Katie Laurie’s fleeting visit home paid dividends for all on her team at the Bayleys Young Horse Breeding Championships. The Canada-based Olympian won the NZPH Seven-Year-Old Championship aboard Carissa and Mike McCall’s Phantom HPNZ and also rode off with the leading rider of the show.
Katie Laurie rides Phantom HPNZ to win the National 7 Year Old Title at the National Young Horses Championships 2025. Photo Credit to Cornege Media.
“Mike and Carissa always said they wanted me to come back and sit on the young ones,” says Katie.
“Phantom is one of those very careful horses so you can really get going – he likes it fast too! He is very similar to Elvis in many ways.”
Unsure of how fast the other combinations in the jump-off would go, she just cracked on with their round. “We hit the first fence a bit slow and I thought we had better get moving. He stepped it up real fast. I one-strided the two stride double but he cleared it – it just shows how awesome he is.”
She praised the efforts of Laura Inkster who had “done an amazing job with Phantom”, and the rest of the team at the McCall’s property.
Katie Laurie rides Phantom HPNZ to win the National 7 Year Old Title at the National Young Horses Championships 2025. Photo Credit to Cornege Media.
She also placed fourth aboard the McCall’s Van Gogh MVNZ, a horse who really impressed her. “He is probably a little greener but every day he impressed me more. He is very scopey and nice. I think he will be Carissa’s next world cup horse – he really does have all the scope in the world.”
Twelve combinations started the first day of the seven-year-old championship with 10 coming through for the final day of competition. No one had jumped all clear rounds but the top four were all clear in the final opener, forcing a four-fault jump-off. Katie and Phantom were were clear and the fastest to cross the jump-off flags in 36.69 seconds. Hannah Roil (Hastings) aboard Grassendale Xtreme also jumped a clear round but weren’t able to better Katie’s time, for second place. Kylee McCambridge (Matangi) and Waitangi Starlink retired but were still third.
The style prize went to Kylie McCambridge (Matangi) and Waitangi Starlink.
Results NZPH Seven-Year-Old Championship (sponsored by Hawke’s Bay A&P Society):
Katie Laurie (Canada) Phantom HPNZ (Chaccoon Blue x Phantom Hologram/Hattrick VDL – bred by Guy Wallace, owned by Carissa McCall) 1, Hannah Roil (Hastings) Grassendale Xtreme (Corofino II x Casa Rosa MVNZ/Pico Bello – bred by Sharleen Workman and owned by Hannah Roil) 2, Kylee McCambridge (Matangi) Waitangi Starlink (Hector Van di Adkjhoeve x Waitangi Cloud/Cardento – bred by Joss Bayly and owned by Joss Bayly and Kylee McCambridge) 3, Katie Laurie (Canada) Van Gogh MVNZ (Eldorado van de Zeshoek x Casual LVP/Cassini I – bred by Wendy Keddell, owned by Carissa McCall) 4, Maurice Beatson (Dannevirke) LV Ellie (Elkintot x Black Grace/Postponed – bred by Little Valley Farm and owned by Sally Clark) 5, Amanda Wilson (Taupo) Blackstone Smolder (Daminos x Pixel/Lessing – bred by Amanda Wilson and owned by Amanda Wilson) 6.
15 December 2025
Diana Dobson