We are delighted to name Tom McDermott as our Australian Jumping Senior Rider of the Year for 2025. At the core of that nomination is a season shaped by World Cup performances and an Australian Senior Title.

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For anyone following Australian Jumping this year, Tom McDermott was impossible to miss. Show after show Tom turned up with a strong team, delivered when it counted, and quietly built one of the most complete senior seasons.

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The Australian Jumping Senior Championship sits at the centre of that story. Winning the Australian Senior Title is never about one round or one good day. It is about showing up across every phase of the championship and staying there until the very end. In 2025, Tom did exactly that.

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A big part of the latter half of the year was Tom’s partnership with Oaks Ventriloquist. ‘Venti’, already a familiar name the Australian Jumping scene, delivering steady, honest results and showing up again and again when Tom needed him most. Their performances across World Cup classes added important momentum to the season in the big moments. Each start added another layer to a partnership that grew stronger as the year went on.

Alongside that, Cooley Gangster continued to play a significant role in Tom’s senior campaign. Together, they featured prominently in major classes, including a second placing in the Grand Prix at the SJA Classic and most importantly third in the Australian Senior Championship.

Tom also took out the second round of the Mini Prix Championship at the Australian Jumping Championships with Ketut, the horse that he won the Jumping @ Willinga Mini Prix Spectacular with a couple of months prior.

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The depth of Tom’s year was on full display at the Jumping NSW Summer Showjumping Classic. In the Futurity Final, he filled the placings, finishing first with Chester Thompson, second with Gille Van Hippo Lux V and fourth with Pegasos. In the Mini Prix Final, he added another win with Delta Blue Go and a sixth placing with Charlie Weasley. It was one of those weekends that reminded everyone just how many horses Tom had going well at the same time.

Naming Tom McDermott as the Australian Jumping Senior Rider of the Year for 2025 is about recognising a year that felt complete, consistency across the calendar, and a championship win that reflected everything that came before it.

Congratulations Tom, we are so excited to see what lies ahead for you and your team.

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