Team Williamson at Waitekauri Farm

20/09/2026

With Junior now in quarantine and on the road to coming home we would like recognise some key supporters or our jouney to Aachen. Competing in Aachen at one of the three pinnacle events of international dressage is a dream come true and a career highlight to-date. So much time, dedication and cost goes into producing and campaigning an international GP horse, particularly from our side of the world. This requires substantial financial backing that few Kiwi riders can undertake alone.
We gratefully acknowledge our primary sponsors of this campaign, the husband and wife team of Brett Kendall and Rosemary Carter, alongside Judith and Peter Matthews, whose early support gave us the confidence to proceed.
This campaign highlights a critical challenge facing aspiring New Zealand riders: how to sustainably fund the international exposure, both domestic CDIs and overseas campaigns, required to compete at the highest level. What this trip has shown Jon and I is how supportive the dressage and wider community is of NZ riders, and how people really want to see our riders on the world stage at a high level. It has been truly humbling to receive so much interest and support both before and following our competition.
Unlike major commercial team sports, funded by broadcast revenues, equestrian sport relies on public grants and membership fees that cover only a fraction of high-performance costs. We believe high-performance is essential to the entire sport structure because it establishes performance benchmarks, inspires grassroot growth across the sport, and maintains public interest, which is essential for building the talent pool, encouraging the dreams of riders of all levels and preventing stagnation of the sport.
In this environment, private patrons effectively act as our high-performance funding body. By bridging this financial gap, our sponsors preserve the top tier of Kiwi dressage and keep the pathway from grassroots to global competition alive. We thank our key patrons for the financial support for our campaign and your broader contribution to the sport.
We also acknowledge and are immensely grateful for the personal donations and organisations such as Dressage Waitematā, Dressage Bay of Plenty, Dressage NZ, and the Equestrian Sport NZ fundraising scheme for their vital contributions. In addition, the support from individuals to the auction and the showcase day was exceptionally humbling and the help very much appreciated.
One of the many amazing photos by the super talented Libby Law.

12/08/2026

This is pretty hard to write but I felt I owed it all the people who have supported this trip and in response to the many messages we have received.
It feels very disappointing to fall short on the world stage in a prestigious event and venue like this. We had a well planned and positive warm up, where Junior executed everything asked of him in a positive manner with good energy. The test was a bit of a step down from the warmup and not to the standard we hoped, but it was amazing riding in that arena and to have such a positive encouraging crowd. Junior was definitely interested in a few things, the TV cameras, the photographers, the crowd, flowers blowing in the breeze, but he was positive and tried very hard to stay on task.
We have overcome a lot of adversity to be here and for that I am very proud and extremely grateful for the team around us and the new people we have met on this journey who helped and supported us without hesitation.
Thank you to every one who supported and believed in us, and I am sorry it was not the outcome we had hoped for.

10/08/2026

On the eve of our start here at the World Championships in Aachen, I would like to acknowledge and thank two people who without their encouragement to take up this opportunity I would be sitting on the couch with FOMO.
Christine Weal is our HP dressage representative and this is her first season in the role and what an impact she has had. For me her gentle push to go, her organisation of a place to base in Germany, as well pumping up the Hagen ice cream shop, really made it seem possible.
Yesterday when I had a little freak-out, forgot how to ride in the main arena, got stage fright in front of the German trainer and today when I rode with Becki Moody and forgot my left to left…. Christine was super calm and helpful in the ear piece. Thank you for going above and beyond your role to make this happen.
Jonnie said to me one day after watching me ride at home that I would have FOMO if I didn’t go given Junior had made a remarkable recovery after 5 weeks with his shoes off. It is a huge undertaking and commitment on many levels, but now that we are nearly ready to go it feels worth it.
Many many other people to thank including my very good friends, my wonderful girls looking after the team at home, our horse health team, our loyal sponsors and the dressage community, it really does take a village.

10/08/2026

Update: We have a time for tomorrow!!
Wendi and Jnr ride at 5:30pm German time on Tuesday which is 3:30am NZ time on Wednesday morning. You can watch live on clip my horse.

So lucky to have our amazing kiwi photographer here catching these special moments in and outside the arena. Thank you so much libby_law_photography 🩷

Dressage NZ

10/08/2026

Madi is just the best, we are very grateful to have her looking after Junior here at Aachen. Junior is happy and that is a testament to her care. It’s a dream come true competing here and the importance of Madi’s role is huge.

𝗙𝗘𝗜 𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗟𝗗 𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗠𝗣𝗜𝗢𝗡𝗦𝗛𝗜𝗣𝗦 - 𝗚𝗥𝗢𝗢𝗠 𝗠𝗔𝗗𝗜 𝗦𝗖𝗛𝗢𝗟𝗟𝗨𝗠

Madi Schollum has been on quite the journey. She’s been with Don Vito MH his whole Grand Prix career and worked for Wendi Williamson for nearly six years. So it is incredibly special for this 25-year-old Waimauku rider to be with Team Williamson at the 2026 World Championships in Aachen.
“Junior is a very cool horse,” she says. “He’s fun and cheeky . . . quirky too and loves to be the centre of attention all the time.”
Madi is head groom at Waitekauri Farm. She adores her job and soaks up all she can from Wendi. “It is really good to see all the training that goes on behind the scenes and how that hard work pays off. It gives me a lot of confidence to see the results of that.”
It is a mutual admiration society between the two. “One of Madi’s real strengths is her positive attitude,” says Wendi. “Her mum (Debbie) has trained her well. Madi really is the best person for me to have here with that attitude.”
The team has settled in well at Aachen, surrounded by the superstars of dressage.
“It is very exciting to be here with Junior,” says Madi. “It will be so cool to see him perform and watch all the other horses go. Freestyle night will be amazing.”
Given the heat, she’s acutely aware of making sure Junior is hydrated and cool. “He’s coping really well and we’ve had some very hot days already.”
Madi admits to feeling the nerves for Wendi and Junior. “I get very nervous, especially because it is such a pinnacle event. It is just so special to be here.”

📸 Diana Dobson


Dressage NZ

10/08/2026

Trot up passed! Now our last training session before competition day tomorrow 🎉🧡

Fibre Fresh Equine NZ
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zilco.equestrian
Stubben Saddles from Spurs of Kumeu
Equissage Therapy New Zealand
Pro-Dosa Boost
The Saddlery Store - NZ
veredus_horseridingequipment
KEP Italia - MAIN PAGE
Equine-America NZ limited
Martin Collin’s Arena Surfaces
Core Physio: The Home of Equestrian Performance
Dressage NZ
Judith Matthews Matthews Hanoverians

08/08/2026

We have made it to World Equestrian Championships in Aachen! Jnr is happy and settling in 🧡🎉

03/08/2026

Heading to the other side of the world with a horse involves a lot of packing! Luckily Cambridge Equestrian came to the rescue with these strong durable bags made from a PVC material. They have strong zips, handles, heaps of room and are waterproof which makes transporting them around really easy and the stuff inside stays dry. We also love the embroidered logo on the side for a personalised touch. Thank you Cambridge Equestrian for these awesome bags and amazing service!