The Weekend in Wellington! Get the rundown
Check out the top billing equestrian events in Wellington this weekend.
Friday Night Stars – Global Dressage Festival – Equestrian Village
Friday Night Stars at Global Dressage Festival tonight showcases major talent – not least in upcoming German rider 23-year-old German rider Felicitas Hendricks and her own 14-year-old Destano gelding Drombusch OLD, who burst onto the Wellington dressage stage last winter, by winning a CDI5* Freestyle – her first attempt in this particular classification.
Freestyle – the most popular element of dressage since it is set to music – gives riders a chance to showcase the talents of their horse, with the freedom of their own choreography and choice of songs to accompany their performance.
Felicitas and Drombusch have already claimed an FEI World Cup Grand Prix win this week so tonight is a chance to build on that early winning form.
“Wellington has been like the kick start of everything for me,” said Felicitas, who came up through the ranks in Wellington competitions. “I really went all the way here. Drombusch knows Wellington very, very well, and it’s one of his happiest places, and I’m always so happy to prepare him for the European season over here because the conditions are just amazing.”
Felicitas is last to go in this evening’s 15-strong field with action due to start at 7pm
Click here for more information:
https://gdf.coth.com/page/friday-night-stars
Saturday Night Lights – Winter Equestrian Festival – Wellington International
Spectators are in for a treat on Saturday night – with several of the sport’s top ranked show jumpers taking the International ring for the $215,000 FEI 4* Grand Prix – world number one, Sweden’s Henrik von Eckermann, being last to go tomorrow night aboard the world-renowned 15-year-old Belgian Warmblood gelding, King Edward. The pair had a parting of ways in the Paris Olympics, an unfortunate miscommunication, which saw Henrik go one way and the horse another. But King Edward’s reputation – aside from this mishap – is legendary not least after he was the only horse to jump six clear rounds at the Tokyo Olympics with Henrik in 2020.
The highlight of the third week of the Winter Equestrian Festival [WEF], tomorrow’s night class – under the lights – also features Paris Olympic individual Gold medalist Germany’s Christian Kukuk on his Olympian horse Checker 47, as well as world number 3 Britain’s Ben Maher aboard Enjeu de Grisien, world number four USA’s Kent Farrington aboard Myla – and WEF week 1, Saturday Night Lights winners Egypt’s Nayel Nassar and Eli Ali.
The class starts at 7pm but plan to get there earlier as while seating is free, it is on a first come, first served basis.
Click here for more information:
https://wellingtoninternational.com/visitors/saturday-night-lights/
Sunday Polo – Joe Barry Memorial Final – National Polo Center
Sunday polo at the National Polo Center features the final of the Joe Barry Memorial with Concordequitygroup.com lining up two Wellington born and bred brothers – Lucas and Nico Escobar – alongside USA’s Jeff Hall and Dana Barnes. 
Lucas Escobar plays alongside brother Nico on Sunday. Photo: David Lominska/USPA
They face off against Zapican BMW on the Sunday Field at the National Polo Center – game time 3pm. Founder of Port Mayaca Polo Club, Stephen Orthwein Jr. aka Stevie, is part of the Zapican line up, which had to be revised mid-tournament after one of their main players, Felipe Viana broke a finger on his right hand after being hit by the ball.
Felipe played valiantly until the end of that match but has since been substituted by Santiago Wulff, who joins Felipe’s brother, Ignacio ‘Nachi’ Viani, and Vance Miller III and will be on the Sunday field, with Felipe in the end zone – now as unofficial coach. The substitution has gone well. “We feel like we’re a strong team,” Stevie said. “And that we click.”
Click here for ticket information:
https://www.nationalpolocenter.com/tickets
Click here for tournament information:
https://www.uspolo.org/calendar/tournaments/joe-barry-memorial-2025