Photo by Atalya Boytner.
The 2026 CCI5* eventing season starts off in the Southern Hemisphere, April 16-19, at the Adelaide Equestrian Festival in Adelaide, South Australia. Perhaps the most urban eventing competition in the world, Adelaide takes place in the parklands of Adelaide’s city centre known as Victoria Park, or Pakapakanthi in the language of the Kaurna people.
Staged in the middle of autumn, it is the culmination of the Australian eventing fall season and the 2026 edition features not just the Southern Hemisphere’s solo CCI5* but also the biennial Oceania Championships, which will be run concurrently with the CCI4*-S and CCI3*-L divisions.
Formerly known as the Trans-Tasman, the Oceania Championships pits Australia against New Zealand in both senior (CCI4*-S level) and under-25 (CCI3*-L level) categories with four team members per team. First held in 1985 prior to the Gawler 1986 World Championships, it was meant to give those nations a chance to experience the event and terrain before the major championship.
Frequently receiving enormously positive reviews, this became a biennial event between World Championship and Olympic years, providing athletes with the opportunity for team experience without the pressure of a more global stage. Changed to the Oceania Championships in 2014 after the foundation of the Oceania Equestrian Federation, this is an important developing event for young, emerging, and senior talent based in Australia and New Zealand. With both the 2026 FEI Eventing World Championships (August – Aachen) and the inaugural FEI Eventing U25 World Championships (July – Millstreet) looming large, the Oceania Championships are a major building block for athletes aspiring to be selected for a team.
Andrew Cooper and Sharvalley Thunder. Photo by Atalya Boytner.
The entries making up the Racing SA CCI3*-L, the Horseland CCI4*-S, and the Adelaide CCI5* are ripe with major competition and global results on the line.
Among the competitors, FEI Eventing U25 #13 Carys McCrory (NZL), #26 Lamoza Velisha (AUS), #27 Georgia Bradford (AUS), and #38 Bridie Quigley (NZL) are making some serious bids for July’s inaugural FEI U25 World Eventing Championship in Millstreet, Ireland.
Australian senior team members are also leaving nothing on the table for their own World Championships considerations with notable names such as Andrew Cooper – Luhmuhlen 2025 CCI4*-S podium finisher, Aachen 2025 Australia team member, and among the top 100 eventing athletes in the world – Sophia Hill, the most global athlete on the entry list with time spent in the UK, USA, and Australia but yet to make a senior team, Hannah Klep – who flies under the radar as another top 100 eventer in the world for Australia as #66 – and Charlotte Penny, 2025 Equestrian New Zealand’s Young Person of the Year for Eventing and 2025 4* Eventer of the Year.
The Adelaide CCI5* division is full of homebred and self-made combinations.
Shane Rose, a three-time Australian Olympic medalist, adds another CCI5* start to his name with a 9 year old Warmblood-Thoroughbred cross in Holy Moses after the sale of his three top horses. Madison Seivwright, an Aachen 2021 New Zealand team member, returns to the level with her Aachen partner, Pau competitor, and powerhouse jumper, the 18-year-old mare Waitangi Pinterest. Oliver Barrett, World U25 #2 rider who is aiming for WEG selection, makes his CCI5* debut with not one but two horses from his family’s Sandhills homebreds in Sandhills Briar and Sandhills Gem. Yona Lloyd, whose lifelong dream of completing a CCI5* was fulfilled last year, returns with the same horse, Ballahowe Ayurvedic. Jess Somerfield and her beautifully quirky $1 ride in Finch Farm Carpentaria seek a second CCI5* completion to build off their 2025 result. Emma Mason, a London 2012 short-listed eventer who balances riding with her work as a lawyer, and the 13-year-old gelding, KHP Kingfisher return to better their sixth place finish from last year’s Adelaide CCI5*.
Photo by Atalya Boytner.
But sport is not the only thing worth attending. The Education Hub, new this year and spearheaded by Dr. Andrew McLean from Equitation Science International, brings five sessions a day of learning to any ticket holder on Thursday and Friday. Registration is necessary to manage venue space but does not require additional ticket purchase. Geared towards horse enthusiasts of all levels, session topics range from horse behavior, shoeing management, nutrition, and horsemanship. All education is aimed to provide clear, ethical, and science-backed practices to foster a more holistic approach to horse welfare and horse sport.
For the horse-enthused and unfamiliar alike, plenty of entertainment options correlate with the Adelaide Equestrian Festival with options for the whole family. Live music will be provided by renowned artist Tom Curtain, the ATCO Kids Corral will have a full slate of daily activities just for kids, and ResourceCo returns as a partner for FREE Festival admission on Thursday, April 16.
Horse & Country TV returns as the livestream provided for The Adelaide Equestrian Festival, with full-scale streaming available at horseandcountrytv.com.
At an event unlike any other and so uniquely its own, the stories on deck for this year’s Adelaide Equestrian Festival promise to bring spectators in person and abroad to the edge of their seats. Whether tuning in to the livestream or enjoying some of the most accessible eventing possible, the stage is set for athletes to showcase their skills and hard work on a global stage.
Further information, tickets and scheduling can be found at adelaideequestrianfestival.com.
Press releases, story leads and photo assets will be distributed to international equestrian media throughout the Adelaide Equestrian Festival by Eventing Nation. To join an asset folder to make your coverage easier, please click here. If you have specific needs, please contact Sally Spickard at [email protected].
