Katie Laurie Leading Rider at the Bayleys Hawke’s Bay Young Horse Show Jumping Championships Photo by Cornege Media

 

The rising stars of New Zealand showjumping and the people behind them have been celebrated and honoured at the Bayleys Hawke’s Bay Young Horse Championships in Heretaunga Hastings this weekend.

Champions were found across the age groups, with Olympian Katie Laurie making the most of her fleeting visit home and crowned leading rider, with Wairarapa’s East Coast Performance Horses the leading breeders and Matawhio Sporthorses Chacco Silver the leading stallion.

Laurie had a busy champs with nine horses, winning the Seven-Year-Old Championship aboard Carissa and Mike McCall’s Phantom HPNZ and placed fourth in the same class on their Van Gogh MVNZ who she is picking will contest World Cups in the future.

“Phantom is one of those very careful horses so you can really get going – he likes it fast too,” she said. “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.”

For top breeders East Coast Performance Horses, the win topped off an exciting year. “We’ve had a really good winter selling horses with three going to Australia and one to the United States,” says ECPH’s Nicki Hull.

The YHS are a highlight on the annual competition calendar for ECPH and one Hull says they always want to do well at. “But you have to remember, these are young horses so you can’t expect too much of them. It is really nice they have all gone out and performed well.”

Matawhio Sporthorses’ Mary-Beth Willis was delighted to have Chacco Silver MS named top stallion of the show. “That’s absolutely wonderful,” she said. “I am thrilled. He is a tall stallion who produces a lot of tall progeny and many of those won’t come into their own until they are way past that YHS age.”

Imported from Germany, Chacco Silver is by the very famous Chacco Blue who has been the world’s no.1 ranked jumping breeding stallion multiple times.

Dannevirke horseman Logan Massie picked up two crowns – the Six-Year-Old Championship aboard Cumulus ECPH and the Four-Year-Old title with Phoenix ECPH.

Cumulus had been “naughty” to break in as a three-year-old. “She was meant to be sold a few times but I could never get her broken in in time for the auctions.”

But everything changed when she was under saddle. “I love her attitude and ability to jump under pressure,” says Logan. “She is a bit bullish and has a lot of blood so three days of jumping suited her. Her best jumping was on the third day.”

The Five-Year-Old Championship went the way of Helen McNaught (Taupo) and Whoopy Doo who had contemplated a rodeo round before redeeming herself to take the title.

“Everyone wants to breed a good one, don’t they. We’ll just continue to produce her and see what she wants to be. I am not getting any younger. Maybe we’ll take her abroad, but for now she’s going into the field for a bit of a holiday.”

Massie said it was a nice bonus for both him and the breeders to take out the Four-Year-Old crown aboard Phoenix ECPH.

“As a four-year-old you have not much expectation and are here to showcase the horse and jump some nice rounds. Where they end up is where they end up,” he said. “They are predominantly here for fun and experience.”

Massie has had the horse around three months and admits he was quite green coming into the show but stepped up, went well and showed “a bit of stamina”, finishing on 12 faults from the four rounds over three days.

 

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.

Style prize: Kylie McCambridge (Matangi) Waitangi Starlink.

 

NZ Warmblood Association Six-Year-Old Championship (sponsored by Prydes Easifeed): Logan Massie (Dannevirke) Cumulus ECPH (Carrera VDL x Delage ECPH/Dallas VDL – bred by ECPH and owned by ECPH) 1, Fraser Babbington (Gisborne) HCPH Blinky Bill (Doc Holliday x Marble /Dundee – bred by Dicki Waitoa and owned by Fraser Babbington), Oliver Edgecombe (Waipukurau) Carlo1 (Clarimo x Laguna Beach /Lord Pezi – bred by Tom McDermott and owned by Oliver Edgecombe), Nicholas O’Leary (Whanganui) Chalice (Chacco Silver x Ricker Ridge Vittoria /Voltaire II – bred by Merrin Jaquiery and owned by Merrin Jaquiery and Nicholas O’Leary, Carissa McCall (Kumeu) Churro Ego Z (Carthago Z x Popsicle Ego Z/Parco – bred by Ego Summersea and owned by Carissa McCall) =2, Tylah Amrein (Waipukurau) Double J Phyliss (Double J Typhoon x Irish Mac/Omnicorp – bred by Double J Stud and owned by Robyn Jacobs and Tylah Amrein) 6.

Style prize: Oliver Edgecombe (Waipukurau) Carlo1.

 

East Coast Performance Horses Five-Year-Old Championship: Helen McNaught (Taupo) Whoopy Doo (Double Whoopy x Semper Fidelis/Unknown – bred by Duncan McFarlane and Helen McNaught and owned by Helen McNaught) 1, Lucy Fell (Palmerston North) Away Laughing (Eden du Royuet x Enja MVNZ/Cassini II – bred by Lucy Fell and owned by Lucy Fell) 2, Henry Gaddum (Gisborne) Eye Pinky Promise (Ngahiwi One Eye x Luna/Sorcery – bred by Sophie Gaddum and owned by Sophie and Henry Gaddum) 3,  Jake Lambert (Cambridge) Takapoto Trinity (Kannan x Argento/Colman – bred by Takapoto Equestrian and owned by Takapoto Equestrian Ltd 4, Michelle Wakeling (Wellsford) Chacco Eclipse (Chacco Silver x Hazel/Unknown– bred by Rebecca Kerwin and owned by Bruce and Michelle Wakeling) 5, Christine Cornege (Cambridge) Dominick MH (Eurosport Diament B x SPM Roulette MH/River Dance – bred by Angela Miller and owned by Christine Cornege), Candice Fox (Auckland) MacLaren GHP (Mylord Carthago x Yirrkala Ebony/Escudo I, bred by Olivia Hamood and owned by Candice Fox), Sofie Gaddum (Gisborne) Bertie (The Boss x Betty/Pharaoh III, bred by Sofie Gaddum and owned by Sofie and Henry Gaddum). =6.

Style prize: Vicki Prendergast (Matamata) Cardinal ECPH.

 

Four-Year-Old Championship (sponsored by Advice4Life): Logan Massie (Dannevirke) Phoenix ECPH (Pommerol de Muze x Cassiana ECPH/Cassiano – bred by ECPH and owned by ECPH) 1, Dakota Phillibert (Te Kowhai) Lennox Awsr (Casebrook Lamond x Hazel NZPH/Kannan) 2, Katie Laurie (Canada) Cactus HPNZ (Casall x Olive/Chacco Silver, bred by Henwood Park and owned by Carissa McCall) 3, Kimberley Carrington (Takapau) Double J Ladies Man (Double J Repicharge x La de da/Littorio – bred by Wendy Jacobs and owned by Kimberley Carrington) 4, Heather Gee-Taylor (Rangiwahia) Taco Tuesday (Captivate VWNZ x PS Phar Bea Nar/Cachassini II – bred by Ariana Kohn and owned by Heather Gee-Taylor) 5, Amanda Illston (Masterton) Mountain Hunters Centastage (Eurosport Centavos x Ngahiwi Splendour/Blue Indoctro – bred by Mountain Hunters Sport Horses and owned by Amanda Illston), Tanya Hansen (Taranaki) Finesse VF (Diamant de Semilly x Diamant de Semilly/Indoctro, bred by Vista Farm and owned by Tanya Hansen), Morgan Baddeley (Canterbury) KF Big Tom (Comthago VDL x LT Holst Elle Star/Big Star, owned by Kokako Farms Ltd). =6.

Style prize: Heather Gee-Taylor (Rangiwahia) Taco Tuesday.

 

Diana Dobson

14 December 2025