The showing world has welcomed the expansion of the Royal Windsor Horse Show (12-16 May), to introduce 32 new classes.
The 2010 show will feature additional coloured, sport horse, veteran, miniature horse and side-saddle classes, bringing the total up to 117, with an extra 20 championships.
“The number of classes for coloured horses has trebled — it’s great news,” said Emma Hore of the Coloured Horse and Pony Society (CHAPS).
“The classes are all qualifiers for the CHAPS championship at Arena UK in September and have been divided by height, age and type, to encourage more competitors to enter.”
British Show Pony Society (BSPS)-affiliated mountain and moorland qualifiers have also been introduced.
“It is great that an event like Windsor is developing and expanding like this,” said BSPS council member Nigel Hollings.
“The two extra classes are both international qualifiers for the Royal International Horse Show and with the prestige of Windsor, will be popular.”
Windsor will also run amateur riding horse, amateur hack and amateur cob classes.
Event director Simon Brooks-Ward explained that Windsor is responding to particular areas of growth within showing.
“We are listening to the experts,” he added.
He said nothing has been removed from the programme, but the show schedule has been overhauled and extra use made of the arena installed for last year’s European Dressage and Showjumping Championships.
“We’ve been wanting to expand,” said spokesman Kelly Smith. “The Europeans enabled us to do what has been on the cards for a while.”
Entries opened on 4 March. Visit: www.rwhs.co.uk or tel: 01753 860633.
This article was first published in Horse & Hound (11 March, ’10)
