PAIGE GOETSCH AND CALLAHO LUCETTO WIN THE TOYOTA SA DERBY ON DEBUT

 

The only clear round in a field of 18, ten years after Callaho Lucetto was bought at the Callaho Warmblood Stud Auction

Paige Lee Goetsch and Callaho Lucetto won the 2026 Toyota SA Derby at Kyalami Equestrian Park, producing the only clear round in a field of 18.

It was an open field with no obvious favourite, but a pair making their Derby debut would not have been top of many people’s lists. Defending champion Rainer Korber was back with last year’s winner, 334 Impossible (formerly Capital Impossible), and a second ride on Big Smile Lunedi. Jeanne Korber and Equine Walker SA’s Lexington, Colin Ferreira and Corlensky de Revel Z, and Nicola Sime-Riley on her two stallions all had good results here behind them.

The class runs in reverse order of qualification. Paige and Lucetto went eighth, from the lower half of the order, and then watched as the higher qualifiers came in one by one. None of them could match their clear.

Ten years in the making

Callaho Lucetto is a grey gelding by Callaho’s Lissabon, bred by Callaho Warmblood Stud. Paige’s parents bought him at the Stud’s auction in 2016 as a four-year-old, and Paige has produced him herself, through the grades to South Africa’s most demanding jumping class. He was one of five Derby starters this year by Callaho’s Lissabon.

A track that asked every question

The Derby track lived up to its reputation, with faults spread across the course. The planks at the bottom of the bank caught out several combinations, and the double of gates towards the end proved costly for many more. The water caused faults, but no refusals, and the bank wasn’t nearly as troublesome as in previous years.

A small field with plenty of interest

Eighteen starters is a small field for the country’s heritage jumping class, but it’s been an incredibly busy show season. The SA Derby sits outside the World Cup Qualifier series, and after a run of shows, many of them Qualifiers, entries across the circuit have been stretched.

What the field lacked in size, it made up for in range. Alongside the established names, a strong group of young riders took on the Derby. As well as Paige, Zara-Didi Lurie rode the 18-year-old stallion Illiano, Divan Bosman rode Cornerstone’s Nobello Ti Ji St, and Geordi Byrne rode Callaho Sequoia-Vella. Charnay Bean and Jorja Rohrich contested qualifiers earlier in the week. Their presence says a lot about what the Derby means to up-and-coming combinations.

There were young horses too. Colin Ferreira came into Sunday as top qualifier with his ten-year-old stallion Corlensky de Revel Z, who won the qualifier on the second day of the show, and Nicola Sime-Riley rode her two young stallions, Rivendell Lamborghini and Sunny Park Stables Rivendell Quintessence.

The Toyota SA Mini Derby, jumped at 1.40m, was well filled, with several horses that could step up to the big Derby next year, among them the Thoroughbred King Julian.

The Ultimate 4×4 Series

The weekend also decided the Ultimate 4×4 Series, presented by Toyota. Jeanne Korber and Equine Walker SA’s Lexington took the title and, with it, a new Toyota Hilux D/C Legend, a fitting reward for a consistent season. Look out for the full story in HQ.

More than showjumping

Claire Martin won the Compleat Horse once again, and with it Toyota’s R20,000 prize. Nicola Syndercombe, in her first-ever Compleat Horse, was second with a Halloween-themed test. Twelve combinations entered, the biggest Compleat Horse field for some time. The showing classes were strong this year, and the dressage freestyles, from the lower levels up, were a pleasure to watch.

The event

Kyalami Park Club ran a very well-organised show, as always. Final-day tickets sold out and the other days were well attended, Saturday in particular. Toyota’s activation offered games and a jump frame for spectators, and the vendor village gave visitors plenty to browse through. Our thanks go to Toyota South Africa for sponsoring the Derby and supporting multiple shows at KPC throughout the year.

South Africa’s Hickstead

In jumping terms, the SA Derby is South Africa’s answer to Hickstead. It is a different kind of test, and it rewards a particular kind of brave, talented horse. The uniqueness of the challenge is what makes the weekend a highlight of the calendar. This year, a ten-year partnership rose to the occasion, and a host of young riders and horses showed us exactly what is to come in the future. This show is one of our absolute favourites, and it certainly did not disappoint.