Tamworth residents and visitors will have four days of free entertainment this week as the World Cup Show brings elite showjumping, live entertainment and family-friendly activities to the region.
The 2026 Tamworth World Cup Show will run from Thursday to Sunday at the Australian Equine and Livestock Events Centre, with more than 220 competitors and 450 horses taking part.
Run by the North and Northwest Showjumping Club, the event will feature competition ranging from grassroots riders to elite professionals and international-level combinations.
Saturday night will be the entertainment highlight, combining the World Cup Qualifier with a tribute to the 4th Light Horse Brigade, opportunities for spectators to walk the course, trade stands and music.
The program begins at 6pm with two riders commemorating the famous charge of the 4th Light Horse Brigade at the Battle of Beersheba.
A presentation of stewards, judges and riders will follow before spectators are invited into the arena to walk the Olympic-style course designed by showjumping legend Gavin Chester.
“Members of the audience can come down and walk around the Olympic-style course to get an idea of the enormity of the 1.6-metre fences and the training that goes into these horses,” Martin Gostelow, NNWSJC vice president, said.
Fifteen leading showjumpers will then compete in the World Cup Qualifier, a Fédération Équestre Internationale one-star international class.
Between the first and second rounds, spectators will be able to visit trade stands while a musical interlude adds to the evening’s entertainment.
About $33,000 in prizemoney will be on offer in the World Cup Qualifier, with more than $200,000 available across the four-day event.
The show will also feature an under-25 competition for the first time, adding another attraction to the weekend program.
Competition begins at 8am each day from Thursday to Sunday, giving spectators four days to see riders and horses ranging from grassroots competitors to some of the sport’s leading combinations.
Entry for spectators is free.
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