There’s something quite special sitting ringside at the Bayleys Hawke’s Bay National Young Horse Jumping Championships watching the potential stars of tomorrow go head to head.
These are the babies the breeders angst over trying to get that perfect mix before they head to riders to be carefully produced for what they all hope will be a top international career.
The 4 Year Old Jumping and Show Hunter Champions 2024 – Henry Gaddum on Bertie – Stationbred (The Boss x Betty /Pharaoh III) Bred by Sofia Gaddum). Photo Credit to Kampic.
The championships – running December 11-14 at the Tōmoana Showgrounds in Heretaunga Hastings – are for four, five, six and seven-year-olds. The fields are whittled down each day toward the championship round. There’s plenty of prestige in winning these titles.
Marcus Rose is the ring designer for the age group classes with Becky Ormsby in ring three.
Australian course designer Michael Hease will be working his magic in ring two. The FEI Level 3 designer is an expert at building to progress horses through the show and build confidence.
The East Coast Performance Horses 5 Year Old Champions 2024 – Fraser Tombleson on Mr Shelby – NZ Warmblood (Eurosport Diamant B x Mea 1 / Ngahiwi One Eye) Bred by Warwick Tombleson. Photo Credit to Kampic
Show secretary Sharron White says there is plenty to love about the event and is keen to encourage people to get their entries in.
“This is such a great event and it would be a shame not to have those big competitive fields we used to have all the time. The grounds are looking a picture and arenas jumping really well too.”
The New Zealand Warmblood Association 6 Year Old Champions 2024 – Vicki Wilson on Dakota VWNZ – NZ Warmblood (Daminos x Empress VWNZ / Carrado MVNZ) Bred by Vicki Wilson. Photo Credit to Kampic
As well as prize money to the winners there is also the BMW Sport Horse Challenge with $250 for each of the age group classes for the victor who finishes on zero faults. If there is more than one winner, the $250 will be shared between them.
The NZPH & A1 Equine Reproduction 7 Year Old Champions 2024 – Vicki Prendergast on Stiletto C – Warmblood (Cohinoor VDL x Sofee / Powerfee) Bred by Vicki Prendergast. Photo Credit to Kampic
It’s the 30th Young Horse Championships, an event driven by the late Graeme Hart of Kiwi Sport Horses.
Graeme is honoured at the Graeme Hart Memorial Awards Night where the big trophies are handed out. One of those is the Tony Webb Cherokee Breeders Cup for the leading breeder across the age group classes.
Vicki Wilson, the Leading Breeder and the Leading Rider of the National Young Horse Show 2024. Copyright Photo: KAMPIC / Kerry Marshall
Tony is also remembered with the Tony Webb Memorial 1.4m class on Friday. Saturday’s Bayley’s Hawke’s Bay Charity Teams Event promises much with $1000 to the winning team – of which $500 will go to the riders’ chosen charity. The two-person teams are encouraged to wear their most outlandish costumes and jump 1.1m-1.15m course over two rounds with accumulative faults. Get those entries in quick as it’s limited to just 10 teams.
The Property Brokers Grand Prix winners 2024 – Luke Dee rides Gangster WW, Now doing big things in Europe! Copyright Photo: KAMPIC / Jaimee Whittaker
A new – but old – supporting sponsor for the horse grand prix has rather a special backstory. The Blast Off Syndicate comprises a crew of people who are mostly very familiar faces around the showjumping circuit.
Cue syndicate manager Sharron White, Jill Fanin (event manager), Jill Deadman (showjumping writer), Liz Hearn (showjumping judge), Rachel Martin (Wairoa Showjumping Committee), Sue Dykes (showjumping judge), Heather McDonald (course designer), Marcia Mabey (showjumping volunteer), Judy Nelson (showjumping family) and Angela Miller (showjumping owner).
“After all the wins last season we thought it appropriate to sponsor something at the Young Horse Show,” says Sharron. “Times are tough to get sponsors and we have had such fun with this horse.”
She’s talking about Jesko – an eight-year-old gelding (by Atlante out of Striking Asset) who they bought for $3000 off Gavelhouse as an ‘untrainable and unruly’ horse . . . oh how wrong they were.
The horse, who is trained by former showjumper Shaun Fannin and his wife Hazel, has won nine races, counting both on the flat and over jumps.
He came into 2025 with three wins from 17 starts and finished the year with nine from 27. He won his first steeplechase in May at Whanganui as a maiden and nabbed the Manawatu Steeplechase at Trentham at his next start, followed by the Wellington Steeplechase a few weeks later at just his third steeplechase start. He went south to Riccarton for Grand National Week, winning the Koral Steeplechase followed by second in the Grand National. But he was just getting started.
Carrying the top weight of 70kg, he powered home to win the Great New Zealand Steeplechase to top off a wonderful season for the syndicate.
WHAT: Bayleys Hawke’s Bay National Young Horse Jumping Championships 2025
WHEN: December 11-14, 2025
WHERE: Tōmoana Showgrounds, Heretaunga Hastings
ENTRIES: www.evoevents.co.nz
1 December 2025
Diana Dobson