PL Performance Horses

✨ NZWA Horse of Distinction Awards ✨

A huge congratulations to all the breeders recognised in the NZWA Horse of Distinction Awards for Show Jumping and Show Hunter. 🏆🐴

Breeding horses certainly isn’t always the easiest game — there are plenty of highs, lows, sleepless nights, disappointments and a whole lot of patience involved! So it’s really lovely to see breeders acknowledged for the horses they have bred and the success those horses go on to achieve. 💕

We were very proud to see PL Sizzle N Sass amongst the nominees. A special congratulations and thank you to Maygen Gubb, who has done such a fantastic job producing and competing her. As a breeder, there’s nothing better than seeing a horse you bred out there doing well and enjoying their job with a great rider. 🥰

Congratulations again to all the breeders, owners and riders involved — it takes a team to turn those carefully planned pedigrees and baby horses into successful performance horses! 🥂🐴

🏆 NZWA HORSE OF DISTINCTION AWARDS 2026 - SHOWJUMPING & SHOWHUNTER🏆

Since 2021, the New Zealand Warmblood Association has proudly presented our annual Horse of Distinction Awards, recognising outstanding New Zealand-bred Warmbloods performing across Showjumping, Eventing and Dressage.

This week we’ll announce our 2026 Horse of Distinction in each discipline - one each night - while also celebrating all of the horses whose performances earned them a nomination.

First up… SHOWJUMPING & SHOWHUNTER

And we’re fairly certain this one will surprise absolutely no one! 😄

🌟 **2026 NZWA SHOWJUMPING HORSE OF DISTINCTION**
🏆 LT HOLST FREDA🏆 (Colman / Casall / Lavaletto)
Breeder: LT Holst Sporthorses - Ewen Mackintosh

What a year for this exceptional New Zealand-bred mare.

LT Holst Freda won the World Cup Series in NZ before jetting off to Europe and then USA where she umped her way onto the world stage at the World Cup Finals. Such is her extreme talent, not even a change in roder could stop her, finishing an incredible 3rd at the World Championships - a phenomenal achievement for Freda, her connections and, importantly for these awards, her breeder.

Our Horse of Distinction nominees are drawn from first and second placings at selected events around New Zealand, national series winners and performances at targeted events across all levels.

And what a line-up of New Zealand-bred showjumpers we had to celebrate this year:

⭐ Demietta (Daminos / Don Quattro / Kings Ransom)
Breeder: Denise Sutherland

⭐ Stiletto C (Cohinoor VDL / Powerfee / San Mellay xx)
Breeder: Vicki Prendergast

⭐ Matai Zarité (Euro Sport Centavos / Corofino II / Wondaree xx)
Breeder: Carin de Groot

⭐ Global PH Kingston (Euro Sport Kalaska / Mylord Carthago / Contender)
Breeder: Jenny McIntrye Jenny McIntyre

⭐ Nightcap SP (Grand Slam VDL / Cassini II / Lansing)
Breeder: Sarah Power

⭐ Cassina Dior (Diarado / Cassini I / Lord)
Breeder: Pip McCarroll

⭐ Central Park (Euro Sport Centavos / Omnicorp xx / Le Fripon xx)
Breeder: Imogen Neale

⭐ Django II (Lordano / Brilliant Invader xx / Decies xx)
Breeder: McVean Family

⭐ ZF Chacco Rio (Chacco Silver / Contendro I / Escudo I)
Breeder: Aria Small

⭐ Tulara Zirensky (Zirocco Blue VDL / Cornet Obolensky / Genghis Khan)
Breeder: Mark Fraser

⭐ Waitangi Starlink (Hector van D’Abdijhoeve / Cardento / Aberlou xx)
Breeder: Joss Bayly

⭐ Chacco Gold MS (Chacco Silver / Lindberg Des Hayettes / Falkrich)
Breeder: Mary-Beth Willis Matawhio Sport Horses

⭐ Phantom HPNZ (Chacoon Blue / Hattrick VDL / Salute)
Breeder: Guy Wallace

⭐ KF Big Tom (Comthago VDL / Big Star / Calato)
Breeder: Kokako Farms

⭐ Stallone K (Kannan / Lordano / Senator VDL)
Breeder: Vicki Prendergast

⭐ PL Sizzle N Sass (Grandorado TN / Ramirez / Graf Landau)
Breeder: Hayley Shaw

⭐ Whisky D’Acciaio (Cassius GNZ / Charlton Javelin / Steel)
Breeder: Fiona Graham

⭐ Game Ready (Euro Sport Diamant B / Internet / Unknown)
Breeder: Debbie Forman

⭐ KCN Zak (Rei Huia Hemi / Kiwi Emilion / JK Sacramento)
Breeder: KCN Sport Horses

⭐ Atticus Et Audax (LC Telepathy / Komet Von C / Spartacus xx)
Breeder: Imogen Neale

⭐ Awaroa New Edition (Kannan / Valiant / Unknown)
Breeder: Margaret van Rooyen

What a fantastic representation of the quality of sport horses being bred right here in New Zealand. 🇳🇿

Ewen Macintosh, as breeder of LT Holst Freda, will receive the beautiful Horse of Distinction crystal trophy, proudly sponsored this year by MVS EquiBreed – leaders in equine reproduction.

The Horse of Distinction Awards celebrate exceptional performance, but at their heart they are about recognising the breeders behind the horses - the people who made the mating decisions and produced the athletes we now see succeeding in sport.

🏷️ Please help us spread the word!
If you know any of the breeders listed above, please tag them in the comments or share this post with them. Not everyone follows our page, and we would love to make sure every breeder knows their horse has been recognised amongst this year’s outstanding nominees.

Congratulations to Ewen and everyone connected with the remarkable LT Holst Freda, and congratulations to every breeder represented in our 2026 Showjumping Horse of Distinction nominations. 🏆🇳🇿

Tomorrow night: our 2026 Eventing Horse of Distinction.



Photo credit: Libby Law

Lt Holst Freda and her exceptional jockey Julie Davey who produced her to world class level

🩷 WHO JUMPED IT BETTER? 🩷

A little friendly PLPH rivalry… PL Truffle vs PL Grandiose (Posh) 👀🔥

Same exercise, two very different girls — and neither looks to be lacking in scope! 😂

🐴 PL Truffle — by Chopano VDL, out of a Contendros 2 mare. Scope, power and plenty of confidence.

🐴 PL Grandiose “Posh” — by Grandorado TN, out of an I’m Special de Muze mare. Athletic, careful and certainly living up to her name. ✨

Both bred for the job, both making light work of it… but who jumped it better?

🩷 TEAM TRUFFLE or TEAM POSH? 🩷
Cast your vote below 👇😂

✨ FOR SALE | PL ELPHABA ✨
🔥 Serious pedigree. Serious potential. 🔥
PL Elphaba is officially looking for her next rider — and for someone wanting a beautifully bred young showjumper to produce through the grades, she is well worth a look.
By Cornets Air, bringing the exceptional Cornet Obolensky bloodline, Elphaba is out of Gidget CSNZ, a daughter of Chacco Silver, with Mermus R further back in the pedigree.
🩷 Cornets Air × Chacco Silver × Mermus R
Modern, attractive and bred for the job, Elphaba has the pedigree and potential to be a very exciting prospect for a competitive rider. She is the sort of young horse we love to produce at PLPH — quality European jumping blood, plenty of presence and a future ahead of her.
And with bloodlines like these, she also carries genuine value as a future broodmare once her competition career is complete.
🏡 Elphaba is ready to find her person.
If you’re looking for a quality young mare to put your stamp on and bring through the grades, get in touch. Genuine enquiries and viewings welcome.
📍 New Zealand
📞 027 222 7624
✉️ [email protected]
Facebook: PL Performance Horses
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Apparently owning horses is all beer and skittles… 🍺🌈🐴

Today’s little slice of equestrian paradise includes a busted water trough and a tractor with a flat tyre.

Because obviously the actual horses weren’t already expensive or time-consuming enough. 😂

Living the dream… one broken, leaking or flat thing at a time. 🤦‍♀️🐴

✨ PL Matilda ✨

Matilda is certainly growing into herself (bu**er than she looks because she is a very good doer) and showing off those lovely European jumping bloodlines. By I’m Special de Muze, a son of the legendary Emerald van ’t Ruytershof, and out of a Cassini II mare, she has a pedigree packed with serious showjumping quality.

She is all but broken in, and is looking for a new home where someone can finish her break in, put their own stamp on her and continue her education. A lovely young mare with plenty of potential for the future. 💕🐴

PL Matilda is available to the right home. Please get in touch for more information.

Not a bad office for the afternoon. ☀️🐴

While everyone else is soaking up the sunshine, I’m sitting quietly watching horses… waiting to collect faecal samples for this season’s faecal egg counts. 💩😂

Glamorous? Not exactly. Important? Absolutely. A few fresh samples now help make informed drenching decisions, reduce unnecessary treatments, and keep our horses healthier throughout the season.

Sometimes good horse management is simply enjoying the view… and waiting patiently! 😅