From top horses and riders to everyday equestrian heroes: the 2026 Horse & Hound Awards are here
Nominations open today for the 2026 Horse & Hound Awards
Whether it’s your favourite rider, a professional who goes above and beyond or simply the horse who changed your life – it’s time to have your say in the 2026 Horse & Hound Awards, in partnership with NAF and Agria.
Today (13 August) nominations officially open for the 2026 Horse & Hound Awards, which celebrate world-class human and equine champions to the everyday heroes on whom the equestrian community is built.
Nominations can be made in all 13 categories, by 10 September. The shortlists will be announced in October and the winners announced at a ceremony at Dallas Burston Polo Club, Warwickshire, on 25 November.
“We’re so delighted to bring the awards back in 2026 and, as always, we thank our partners NAF and Agria, as well as all the individual category award sponsors,” said H&H editor-in-chief Sarah Jenkins.
“We’re always excited to receive your nominations – it’s great fun reading all your stories. The awards are so special because they celebrate the obvious stars of the year – winners and medallists – but also hidden heroes, from horses who make their owners’ lives better to people who make it possible for others to succeed or enjoy their horses.”
The 2026 Horse & Hound Awards will culminate at the ceremony on 25 November, when some 300 guests – including top riders, industry leaders and grassroots champions, will gather for the BAFTA-style awards evening.
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Eloise Chugg, UK sponsorship and events manager for NAF, said: “We’re delighted to support the Horse & Hound Awards alongside Agria and to put our name to the new unsung partnership category, celebrating the extraordinary bonds between horses and people at the heart of our community. Through everyday care, every challenge and every step forward, these partnerships remind us that sometimes, horses really are all you need.”
Agria UK chief executive Vicki Wentworth said few events bring together and celebrate the equestrian community quite like the H&H Awards.
“Which is why we’re so pleased to be returning as joint headline sponsor and presenting the Agria horse of a lifetime award once again,” she said.
“Since the award was launched, we’ve been privileged to celebrate some truly remarkable horses, from Emma, The late Queen Elizabeth II’s beloved Fell pony to last year’s winner, Hovis, whose story captured the hearts of horse lovers across the country. Yet for many owners, the most important horse in the world is simply the one that changed their life. That’s what this award is all about, recognising those once-in-a-lifetime horses whose impact is never forgotten.”
Nominations are open now
The Horse & Hound Awards Categories
● D&H Elite Sport Dressage Horse of the Year
● Showjumping Horse of the Year
● NAF Unsung Partnership of the Year
● Professional Rider of the Year
● Baileys Horse Feeds Vet of the Year
● SPILLERS Horse Feeds Riding School of the Year
● Horse & Hound Lifetime Achievement Award
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Eleanor is an experienced journalist who spent over eight years working for local and national newspapers before joining H&H as news editor in March 2016. Passionate about equine welfare and exposing the truth, Eleanor has reported on all aspects of the industry, from Brexit to anti-bullying campaigns, and from dressage rules to mules. Her sport of choice is showjumping, in which she competes her own horses, and she also enjoys reporting at local jumping shows through to international championships.