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Federation announcements, championship recaps and updates from across the South African eventing community.
Kyalami Summer Classic delivers record entries
The 2026 edition of the Kyalami Summer Classic closed entries with a record-breaking 420 combinations across the three eventing disciplines, marking the largest national event held under the ESA banner in five years. Organisers credit a renewed national calendar and stronger provincial coordination for the result.
Combinations travelled from every province, with a particularly strong contingent from the Western Cape and KwaZulu-Natal making the trip north. Junior and Young Rider numbers also reached an all-time high.
A return to form
After several seasons of disrupted scheduling, the Summer Classic has reclaimed its position as the showpiece event of the season. Course designers presented technical but fair tracks across all grades, and ground conditions held up well across the long weekend.
Officials noted the standard of dressage tests was visibly higher than in previous years, reflecting the impact of the ESA-accredited coaching pathway and a more consistent judging panel rotation.
""The standard of horsemanship on display gives us real confidence going into the international qualifiers.""
Looking ahead
Attention now turns to the second leg of the Highveld Challenge Series and the African Shield selection trials. ESA will publish provisional squad shortlists in the coming weeks.