Endurance riding, at its best, is a sport built on judgement, horsemanship and respect for the horse. At Radincon, those principles guide where and how we choose to support the sport. In 2025, that support extended further than ever before – nationally and internationally – with Radincon backing both FEI endurance and domestic championship events across Australasia.
New Zealand was a standout this year, with Radincon proud to be involved in the ESNZ Endurance & CTR National Championships held in the Marlborough region. Set almost entirely through vineyards and rolling countryside, the Championships delivered three days of high-quality competition in ideal autumn conditions, supported by a deeply experienced veterinary team and an outstanding group of organisers and volunteers.
Why FEI matters
FEI endurance represents the international benchmark for the sport. The FEI framework sets the standard for horse welfare, veterinary oversight and progression pathways for riders and horses aiming to compete at the highest level. Supporting FEI events is important to Radincon because it reinforces a culture where performance is inseparable from responsible management.
In 2025, Radincon’s support at the ESNZ Championships reflected that philosophy. We were proud to sponsor both the Radincon Vets’ Choice Award and first place in the CEI 3* 160 km event – recognising excellence from two complementary perspectives: welfare-first horsemanship and elite-level performance.
The CEI 3* 160 km: speed, strategy and a finish to remember
The flagship FEI event of the Championships was the CEI 3* 160 km, which began in the early hours of ANZAC Day. Seventeen combinations took on a demanding five-loop course that tested fitness, strategy and mental resilience.
What followed was one of the most exciting finishes seen at a New Zealand endurance championship. Acclaimed international riders Ashley Cole riding Tonki Dee Boo Novak and Tosca Bell riding Arahi Penny came down to a gallop finish along one of the wide headlands near ride base. Ashley edged ahead in the final moments to take the win in an extraordinary time of 8 hours 52 minutes, with Tosca finishing just fractions of a second behind.
Ashley later described the Radincon prize rug as “the most beautiful rug I have ever seen” – a comment that was warmly received by everyone involved.
Beyond the drama of the finish, the result carried real significance. The win helped Ashley and Novak qualify to represent their country at the 2026 World Endurance Championships, to be held in the United Arab Emirates. In preparation for the desert conditions, Ashley has since flown Novak to the UAE, where the pair are currently competing and training ahead of the Championships later this year. It is a reminder that success at this level is built over years, not moments.
The Radincon Vets Choice Award: recognising what lasts
Alongside FEI performance, the Radincon Vets Choice Award remains a cornerstone of our sponsorship. Awarded by the veterinary panel, it recognises horse management that prioritises welfare, adaptability and responsiveness to veterinary advice – often under pressure.
At the ESNZ Championships, the veterinary team considered performances across all levels of competition over three days. Their unanimous choice was Grace Blyth riding Supre Zerlina in the 160 km event. Tackling their first ever 160 km together, Grace adjusted her riding and equipment after early signs of back soreness were identified at the second vet gate. By listening, adapting and riding off the mare’s back for the remainder of the ride, she finished with a sound horse – even if she herself paid the physical price.
The veterinary panel felt this ride exemplified exactly what the Vets Choice Award is intended to celebrate: decision-making that puts the horse first, even when it makes the ride harder for the rider.
Across both events, the decisions were made independently by veterinary panels who see hundreds of horses each season. What stood out in both cases was not dominance or pace, but judgement – riders who adjusted their plans, listened carefully, and put the long-term wellbeing of their horses ahead of personal goals.
A shared responsibility
Events like the ESNZ Championships succeed because of genuine collective effort. Organising committees, volunteers, officials and riders all contribute to the outcome, but the foundation of safe, credible endurance sport is an experienced and independent veterinary team. At Marlborough, competitors were supported by a panel of veterinarians with exceptional depth of expertise: Nick Page of Rolleston Veterinary Services; Dr Alaina Tessier from Massey University’s Equine Veterinary team; Dr Tony Parsons, Deputy Chair of the New Zealand Equine Health Association, former Taupō Veterinary Centre practitioner, long-standing Veterinary Advisor to Equestrian Sport NZ and an FEI Level 4 veterinarian who has served as New Zealand Team Vet at Olympic and World Equestrian Games level; Mary Bowron of Vet Marlborough; and Saito Shigeaki of SHIGE Equine Sports & Podiatry Clinic. Together, this group brought decades of high-level clinical, sports medicine and FEI experience to the event, ensuring veterinary decisions were consistent, evidence-based and aligned with international best practice.
Radincon is proud to support an ecosystem where veterinary judgement is respected and acted upon, and where performance and welfare are treated as inseparable. As endurance continues to evolve internationally, Radincon looks forward to continuing its support of FEI competition and veterinary-led awards – backing the standard that matters, wherever the sport is ridden