Equifest

We also have an awesome lineup of national clinicians to announce! First up is Jody Harstone of The Equine Catalyst. Jody brings her trademark mix of sport, science, and ethics that inspires riders of every level. Always a crowd favourite, she has a gift for making complex concepts clear, practical, and transformational for both horse and rider. 🐴💫

Come and see her sessions at Equifest, where she covers why the future of equestrian sport depends on more than skill in the saddle. She will also look at biomechanics and how it can transform your horse’s way of going.

We're excited to welcome Lara Beth of The Equine System to Equifest for the first time! 🦄

Known for her down-to-earth approach and practical training methods, Lara is passionate about making horse training simple, achievable, and enjoyable. Through her popular How to Train Your Unicorn series, she'll share the groundwork, communication, and horsemanship principles that help create safe, confident, and willing horses.

Whether you're starting a young horse, rebuilding confidence, or looking to strengthen your partnership, Lara's sessions are packed with real-world advice, plenty of laughs, and tools you can use straight away.

Join us as Lara helps riders of all levels build better communication, stronger connections, and happier horses.

VIP and Supporters Tickets for Equifest are on sale at 10am TOMORROW! Ticketing will look a bit different this year through our new provider, so check out the info below to plan.

VIP tickets include:
🩷Entry across all three event days
🩷Both Friday and Saturday nightshows in A Reserve Seating
🩷Entry into the Brett Parbery Masterclass
🩷Exclusive VIP goodie bag (valued at over $200)
🩷 Your choice of this year’s limited edition merch (valued at $35)
🩷 VIP lounge access and comfortable seating areas
🩷 Bag drop for all your shopping
🩷Catered lunches and drinks across all three days

SUPPORTERS ticket include:
✨Entry across all three event days
✨Both Friday and Saturday nightshows in B Reserve Seating
✨Your choice of this year's limited edition merch (valued at $35)

All Nightshow seating is allocated to seats and is selected at the time of purchase. A separate email with your merchandise redemption code and claim instructions will be sent before the event.

General admission tickets will go on sale 1 August 2026 (including GA Nightshow & Brett Parbery Masterclass tickets).

We have put together more ticketing FAQ's on our website here www.equifest.co.nz/tickets-and-packages

If you have any other questions, let us know, and we will do our best to answer them and add them to our FAQ.

A quick update from the Equifest team! 🤠🐴
We have made a small adjustment to our ticket on-sale date and VIP & Supporters Weekend Pass tickets will now be available from 10am Monday 8 June.

Why the change? We're putting the finishing touches on something pretty exciting for one of our Nightshows, and we can't wait to share it with you! We're also finalising our 2026 merchandise, which is included in our VIP and Supporters Passes, so we want to make sure everything is ready before tickets go live.

Over the coming days we'll be sharing more details about our ticket packages, what's included, and all the extras to help you plan your ultimate Equifest experience.

Returning to Equifest for the first time since our very first event, we’re excited to welcome back Ben Longwell! 🐴🇺🇸

Originally from Colorado, Ben grew up working on ranches and as an assistant trainer at a Quarter Horse breeding and training facility before he and his wife Natalie moved to a 300,000-acre ranch in northern Wyoming. It was there that Ben not only worked extensively with horses, but also discovered his passion for teaching people.

Ben and Natalie later spent 11 years living in New Zealand, building their full-time horse training and clinic business. During that time, Ben worked with thousands of horses, taught a wide range of highly regarded clinics and wrote articles for equestrian publications around the world.

Now based in Oregon, USA, Ben continues his mission of helping dedicated students of horsemanship develop practical skills and better communication with their horses. He has taught at some of the largest Equine Expos across the United States and is well known for his knowledgeable, practical, and encouraging teaching style.

Ben’s clinics will cover practical stockmanship, Vaquero traditions and tools, herd behaviour in group riding, and developing advanced manoeuvres through low-stress cattle work.

Returning for round two, Joe Gardiner of Gardiner Equestrian is joining us again at Equifest 2026! 🐴✨

Get ready for more of Joe’s crowd-favourite fun, entertainment, and horsemanship that’s guaranteed to keep audiences captivated!

Joe's career with horses is anything but ordinary. From the glittering lights of the Australian Outback Spectacular on the Gold Coast to the awe-inspiring global stage of Cavalia, Joe has spent years performing in world-class equine productions across China, America, and Europe.

Now based on the Sunshine Coast in Australia, Joe balances his professional horse training business with his passion for entertainment through Laughing Stock Productions.

During his Equifest sessions, Joe will uncover the basics of trick riding for both horse and rider, giving audiences an exciting insight into the skills, trust, and training behind the performance world.

Keeping rolling with our international educator announcements! Next up, we’re excited to welcome Maddy Whitford of .equestrian to Equifest 🇦🇺🐴

Maddy is a horse trainer specialising in behaviour-focused horsemanship and groundwork that transfers into ridden work. Much of her work centres around what she calls “end of the line horses”, horses often labelled difficult, dangerous, shut down, or beyond help.

Her approach focuses on understanding behaviour as communication, helping both horses and humans rebuild clarity, confidence, and connection through feel, timing, and emotional regulation rather than fear or control.

Through her online training library, educational content, and hands-on work, Maddy teaches horse owners how to better read their horses and create training that leads to calmer, safer, and more willing partnerships.

Maddy’s sessions at Equifest are sure to inspire riders and horse owners of all levels, offering practical tools, a deeper understanding, and a fresh perspective on horsemanship.

Embrace the Year of the Fire Horse! 🐴🔥
Today we welcome the Lunar New Year and the powerful energy of the Fire Horse.

It is suggested that the Fire Horse years unite two dynamic forces, the blazing passion of fire and the unstoppable momentum of the horse. Together, they symbolise bold movement, fierce independence, courage, and transformative change.

At Equifest, we celebrate the spirit of the horse, strength, partnership, freedom, and forward motion. May this Fire Horse year ignite your purpose, fuel your ambitions, and carry you boldly toward new horizons.

Happy Lunar New Year! 🎊🐎
📸 Equifest Nightshows