A Pathway Event for Youth

Kaimanawa Legacy Foundation developed the Colt Challenge to help foster the next generation of passionate and talented horsemen and women.

With 200+ horses targeted for removal in 2024 and 2025, and musters now held annually, KLF recognised the need to appeal to a broader range of equestrians, to help KWHAG reach their rehoming targets. This new competition has been designed to offer a pathway for young and amateur trainers, to help them gain the skills and passion to tame mature Kaimanawa horses from future musters. It is our greatest hope that the trainers chosen to compete will become part of an emerging legacy of trainers that will continue to advocate for the plight of Kaimanawa horses in the future.

The Colt Challenge is for aspiring trainers, who will be randomly assigned a juvenile from the Kaimanawa Horse Muster. Competitors have the option to have a KLF Approved Trainer do the initial handling, or they can tame the horse themselves under the mentorship of an KLF Approved Trainer (some adults, with previous wild horse experience, may be considered to tame the horse unassisted). 

The primary focus of this event is to foster owners to up skill their horsemanship, so they are able to offer their wild horse a positive transition to domestic life.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

• Trainers aged over 12 years, as of October 1st, are eligible to compete.
• Trainers will have approximately six months to domesticate their juvenile, before going on to compete at Equifest, one of the largest equestrian events in New Zealand.
• Each competitor will compete in a Horsemanship and Obstacle class, which will include a freestyle element.