Racing Te Aroha is preparing to welcome the country’s jumps racing community back under the mountain this September, with the Great New Zealand Jumps Carnival returning for its second running following a successful inaugural event in 2025.
Taking place across Friday 18 and Sunday 20 September, the two-day Carnival will once again bring together two of New Zealand’s most iconic jumping races, alongside hospitality, entertainment and a celebration of the people and horses at the heart of the sport.
Racing Te Aroha is delighted to confirm the continued support of the Carnival’s two major race sponsors, with J Swap returning as naming rights sponsor of the J Swap Great New Zealand Hurdle, while Ben & Ryan Foote Racing will again support the Ben & Ryan Foote Racing Great New Zealand Steeplechase.
Both organisations were part of the inaugural Carnival in 2025, and Racing Te Aroha President Raewyn Armstrong said their ongoing involvement was a vote of confidence in the event.
“Last year was really about establishing what we hope will become an important fixture on the New Zealand racing calendar, so to have J Swap and Ben & Ryan Foote Racing back supporting us for year two means a great deal,” Armstrong said.
“They have a genuine connection to jumps racing and have been really supportive of these races and our club for many years. That consistency gives us a great foundation to keep building the Carnival, while ensuring these historic races continue to receive the recognition they deserve.
“We were very proud of what was achieved in the first year. There was a real sense of occasion across the weekend and, importantly, a wonderful feeling of camaraderie amongst the jumps racing community. This year we want to build on that and give people even more reason to make a weekend of it at Te Aroha.”
The inaugural Carnival marked a new chapter for two races steeped in New Zealand racing history, with the former Great Northern Hurdle and Great Northern Steeplechase becoming the Great New Zealand Hurdle and Great New Zealand Steeplechase and finding a permanent home at Te Aroha.
On the track, Taika, ridden by Mathew Gillies for trainers Paul Nelson and Corrina McDougal, claimed the inaugural J Swap Great New Zealand Hurdle, while Jesko capped a standout season for trainers Shaun and Hazel Fannin with victory in the Ben & Ryan Foote Racing Great New Zealand Steeplechase.
This year, the Carnival will also place a spotlight on the lives thoroughbreds can enjoy away from the racetrack, with AnnaRehab joining Racing Te Aroha on both days.
Two of AnnaRehab’s retired Thoroughbreds will be on course for racegoers to meet, pat and feed carrots to throughout the Carnival. AnnaRehab works with retired racehorses through its Equine Assisted Learning programme, providing Thoroughbreds with meaningful second careers while helping people develop confidence, communication and social-emotional skills.
The popular Saturday evening function will also return between the two racedays, this year hosted at Te Aroha Racecourse and MC’d by leading New Zealand race caller George Simon. Tickets for this function are $30pp and include light snacks. A cash bar will be available. More information here.
A charity auction will again form part of the evening, raising funds for the New Zealand Horse Ambulance Trust and the important work it undertakes supporting equine welfare across the racing industry. Last year’s function raised more than $5,000 for the Trust, with Racing Te Aroha hoping to build on that total in 2026.
The 2026 Great New Zealand Jumps Carnival takes place at Racing Te Aroha on Friday 18 September and Sunday 20 September and tickets are on sale now.
Further Carnival and Saturday evening function details will be announced in the coming weeks.
MORE ABOUT THE CARNIVAL