Another unforgettable Nutrien Classic for the books
Hundreds of performance horses, riders and vendors gathered at the Australia Equine and Livestock Events Centre (AELEC) in Tamworth, for Australia’s premier Campdrafting competition and world-class performance horse sale.
With thousands more watching online across the globe, the 2026 Nutrien Classic horse sale resulted in the sale of more than 600 lots.
Several horses achieved six-figure prices, including SMITH FAMILY JUST JACK, a heritage stock horse offered by Tamworth local Hugh Miles, which sold for $315,000.
The average horse price sat above $30,000, and the event expected to gross around $18.36 million, with results still being finalised.
“Strong clearance rates across geldings, mares and stallions at the sale reflects buyer confidence, an outstanding line up of horses, and the strength of the Australian performance horse market more broadly,” said Adrian Capogreco, Nutrien Ag Solutions Managing Director.
During the sale, the Classic Ladies Foundation auctioned four lots, raising $73,000 for Farmer Angels and My Room, a children’s cancer charity
Meanwhile, women dominated the 2026 Nutrien Classic Performance Horse Challenge, taking out around 80 percent of the places.
Penny Macintosh marked her name in the history books with an unprecedented sweep of the top three Open Final positions, securing first (METRIC MAN), second (NOW YA TALKIN) and third place (DOTMAH SWEET TALKER).
“To know my horses came together on the night was such an amazing feeling, I was blown away. I had some phenomenal horses underneath me and I was very fortunate to have the power of the horses to pull it together and make it all happen on the best stage for our industry,” said Macintosh.
Macintosh also took home over six-figures in sales underscoring the exceptional quality and competitiveness of the 2026 event.
“This is the 19th year we’ve run this event and it’s the biggest that we’ve seen, with a record number of runs across all categories following the integration of Masters horses into this year’s catalogue and another lift in the overall standard across all breeds,” said Adrian Capogreco.
“It’s been an unforgettable 11 days at Tamworth, and I want to say an enormous thank you to all the competitors, vendors, buyers, judges, contractors, sponsors, stallholders, the Nutrien staff and our passionate spectators for your continued support of the Nutrien Classic.
“The stats speak for themselves, and I am very pleased to say it’s been another safe and successful Nutrien Classic. We are looking forward to marking the 20th anniversary of this great event next year,” said Adrian Capogreco.
Results and more information can be found on the Nutrien Equine website.
Photography: Jo Thieme, Brie Stanger and Rianna Rose