Hoof and shine ... Gisborne riders have been enjoying success at various shows in recent weeks. Photo / Alan Gibson
Gisborne district riders performed well at the Central Hawke’s Bay A&P Show in Waipukurau last month.
Georgie Coop was a standout performer. Riding Zola, she claimed second place in the 1.20-metre class and third in the 1.15m division. On Negroni, Coop was second in the 1.10m class and fourth in the 1.15m pony mini prix.
The 114-year-old show drew more than 300 horses, competing across two days. Riders were competing not just for ribbons but also for points towards qualification at the Land Rover Horse of the Year Show – New Zealand’s premier equestrian event.
However, the 2026 Horse of the Year Show has since been cancelled because organisers were unable to secure the funding required.
Rights holder Equestrian Sports New Zealand remains committed to the long-term future of the event, and ESNZ chief executive Julian Bowden has expressed confidence in a 2027 return.
In show hunter competitions, horses and riders are judged – with percentage scores – on their style, manners and way of going.
Shannon Kanz and Handsome Hank succeeded across multiple categories. They were third in the 1m show jumping pony class and fourth in the 1.05m show jumping horse division. In the show hunter ring, they claimed second place in the 80cm show hunter pony Category C intro class and fourth in the 80cm HOYQ equissage pony rider equitation.
The Category C HOYQ national series classes, sponsored by The Brave Pants Company, were hotly contested.
Lucy Moylan and Done Deal took second place in the 80cm show hunter pony Category C equitation, while Olivia Rau and Let’s Rumble Bumble were second in the 90cm show jumping pony class and fourth in the 90cm show hunter pony Category C open.
In the introductory divisions, Caroline Coop and Murdoch earned second-place ribbons for the 80cm and HOYQ 90cm classes.
Many of the riders who did well at the Central Hawke’s Bay show had put in strong performances at October’s Hawke’s Bay A&P Show in Hastings.
Ruby Carr and Wembleybrook Giovanni dominated the 1.05m open show jumping pony class with back-to-back victories.
Isobel Jayne Bevitt had a busy schedule across multiple venues. At the Central Hawke’s Bay show, she rode Solitaire HL to second place in the 1.15m open show jumping horse class. Earlier at Hawke’s Bay, Bevitt and Mr Monochrome were second in the 1.10m open show jumping pony division. And at the Wairarapa Jumping Show in late October, Bevitt stepped up to the challenging pony grand prix level, guiding Mangatu Solar Eclipse to fifth place in the 1.30m class. In the 1.15m mini prix, she was second with Mr Monochrome.
Zoe McNaught travelled extensively with both Nitro Pandora and Kiwi Magnum. At the Waverley A&P Show on November 11, McNaught and Nitro Pandora were second in the equitation 80cm, second in the Brave Pants Company Category C HOYQ national series 90cm and third in the 90cm open.
McNaught and Kiwi Magnum had three third-place finishes in the 1m divisions – in the open, equitation, and LeaderBrand Junior National Series Horse 1m HOYQ classes.
At the Whanganui show two days earlier, McNaught’s horses earned multiple fourth-place ribbons.
Sofie Gaddum and Sentra delivered a particularly strong performance at the Central Hawke’s Bay show, claiming third place in the 1.20m show jumping horse class before taking first place in the ProAm division.
At the earlier Hawke’s Bay show, several riders laid important groundwork for their seasons.
Shannon Kanz and Handsome Hank earned 78% for sixth place in the 80cm HOYQ, then improved to 80% for second place in the 90cm HOYQ, and scored 79.5% for fifth in the Brave Pants Company Cat C national series.
Elke Higgins and Gozzy competed in the national series, placing sixth in the 80cm category and fifth in the 80cm HOYQ.
Eva Jean Henry and KC Twirl placed sixth in the 60cm HOYQ and fifth in the 70cm HOYQ, while Kory Cross and KC Dark Chocolate swept through multiple intro divisions with placings ranging from first to sixth across the 70cm, 80cm and 90cm heights.
At the Wairarapa A&P Show, Ella Rouse and Redcliffs Kachow were third in the 1.25m junior show jumping class and, in show hunter divisions, were third in the 80cm open, second in the 90cm open and third in the 1m open.