Whanganui teen Amber Auret wins national title at NZPCA Eventing Champs 2026

Whanganui's Amber Auret on her horse Diego competing in cross country on day two of the Landmark Homes NZPCA Eventing Championships 2026. Photo / Take The Moment Photography

A 16-year-old Whanganui rider has won the under-21 New Zealand equestrian eventing title, ending an almost 10-year winless streak for the region.

Amber Auret and her horse, Diego, placed first in the individual DC category for riders 20 years and under at the Landmark Homes New Zealand Pony Clubs Association (NZPCA) Eventing Championships 2026.

The event was held at Hawke’s Bay Equestrian Park on April 18-20.

Eventing riders and their horses compete over three days in cross-country, dressage and show jumping.

The pair with the lowest combined penalty points wins.

Amber competed for the Manawatū West Coast team which won the overall team event for the first time since 1988.

The last individual DC category winner from the Manawatū region was Meg Dempster with her horse Pixie Caramel in 2017.

Amber said winning with her team was “the best feeling ever”.

“I just felt a lot of gratitude, especially to my horse.

“We’ve been through a lot together and it takes a lot of work to get to where we are.”

Amber has four horses and has been competing with Diego, show name Divani REQ, for the past two years.

As a fulltime student, she balances schoolwork with riding and training her horses herself.

“When I first got him, he was just learning how to jump,” she said.

Amber took up the sport later than most competitive riders, starting less than five years ago.

She said she and Diego had moved up the ranks together.

In 2024, Amber represented the NZPCA at competitions in China.

Her father, Hamish Auret, a horse trainer at Letham Stud in Whanganui, said she had achieved “more than most” in the short time she had been riding.

“Her career’s gone from strength to strength since then,” he said.

Last season, she was second at national competitions in Christchurch and Auckland.

Winning the 2026 championships was her first national title.

He said watching her win was “quite emotional”.

“When she went over that last fence ... and we knew she’d won ... it was a pretty special moment.”

Amber’s father, uncle and grandparents are former eventers but none won a national championship.

Amber Auret won the individual DC (20 and under) category at the Landmark Homes NZPCA Eventing Championships 2026.

She said it took an hour for her achievement to sink in.

“In that exact moment, I was just relieved, honestly.

“It was a lot of pressure leading up to that point.”

Amber competed against many older riders in an age bracket above her own.

Her goal is to move to the next level of eventing, including international competitions and opportunities to join junior New Zealand teams.

She said her bond with her horse made eventing feel different from other sports.

“It’s just genuinely so special that they’re 500kg animals and they choose to try their heart out for you.”

She plans to compete with Diego at the next level and continue building their career together.

Cross-country was their favourite discipline, she said.

Amber was grateful for the support from her family, coaches and sponsors who made her win possible.

“You definitely can’t do the sport unless you have a big support system behind you and I’m really grateful for mine.”

Erin Smith is a multimedia journalist based in Whanganui.