The Air Napier Show Hunter Championships are all set to kick off on Friday and with a jam packed schedule over the three days, it has attracted over 140 equines and competitors from all over the country to fight for the top spots as the sun falls on the National Series for the 2025/2026 season.
The Series Leaderboards are tight at the top, and Series Finals Day on Saturday will be a very exciting place to be! Let’s look at the standings as we edge closer to Series Finals Day.
Abby Fawcett & Hillman Hunter. Photo Credit to Spot On Photography.
Georgia Allison (Sandow Jacob) and Abby Fawcett (Hillman Hunter) have been going like for like all season, resulting in them both sitting on the maximum score of 72 points in the NRM Open National Series, and the Summit Grains Amateur National Series. Emily Twort (Cameo KSNZ) also sits third on both leaderboards, and whilst she can’t catch the top two in the Open, it’s all to ride for in the Amateur as only four points separate first and third place.
Georgia Allison and Sandow Jacob. Photo from from file.
Georgia is also sitting pretty at the top of the Seahorse Supplements Open Equitation Leaderboard, but Antonio Matangi is very much in reach of nabbing that top spot as she is only two points behind. It is sure to be an exciting class to watch, with Emily Twort, Lauren Mitchell and Hariette Giltrap all in a position to finish on the podium.
Lauren Mitchell and Craighaven Black Heart. Photo Credit to JM Photography.
Lauren Mitchell holds the lead in the LeaderBrand Junior National series on Craighaven Black Heart, and with the absence of Maygen Gubb who is currently just two points behind in second place, Lauren heads into the Series Final in an uncatchable position. She also could overtake Maygen and finish in second place with Marokopa CJ if she gains three or more points on Saturday.
Onto the ponies, where either of the top two could take out the Vero Insurance Cat A National Series. Pippa Petro is currently leading the charge on Waima Gin, but Chloe Dickson is a mere two points behind with Charis Mister Ralph. A win for Rokeya Fletcher riding Apache Star would see her sneak into third place, ahead of Lucy Moorhead who is not competing at the show.
Pippa Petro riding Thin Lizzie. Copyright Photo: KAMPIC / Kerry Marshall
The Grains & Gains Cat B National Series will be an exciting watch as any of the top three could walk away as the Series champion, and the minor placings could also see a shuffle. Current leader, Lucy Lloyd riding Hesasuperstar sits just a single point ahead of Kyla Rameka on Adlou Aramis, and Pippa Petro aboard Thin Lizzie is also in reach on 54 points.
Lucy Lloyd and Hesasuperstar. Photo from file.
Paige Wakelin-Noble (Westfield Pluto) and Charlie Stone (Tawa) will face off in The Brave Pants Company Cat C National Series as just four points divides them at the moment. Aggie Shearer on Bizzie McGuire is fairly comfortable in third place, but the fourth to sixth spots will be dependant on the outcome of the very last class of the series.
Paige Wakelin-Noble and Westfield Pluto. Photo Credit to Elisha Blackburn Photography.
The title of the Equissage NZ Pony Equitation National Series will be between Charlie Stone and Aggie Shearer who head into finals on 70 and 66 points respectively. Whilst victory is just out of reach for Paige Wakelin-Noble on 61 points, she could slip into second place, but she will have to watch out for Chloe Dickson who is just behind her on 57 points.
Charlie Stone and Tawa.
Javana Johnston cannot be beaten in the BOP & Waikato Show Hunter Groups 12 and Under Equitation Series, and Zoe Morris is also uncatchable in second place with Claudia Studholme not competing this weekend. A win for Pippa Petro would see her jump up into third place overall, and Isabelle Duncan, Harriet McAree and Frances Smith will all be fighting over the minor series placings.
Javana Johnston and Starlight Samara. Photo Credit to Shots Photography.
The show looks set to an absolute ripper, with plenty of evening entertainment to boot. Friday will host a BBQ alongside a riders meeting, so make sure you all head along to have your say in the sport whilst enjoying a tasty burger and ice cream!
Saturday is the Awards night, an event not to be missed, so make sure you are there to pick up your award or support your fellow competitors. A variety of food trucks will be available, including Pipi Pizza – arguably the best pizza in the region, Fork & Noise will be firing up their grill, offering a whole range of food, as will Gina’s Food Truck, and who can refuse a crepe from The Crepe Show to finish things off?! Top World Cup Rider and former Show Hunter star, Sophie Scott will be doing a Q&A session alongside an absolute stalwart of our sport, Merran Hain.
We wish all the competitors the very best of luck, and for those unable to attend, you can keep up with all the action by following the Air Napier 2026 Show Hunter Championships on Facebook.
25 March 2026
The Jumping and Show Hunter Team