Standout Performances and Future Stars at the 2026 4CYTE Melbourne
International 3 Day Event
The forecast may have threatened flooding rain, but the 2026 4CYTE Melbourne International 3 Day Event had a much brighter ending in store.
By the final day, Werribee Park was bathed in 17-degree sunshine, with large crowds enjoying some of the best eventing Australia has to offer. Across four days of competition, established combinations, exciting young riders, Off The Track Thoroughbreds and some very promising horses all had their opportunity to shine.
Competition began on Thursday with the IRT Young Eventing Horse classes for four, five and six-year-olds, offering an early look at some of the horses that could become future stars of the sport.
Sydnie Williams and six-year-old Belrock Kerajan (Karajan x Belrock Nadia) emerged as Champion of Champions in the IRT Young Event Horse Challenge, also receiving the Zoe Warrell Memorial Award.
Presented to the highest-scoring horse across the Young Event Horse divisions, the award recognises an outstanding young horse displaying the qualities and potential required for a future in eventing.
Friday marked the beginning of the dressage phase, as well as the Yulong Off The Track Rising Stars Challenge, open to horses that had their last race or trial within the previous two years.
This year’s winner, High Torque, made his performance particularly remarkable. The Toronado x Moussaieff gelding had raced as recently as the Monday before the event.
Ridden by Sophie Fox and owned by P. Caruso, T. Ongarezos, M. Nelson, S. Kyriazis, S. Wong, D. Grass and A. Nelson, High Torque provided another impressive example of the versatility and potential of the Thoroughbred beyond racing.
A true test across country
Cross-country is always one of the great attractions of Melbourne International 3 Day Event, and course designers Ewan Kellett and Mick Pineo produced beautifully presented tracks that asked riders to be both bold and accurate.
With combinations negotiating the challenges of Werribee Park, the competition began to take shape ahead of Monday’s showjumping finale, where courses designed by David Sheppard provided the final test.
In the feature Pryde’s EasiFeed CCI4*-L, David Middleton and WEC In The Breeze rose to the occasion.
An impressive cross-country performance put the combination firmly into contention before a clear showjumping round secured the 2026 title. Holding their nerve when it mattered most, Middleton and WEC In The Breeze claimed one of Australia’s premier long-format eventing victories and capped off a memorable weekend for the entire team behind the horse.
Young talent steps up
One of the standout stories of the weekend came in the Equestrian Australia CCI4*-S, where 19-year-old Lamoza Velisha claimed the title aboard Call Me Cooley.
The pair moved into second place following cross-country before delivering a composed clear round in the showjumping to take the win.
Emma Mason and KPH Kingfisher finished second, while Molly Barry and Off The Track Thoroughbred Impulsive Ways completed the podium.
It was an impressive result for Velisha and another reminder of the depth of young talent coming through Australia’s eventing ranks.
Cooper claims the Roycroft Trophy
In the CCI3*-L, Andrew Cooper and Sandhills Cristiano secured both the title and the prestigious Roycroft Trophy.
The combination completed their weekend with a clear showjumping round to take victory after three days of competition.
Emma Bishop and Bobby Dazzler finished second, followed by Gemma Tinney and Fernhill Aisling Star in third. Jessica Rae and Chloe took fourth, with Oliver Barrett and Tempranado rounding out the top five.
Awarded to the winner of the CCI3*-L, the Roycroft Trophy honours one of Australia’s most influential eventing families and carries a special place in the history of the sport.
Off The Track horses make their mark
The Off The Track CCI2*-L could hardly have produced a closer finish.
Edward Darby and Charismatic Day finished level on 30.7 penalties with Holly Anderson and TW Great One (OTT). With nothing separating the combinations on their final scores, the title was decided by which pair finished closest to the optimum cross-country time.
That distinction went to Darby and Charismatic Day, earning them the 2026 Off The Track CCI2*-L title.
The Junior and Young Rider competition produced another impressive performance, with Aleisha Lorensen and Finch Farm Chrysler leading from start to finish to claim the Off The Track CCI Junior/Young Rider 2*-L.
The pair added nothing to their dressage score throughout cross-country and showjumping, finishing on 28.7 penalties.
Liam Mackenzie-Smith and Sandhills Invader took second on 34.2, while Ella McCrum and Hez All That Jazz finished third on 35.9.
There was another start-to-finish victory in the CCI1*-L for Off The Track Thoroughbreds, where Shenae Lowings and Wollombi Baxter maintained their dressage lead and added no further penalties across either jumping phase to take the title.
Western Australia takes the teams title
For four riders who made the long journey east, the trip home came with some extra silverware.
Team Western Australia claimed the 2026 State Teams Championship with a combined score of 105.6 penalties.
The winning team consisted of Riley Lyall and Order Is Restored, Ella McCrum and Hez All That Jazz, Kathryn Ingham and Asti Showstopper GPH, and Isabella Day and Sovereign’s Marielle.
It was a fitting result in a weekend that celebrated not only individual success, but the depth and community of Australian eventing.
From young horses taking their first steps towards the upper levels to Off The Track Thoroughbreds finding new careers, emerging riders making their mark and experienced combinations chasing prestigious titles, the 2026 4CYTE Melbourne International 3 Day Event showcased the many layers of the sport.
And after beginning beneath the threat of flooding rain, finishing the event in sunshine in front of a strong crowd was perhaps the perfect way to close another memorable Melbourne International 3 Day Event.
Full results are available: