New talent dominates lineups at Royal Adelaide Show

Recent stories

With the dust now settled on the Royal Adelaide Show for 2025, what stands out when taking a closer look at the winners is the amount of new talent that has progressed quickly to the top of the lineups.

For the Shaw family, Margot Haynes and David Quayle, this royal was definitely one to remember, with two of their young horses featuring as stars of the show.

Cheraton Black Label, who went champion large hack at the Show Horse Council of South Australia Horse of the Year Show in 2024, followed that up with the champion hack sash at Adelaide Royal.

The gelding, known at home as “Jett”, then took out the Best in Show title.

Not bad for a youngster who was a newcomer 12 months ago.

The stableโ€™s five-year-old Allambah Anthem then added the best novice galloway and the open championship sashes to the collection.

In the hack lineups, Ali Kent and Sarah and Grace Pihanโ€™s Parklane went best novice before heading to the Victorian Off-The-Track Carnival in Victoria to win the championship there.

In a strong show pony section, Catherine Gale and Reece Galeโ€™s Carlingford Park Celestial was judged as the best novice pony and then went on to win the big pony mare class.

Hack line up
NSW judge Tim Hadlow took a careful look at Catherine and Reece Galeโ€™s Carlingford Park Celestial, ridden by Margot Haynes, before selecting the mare as his novice champion.
Photo: Ty Manning.

Long-time show pony breeder, Jan Langley of Langtree Stud, would have been pleased to hear that Dale Plumbโ€™s Langtree Jewel stepped out and won the novice class before going on to win the championship for small ponies.

The Reimer family always produces a quality youngster and the reserve small pony, Sirrah Springtime, is one with a real future.

The champion big pony, Nottingham Royal Highness shown by Emma Richardson, and the reserve, Wideacre Harry Winston shown by Monica Corston, are both classic Riding Pony types.

Adelaide holds a racehorse-to-show horse section where Dale Plumbโ€™s mare Chorus was champion hack and Kerry Armstrong, Josh Clarke and Stephen Merryโ€™s SLM Enough Said stood reserve. Chorus was also awarded the show’s hack Premier Award for horses showing outstanding Thoroughbred qualities.

The champion racecourse to show horse show hunter was Lesley Burrows’ Infinity, with Riley Shannon-Winzerโ€™s Shaundale Park Egyptian Prince the reserve.

In the show hunters, Shelley Howard and Dianne Banks’ Danson Black Metallic was champion novice hack. The young gelding also won his open class and stood reserve beside the open champion Revelwood Stedfast, shown by Georgia Greenwell and her dad John DeMarco. (This was another family to have a great week, also picking up a win at the races in New Zealand with Have a Crack at only his second start.)

Cathy Youngโ€™s Truly Regal of Sefton was best novice galloway show hunter and Hi-Pine Equestrian Centreโ€™s Hi Pine Temptation took the sash for open show hunter galloway.

The show hunter Premier Award went to Susan Buftonโ€™s Staughton Vale Winchester. (Susan was also awarded Smartest on Parade over 18 years on Staughton Vale Henley.)

It is interesting that while the Riding Ponies rule the show pony classes, the old prefixes of the Welsh and Australian Pony bloodlines appear in the pony show hunter line-ups.

Tessa Williams had a great show with Amaranda Lucas, winning the sash for best novice show hunter pony, the open show hunter gelding 12.2 to 14hh class and placing second place in the open.

Sophie Belcherโ€™s prolific winner Avlon Hello Dolly was the small pony show hunter champion, while Emma Richardson took her second open championship sash for the show when Beaufort Tiffany was selected as the big pony show hunter champion.

Adelaide Royal has a large section for childโ€™s classes and these were well supported.

Children on ponies
Just perfect โ€“ the littlest riders and their handlers wait their turns.
Photo: Manning Photography.

Champion child’s show hunter galloway was Ava Nusbajtelโ€™s Panorama Just A Fortitude and the champion child’s show hunter horse was Susan Buftonโ€™s Staughton Vale Winchester.

In the childโ€™s show horse classes the champion galloway was the BR Show Team and Kerry Armstrongโ€™s KT Fine Design and the hack Emma Richardsonโ€™s Royalwood Westend.

The champion childโ€™s pony hacks were Tamrie Park and Tamara Leeโ€™s Whitmere Royal Palace (small) and Monica Crostonโ€™s Wideacre Harry Winston (large).

The champion child’s show hunter pony (small) was Ruby Rose Eurellโ€™s Gracefield Lady N Lace and Emma Richardsonโ€™s excellent show with Beaufort Tiffany continued with the pair picking up the hack championship.  

Geldings took the major awards in the Australian Stock Horse classes, where the Supreme in hand was Mardi Johnsonโ€™s Sheady Showgun and DeeAnne Huntโ€™s Adelle Musician was the champion ridden.

Combaning Stock Horses and Darcy Schliebsโ€™ Combaning Downs Elect was the working champion and supreme ridden.

Champion Shetland Pony was Laura Bowenโ€™s Oak Park Winter Garden with Madeline Bridgeโ€™s Royalview Silhouette reserve.

In the Clydesdale section, Glenquarry Clydesdalesโ€™ mare Wheelabarraback Flash Bonnie was a worthy supreme led. โ€œBonnieโ€ also won the four-wheel turnout class and was reserve champion single harness horse. 

Sue and Peter White and Andrew James showed the supreme light harness exhibit, Burrowa Achilles Lad, while Ian and Lynette Fritschโ€™s Lowan Vale Yvonne took the major award in the heavy harness section.

The 2025 Adelaide Royal champion riders were Ruby Rose Eurell (junior), Grace, Baines (intermediate) and Dallas Merry (senior).

Full results.
See more photos at The Regional.
View and purchase Manning Photography images from this event.

This article appeared on The Regional on 14 October 2025.


Stories on The Regionalโ€™s website are free to read and always will be.

If you enjoyed this article you can show your support by joining our mailing list
(either by filling out the form on our Home page or sending us an email or message).

Weโ€™d also get very excited if you put a โ€œlikeโ€ on our Facebook page

KEEP IN TOUCH

Sign up for updates from Australian Rural & Regional News

Manage your subscription

We donโ€™t spam! Read our privacy policy for more info.

For all the horse news from The Regional, go to https://www.theregional.com.au/horses