Despite worries over how the fuel crisis may affect entries, the turnout at the 2026 BSPS Winter Championships was impressive, both in numbers and quality.
The British Show Pony Society (BSPS) Winter Championships always attract a strong field due to the number of Royal International (RIHS) and London International (LIHS) tickets on offer as well as a host of opportunities to provide more mileage to novice ponies and new combinations.
For a glimpse of the action, take a peek at the 17 combinations who came to the fore…
Champions from the 2026 BSPS Winter Championships
1. Harray of Drumdewan and Ellena Thomas
Credit: Trevor Meeks
Harray of Drumdewan swept through his card piloted by his owner Ellena Thomas. The pair first secured the novice Heritage sash, followed by the young pony championship, and the novice and overall supreme spoils.
2. Archwood Dance All Night and Emeila O’Brien
Credit: Trevor Meeks
Emma O’Brien’s Archwood Dance All Night and Emelia O’Brien claimed the challenge show pony honours ahead of second placed 128cm show pony, Shirley Sykes’ Serene Royal Prince Charming and Frank Newbould.
3. Annandale Aragorn and Izzy Mason
Credit: Trevor Meeks
Annandale Aragorn received a well deserved pat from rider Izzy Mason after the pair stand champion novice show hunter pony. 143cm winner “Dylan” is also owned by Emma O’Brien and produced by Rachael Helliwell.
4. Barkway Man In The Moon and Arabella Corrigan
Credit: Trevor Meeks
Michael Corrigan’s Team Jinks produced Barkway Man In The Moon and Arabella Corrigan, seven, won the tiny tots walk and trot class before landing the section supreme on Arabella’s first solo turn in the show ring.
5. Highmead Cat’s Eye and Daisy May Allen
Credit: Trevor Meeks
The 148cm novice show pony victors Highmead Cat’s Eye and Daisy May Allen floated to the section title. Bred by Jane Mabbett, Hickstead-bound “Cariad” is owned and produced by Daisy May’s parents Jodie and Gavin Allen.
6. Sutton Grange Fancy That and Isla Smith
Credit: Trevor Meeks
The Team Elenor produced 2025 BSPS summer championships overall supreme champions Sutton Grange Fancy That and Isla Smith returned to Arena UK to take the RIHS Show Hunter Pony Championship at the 2026 BSPS Winter Championships.
7. Littletons Tiger Lily and Grace Lockyer
Credit: Trevor Meeks
Having enjoyed piloting Charlotte Coppard and Rebekah Littletons Tiger Lily at home with producer Elliee Stunt since she was a youngster, Grace Lockyer was delighted to be offered the ride on the decorated hack in the intermediate ranks. The pair were challenge intermediate champions at this, their third show together.
8. Ballarin Rosa and Jack Owen
Credit: Trevor Meeks
Shelley and Amy Jones’ Ballarin Rosa is piloted by Team Jinks’ Jack Owen to land the novice intermediate championship. Six-year-old Rosa had already qualified for Hickstead as a riding horse with Amy on board at her second show and punctuated the championships, her third show, with another ticket in the intermediate ranks.
9. Wycroft Beethoven and Alexandra Svensson
Former Horse of the Year Show champion and Royal International Horse Show winner Wycroft Beethoven won the 143cm challenge show hunter pony division and the section spoils at the 2026 BSPS Winter Championships, piloted this term by Alexandra Svensson and produced by Team Harker.
10. Rhwngddwyafon Murry and Millie Doherty
Credit: Trevor Meeks
A delighted Millie Doherty rode her mother Jenna’s Rhwngddwyafon Murry to the winter junior working hunter pony title. The Dohertys purchased the home-produced five-year-old at sales as a yearling. This was twelve-year-old Millie’s first centre-line moment.
11. Cosford Valour and Arabella Pickles
Credit: Trevor Meeks
Sisters Alex Ahern and Kirsty Pickles’ ward Cosford Valour was piloted by Kirsty’s daughter Arabella Pickles to stand challenge mini show pony champions. This is the pair’s first season off the lead after a successful run in lead-rein classes.
11. Tromps Sugar Rush and Sam Roberts
Credit: Trevor Meeks
Sam Roberts and Tromps Sugar Rush, owned by David Jinks and Adam Forster, enjoyed a stellar weekend at the 2026 BSPS Winter Championships. The section A gelding – produced by Sam – won the novice and challenge heritage working hunter pony sashes, and was also crowned a champion on the flat, claiming a hotly contested London International ticket.
12. Dumbles Granderas Last and Louis Cure
Credit: Trevor Meeks
Heather Rothwell’s Dumbles Granderas Last and Heather’s son Louis Cure were another of the weekend’s “on form” combinations. Louis and “George” took the novice nursery stakes and 133cm classes, the overall novice working hunter pony sash as well as reserve champion in the Gold Cup division behind Imogen Philp and Oh For Olive.
13. Gwyrddparc Fandango and Phoebe Patterson
Credit: Trevor Meeks
Five-year-old Gwyrddparc Fandango was piloted by Phoebe Patterson, seven, to the novice mini hunter type championship. She was led by Phoebe’s mother Fiona, who co-owns “Tango” along with “Aunty Sally” Mealor and “Granny” Gillian Gardner.
14. Wortley Sinderella and Lucy Glover
Credit: Trevor Meeks
Producer Lucy Glover piloted Gill Simpson’s home-bred five-year-old Welsh section B mare Wortley Sinderella to the reserve novice heritage spot and the heritage challenge championship the following day.
15. Imogen Philp and Oh For Olive
Credit: Trevor Meeks
Imogen Philp and her mother Petrina Philp’s Oh For Olive impressed to land the 148cm division of the Gold Cup before topping the coveted Gold Cup championship, too.
16. Rowfantina My Buddy and Phoebe Macgregor
Credit: Trevor Meeks
Phoebe Macgregor and Justine Macgregor’s Rowfantina My Buddy – the 2025 Royal International supreme open show hunter pony champion – were led by producer Karl Morris to book a Hickstead pass in the lead-rein of hunter type qualifier and stand champion ahead of second placed Rowfantina Kingfisher and Eliza Gredley-Scott, who also won their challenge class.
17. Thistledown Wood Owl and Gracie-May Whitaker
Credit: Trevor Meeks
The novice heritage mini championship headed home to Yorkshire with Martin Wood’s Thistledown Wood Owl. The section A was piloted by Martin’s grandaughter, Gracie-May Whitaker, and was led by producer Craig Elenor.
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