Honouring the greatest rider of the year, a hero and an inspiration to others, whose ability is a blessing for both their horses and equestrian sport
The winner of the HorseDialog Professional Rider of the Year 2023 is Ros Canter – Badminton winner, European champion and world number two. Unfortunately Ros was unable to attend the Horse & Hound Awards ceremony, owing to a prior engagement, so she sent this video instead.
When Ros and Lordships Graffalo featured on the cover of Horse & Hound in February, under the line “Your best year yet”, it proved prophetic. The pair won Badminton, scooped double gold at the European Championships and Ros also enjoyed a month at the top of the world rankings.
Ros, 37, often appears to be doing very little across country, guiding big horses with a seemingly effortless skill that belies her tiny frame, which is a testament to her home training. She said at Badminton that she’d never really ridden in wet conditions at five-star, but she rose to the challenge both there and at the Europeans, putting in fast rounds, which she admits doesn’t come naturally to her.
“I tend to struggle at small events, but I work hard to get in the right frame of mind at the big events,” she said.
British Equestrian’s performance director Dickie Waywood collected the award on the evening on Ros’s behalf. Here is what he had to say.
The other top riders who made the shortlist for the HorseDialog Professional Rider of the Year 2023 are:
Will Morton – RIHS supreme horse winner
The 26-year-old cemented his status as the new star of the show horse circuit when he lifted the supreme horse title at the 2023 Royal International (RIHS) riding Sarah-Ann Gunn’s sensational lightweight Kilcarna Brilliant.
“I don’t think this moment will ever be topped,” said Will, after the supreme win, having clinched his first RIHS hunter accolade earlier in the week. “I put a lot of pressure on myself so it was a relief when it paid off. I’m still young and up-and-coming, and while any championship win here is great, the hunter title is the one.”
Will’s first claim to fame was when he won the SEIB Search For A Star series in 2013 and he’s since been carving out a name for himself on the circuit for his skilled production, attention to detail and ability to get the best out of any horse, of any type, size or class. Will, who also events, now has a strong string of rides and he’s rapidly ticking off the circuit’s most coveted titles, while proving himself to be a serious supreme rider, having captured many overall victories on the county circuit over the past few years.
Carl Hester – British team gold medallist and 2023 national champion
In 2012, Carl Hester was the architect of Britain’s historic gold medal at the London Olympics. This year, Britain once more took team gold, at the European Dressage Championships and once again, Carl, 56, was instrumental in making it happen. He and Fame were the talk of the championships. Having taken the ride mere months before, Carl provided a masterclass, riding with exemplary skill and feel to guide the hot stallion to a grand prix personal best of 78.54%.
“If I never ride another test again, that would be a nice note to finish on,” he said.
They led the grand prix overnight, eventually finishing fifth, and went on to take fifth and seventh in the special and the freestyle respectively. From the Europeans, Carl headed straight for the National Dressage Championships, where he rode the hot, nervous En Vogue with the same level of brilliance to capture his 11th national grand prix title.
John Whitaker – Nations Cup team hero
In which other sport would you find an athlete still competing at the top of their game at the age of 68? But the legend that is John Whitaker has always shrugged off his advancing years and, with his great partner, Equine America Unick Du Francport, continued to be a true team stalwart this year.
He finished on the podium in every Nations Cup he was a part of, including helping Great Britain to achieve that momentous victory at Hickstead, 53 years after he first competed there on ponies. An emotional John described that as “probably the best day”.
“I’m working harder than ever,” says John, who has also won two six-bars this year, clearing nearly two metres (6ft 6in) in the process. “Finding the next good horse has always been the challenge, but our father instilled in us never to give up. It rubs off watching good young riders – you have to move with the times.”
Previous Professional Rider of the Year Award winners
Previous winners of this award include:
- 2022: Laura Collett, Badminton winner, adding a second five-star title to her win at Pau in 2020, plus Tokyo Olympic eventing team gold
- 2021: Tom McEwen, winner of Tokyo Olympic eventing team gold and individual silver medallist
- 2020: Charlotte Dujardin, who was selected as professional rider of the decade (2011-2020)
- 2019: Piggy French, who won Badminton for the first time among a record 14 internationals, including Blenheim CCI4*-L, was second at Burghley on Vanir Kamira and took European team silver with Quarrycrest Echo
- 2018: Ros Canter, who became eventing individual world champion at the World Equestrian Games in Tryon
- 2017: Nicola Wilson, who took team gold and individual bronze at the European Eventing Championships
- 2016: Charlotte Dujardin, who added a second individual Olympic gold at Rio 2016 and helped the Brits to team silver
About the Horse & Hound Awards 2023
The Horse & Hound Awards returned for the eighth year in a row, running again in partnership with NAF.
As ever, the H&H Awards winners were nominated and voted for by you. We recognised both the big names who have made 2023 special and the unsung heroes who make it possible for all of us to enjoy equestrian sport and our horses, at whatever level.
This year, we hosted a glittering ceremony at Dallas Burston Polo Club in Warwickshire where some 300 people, including Olympic and Paralympic superstars, enjoyed a glamorous evening of champagne, winner reveals, Oscar-style speeches and dancing.
