another win under her belt riding Jingo ECPH (Jardonnay VDL x Cincinnati ECPH/ Cassiano, bred by series sponsor, East Coast Performance Horses).
Luce Williams wins the East Coast Performance Horses Five Year Old Breeding Series on Jingo ECPH. Photo Credit to Michelle Clarke Photography.
Cherie Cournane rode MF Lexicon to victory in the Dunstan Horsefeeds Amateur Rider, as did Grace Roy on Buzzie Bees Max in the AMS Saddlery Pony Grand Prix, locally supported by Mike Greer Homes.
Cherie Cournane wins the Dunstan Horsefeeds Amateur Rider on MF Lexicon.
Photo Credit to Michelle Clarke Photography.
Grace Roy wins the AMS Saddlery Pony Grand Prix on Buzzie Bees Max. Photo Credit to Michelle Clarke Photography.
The TiES Futurity class is proving to be a popular one, and in this case saw five head into the jump off with the top three all going double clear. Ruby Rae-Wood stopped the clock first on the Iffraaj gelding, Perfect Scenario, with Kiera Inglis riding the Super Easy gelding, Dream Brave and Jade Miller aboard the Highly Recommended gelding, King of the Clouds coming in closely behind for second and third place respectively.
As they should be, Show Jumping Canterbury were thrilled with how their show planned out, as stated on their Facebook page:
“Three days of show jumping and show hunter where, at times, the wind was easily the toughest opponent on the grounds.
If it didn’t steal your hat, your back number, or your will to live at least once… we’re not entirely convinced you shared the same weekend as the rest of us.
Yet somehow, the Christmas Cracker crew – officials, judges, riders, volunteers, and every helping hand on the grounds, dug in, held on (literally), and kept the show jumping and show hunter rolling.
Horses pricked their ears into the headwinds, riders rode like champions, stewards stood firm in the gales, and our judges clung to clipboards with Olympic-level grip strength.
To everyone who made this wild, windy, wonderful Christmas Cracker happen – thank you!
And to our incredible sponsors: your support is what allows us to deliver weekends like this, questionable weather and all.
Despite the gales, despite the delays, and despite dust ending up in places nobody wants dust, you all kept the Christmas spirit alive and made this weekend a standout.”
For full results, go to:
8 December 2025
The Jumping Team