SWE Furstin Light, Southcote Dominic, Shall We Dance AH Win 2025 New Zealand Young Horse Championships

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2025 New Zealand Young Horse Championships

The 4-year old SWE Furstin Light, the 5-year old Southcote Dominic, and the 6-year old Shall We Dance AH became the winners of the Young Horse Championships held at the 2025 New Zealand Dressage Championships in Taupo on 18 - 22 March 2025.

The turn-out for the young horse championships was rather small with three 4-year olds, four 5-year olds, and four 6-year olds competing. There were two rounds, a preliminary warm-up round and a final round for the title.

The classes were judged Henning Lehrmann and Linda Warren Davey

4-YO: SWE Furstin Light

The 4-year old division was won by Zoie Gray aboard Judith Jane's NZ Hanoverian SWE Furstin Light (by Fursten-look x Rascaline). Bred by Janelle Sangster-Ward, the chestnut mare won the warm-up round with 80.40 points and in the finals the judges rewarded the horse with a winning score of 79.80 points.

The silver went to Lucy Russell on her home-bred Hanoverian bred Secrets Kept REQ (by Secret x Aljano) with 77 points. Duncan Norrie and the Rhinelander registered WPS Demure (by SWE Dempsey x Furst Patrick) were third with 73.20 points.

5-YO: Southcote Dominic

In the 5-year old division Samantha Belsham and the New Zealand warmblood registered Southcote Dominic (by SWE Dempsey x Donnerwind) aced the finals with 78.20 points after placing third in the warm-up round. Dominic is bred by Dawn Howard and owned by the rider, who is based in Ararimu and also won the 2025 New Zealand Young Riders Championships the same weekend.

The reserve champion is New Zealand Olympian Melissa Galloway who returned home from Paris without the Grand Prix horse is is now rebuilding her future with younger horses. Judges Lehrmann and Warren-Davey rewarded her ride on the NZ warmblood Fine Style SW (by Fugato x Sir Donnerhall) with 77 points for second place. The horse is bred by Sheena Ross and owned by the rider in partnership with Rodney and Anne Parkes.

Third place went to Emily Townsend aboard Southern Star Grace, a NZ warmblood by Rosari Fabio x Royal Diamond, bred by Souther Star Sport Horses and owned by Mack Rennie, Jacinta Townsend, Emily Townsend, and A & P Sporthorses. They were third with 73.80 points

6-YO: Shall We Dance AH

In the 6-year age category another European repatriate, Holly Moorman, moved into the winner's circle with Shall We Dance AH, a NZ Hanoverian mare by Swarovski x Dream Boy. Bred by Amberley House and owned by Lisa Brown, the black mare won the warm-up round with 76.6 and the final with 77.4. Moorman spent six years in Europe from 2018 till 2024 honing her skills with Warwick McLean in Germany and riding for owners. After competing Easy W at the 2024 World Young Horse Championships, she moved back to New Zealand to build her own business there.

"It was my first outing back in New Zealand and I'm very happy," Moorman took to Facebook. "Always thing to improve with some mistakes in the test, but (I have) super horses for the future."

The silver medal position went to Catherine West on the NZ warmblood Matapiro Baseline (by Buckingham x Donnerwind), bred by Alison Arthur. They placed second twice with a 75.00 point score in the final.

Third place went to Alix Campbell aboard the grey NZ warmblood Silver Scotsman (by Chacco Silver x Columbia), bred by Kim Campbell & Sandra Stowell. This duo scored 69.20 points in the final.