Wendi Williamson Secures New Zealand Grand Prix Championship

Wendi Williamson has successfully defended her title as national Grand Prix champion at the 2025 New Zealand Dressage Championships, held at the national equestrian center in Taupo from March 18 to March 22, 2025.

The event featured competitions for juniors, young riders, and senior Grand Prix riders at CDI level, while the FEI division took place at CDN level.

Young horse championships were also part of the event, with victories recorded by horses such as SWE Furstin Light, Southcote Dominic, and Shall We Dance AH.

The Championships attracted over 180 riders and horses, following New Zealand’s second largest dressage event, the Horse of the Year competition in Hastings earlier in March. Held annually, the New Zealand Dressage Championships serve as the climax of the dressage season in the country. This year, only two riders participated in the big tour championship.

Williamson, who recently won the Horse of the Year show in Hastings and is the reigning national champion, dominated the event with three wins on her horse Don Vito MH. She achieved scores of 70.022% in the Grand Prix, 68.745% in the Special, and 71.825% in the Freestyle.

Gaylene Lennard, a member of New Zealand’s 2022 WEG team, claimed the silver medal. After a two-year hiatus from international competition, she returned to showing aboard her 15-year-old warmblood Jax Johnson, scoring 68.435% in the Grand Prix, 68.213% in the Special, and 70.51% in the Freestyle.

The small and medium tour championship took place at the national level with 13 pairs in the small tour.

Amy Sage, riding the 10-year-old NZ Hanoverian Sinatra SW, achieved a hattrick, winning the Prix St Georges, Intermediaire I, and Inter I Kur with scores ranging from 68.30% to 70.10%. Reserve champions included Angela Lloyd and Philippa Wessels’ 16-year-old TB crossbred Airthrey Roll X.

In the Young Riders division, Samantha Belsham continued her success riding the 9-year-old NZ warmblood Dolcetto II, achieving wins across all rounds. Four pairs dedicated to the FEI pony division competed nationally, with Katy Payne taking the silver medal aboard Dragonbach Master Rielly, finishing with solid performances in her tests.