Jan Hunt says the free-entry event, which will again be held at the Queenstown Polo grounds in Malaghans Rd on January 3 and 4, is a family-friendly experience.
"Bring your picnic blanket and come and enjoy watching a real showcase of show jumping.
"The venue’s beautiful, and the horses and riders are turned out beautifully."
Hunt says the dedicated equestrian property at the foot of Coronet Peak is the "best in the South Island".
It’ll be transformed into three jumping arenas, ranging from the most testing jumps on the national circuit, at between 1.4 and 1.5 metres high, to 75cm jumps for juniors.
Horses and riders from across the South Island will be competing in Horse Grand Prix, Pony Grand Prix, amateur and pro amateur categories.
The programme starts at 9am both days. Sunday is "championship day" which will feature the Itty Bitty Championship for young riders and the Queenstown Classic Grand Prix for some of the country’s best horse and rider combinations.
Among them will be Christchurch’s Katie Meredith, the winner of this year’s Horse Grand Prix Championship on Vulcan GNZ, who’s returning to compete on two horses.
The event’s affiliated with Equestrian Sport New Zealand, which means riders can get points towards national titles. That means top local riders such as Queenstown’s Kendra Van Leeuwen can compete in their backyard rather than having to travel to Christchurch.
Hunt says the event will again feature a VIP charity lunch on the Sunday, this time supporting the Malaghan Institute of Medical Research, an independent biomedical research charity.
The event’s principal sponsor is Oliver Road Luxury Real Estate.
- Tickets ($230) for the charity lunch, on January 4, 12:30pm to 3:30pm, available on Eventbrite
