Windermere J’Obei W Acknowledged as New Zealand's International Horse of the Year

Dressage

New Zealand

Melissa Galloway's 2022 World Championship ride Windermere J’Obei W was acknowledged by Equestrian Sports New Zealand as the International Horse of the Year ESNZ Annual Hall of Fame Awards at the Rydges Latimer Hotel in Christchurch.

Covid-19 restrictions led to events such as premier national equestrian event the Land Rover Horse of the Year being postponed for a third consecutive time, and one of the worst storms to hit New Zealand in living history caused nation-wide devastation by Cyclone Gabrielle, particularly in the Hawke’s Bay area.

ESNZ Board Chairperson Lynda Clark said the country’s top equestrians and their horses had demonstrated outstanding resilience during the past twelve months, and she was pleased to recognise many of them at the Hall of Fame Awards.

Windermere J’Obei W, International Horse of the Year

The International Horse of the Year was awarded to the New Zealand bred and locally owned dressage mount Windermere J’Obei W, ridden by Melissa Galloway of Marlborough. The horse has been unbeatable in CDI, achieving an outstanding nine-straight-wins in competitions locally and internationally. This included three wins from three starts at the Sydney CDI, and he took top ten places at the CDI in Belgium.

Team of the Year

The Team of the Year title went to a team that was placed in a FEI World Competition where they didn’t have to leave their own country. First in FEI Group 8, they came second from 28 countries in the FEI Teams World Rankings, and was comprised of Jody Hartstone, Susan Tomlin, Lucy Cochrane and Paige Fitzgerald, with Chef D’Equipe Karen Anderson.

Youth of the Year

Galloway at the ESNZ Hall of Fame Awards

The Youth of the Year for riders under 24 years of age was awarded across three disciplines.

The Dressage Youth of the Year was awarded to the Dressage Youth Council, including six national council members and 16 area representatives from across Auckland, Nelson and South Canterbury/North Otago.

Hall of Fame Inductees

Five top equestrians were inducted into the ESNZ Hall of Fame, each well-known across the country, not only in the equestrian sector, but also to the greater development of the sport and its participants locally and internationally.

One of those five was Merran Hain QSM, the only person in New Zealand who has participated for six decades as a rider, supporter, official and volunteer. She is also the only rider to have represented New Zealand at senior level across the three Olympic disciplines of show jumping, eventing and dressage, and just last year won the Thoroughbreds in Equestrian Sports Show Hunter Series for the seventh time.