The only 5* set in a city center. Photo via Adelaide Equestrian Festival Facebook.
The Adelaide Equestrian Festival, in partnership with the High Performance units of Equestrian Australia and Equestrian Sports New Zealand, is thrilled to announce that the next two Australian-hosted instalments of the prestigious Oceania Championships will take place at the Adelaide Equestrian Festival in 2026 and 2029.
This historic decision follows a challenging Paris Olympiad, marked by numerous major event postponements and international travel disruptions for equine athletes. The extension of the Championships to 2026 will ensure that the domestic season for both Australia and New Zealand competitors will remain unaffected and allow athletes to focus on an extended preparation for early 2026.
The move marks a significant opportunity for Australian and New Zealand competitors to showcase their talents in front of the largest equestrian audience in the Southern Hemisphere. The Adelaide Equestrian Festival, which boasts the only CCI5* event in the region, notably attracts the largest number of spectators but is also the only city-centred event of its kind worldwide, further elevating the prestige of the Championships.
The Oceania Championships will be contested across two divisions: the CCI3*-L for Young Riders and the CCI4*-S for Senior competitors. This will be the first time the Young Rider division will be hosted at the Adelaide Equestrian Festival. At the same time, the Senior teams have not competed here since 2009, when an all-female Australian team won the coveted Championship honours.
Competition Director Belinda Lindh expressed her enthusiasm, “Securing the Championships for the 2026 and 2029 instalments is a major win for our Organising Committee. It’s an incredible opportunity for riders to compete at the pinnacle event in the Southern Hemisphere. We look forward to developing our program to ensure New Zealand riders and their support crew experience the best South Australian hospitality alongside our world-class competition in Adelaide.”
Will Enzinger, Director of High Performance Equestrian Australia, emphasized the importance of this collaboration, stating, “Utilizing the Adelaide Equestrian Festival’s world-class event to host our longstanding Oceania Championships underscores the collective efforts of both countries and offers critical exposure to our team environment which creates an opportunity to develop our talent at the elite level. This competition plays a significant role in our preparation for the World Championship and Olympic Games.”
Jonathan Paget, ESNZ High Performance General Manager stated, “We are fortunate and appreciate this collaborative approach to providing these great opportunities for our athletes to experience team competitions, particularly at the Adelaide Equestrian Festival. This is a great event and really exposes our southern hemisphere combinations to the international standard.
As we build towards LA and Brisbane, these opportunities will play a critical role in our performance pathway.”
Key Dates:
● Tickets for the 2025 Adelaide Equestrian Festival will be available from Tuesday December 3, 2024
● 2025 Adelaide Equestrian Festival: May 1-4
● 2026 Adelaide Equestrian Festival & Oceania Championships: April 16-19, 2026
For further information, please visit www.adelaideequestrianfestival.com
