‘There’s a degree of Miss Marple about it’: meet the lady who has sent almost 200 good luck packages ahead of HOYS
Morean Hamilton – the “HOYS fairy” – sends out good luck packages each year ahead of Horse of the Year Show. Find out why, and how to get on her list
Back in 2022, we qualified a pony for Horse of the Year Show (HOYS). It was a particularly special ticket; “Brian” was home-bred, and to say he was tricky would be a wild understatement!
A few weeks later, a parcel arrived in the post for Brian from “the HOYS fairy”, and Brian became one of, by now, almost 200 ticket holders to receive a package.
The HOYS fairy, Morean Hamilton, reveals why she continues to enjoy bringing an extra little bit of magic to certain combinations’ HOYS prep...
Ayrshire-based Morean began this tradition a decade ago.
“The first time I saw a little mini browband like the ones in the packages was with a friend from the north of Scotland. She had her own browband company, and she made them as little Christmas decorations,” says Morean.
“Then I ordered my new horse box, and she made me a blue and white one for my lorry, and that's when I got the idea. I asked her, ‘I wonder if you could do these for me for HOYS?’ And she did. That would be 10 years ago.”
That first year, Morean ordered and distributed eight browbands and accompanying cards.
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“At that point in time, it was friends that were going, or people with home-breds and whatever, and that’s how it started. Unfortunately, after a couple of years, that original friend stoped making the browbands, and I thought, ‘I don't want to stop this,’ so I spoke to Valerie Lafond at Lafond browbands, and sent her one through the post for her to see. I asked if she would be willing to make them.”
Luckily, Valerie agreed, and now Morean orders 20 each June in preparation.
Morean's browbands ready for distribution
“Valerie makes them and she changes the design slightly each year – I get a little surprise too. I collect them from her or she posts them, and they're usually here for a good couple of months,” says Morean. “I know she has countless messages from other people, but I’m lucky Valerie only makes them for me each year, which makes them that little bit extra special. They’re one-offs.”
As well as the browbands, each recipient gets a card and some gold “sparkly bits” that come in a box topped with the HOYS logo, and some “signature purple tape”.
“I wrap them and do all the wee frilly bits. All the little sprinkles and whatever – they’re just all theatre, and help to make it a nice little surprise.
“I used to make the cards by hand using scrabble pieces,” says Morean, “but now I order the little credit-card sized ones that can be carried in pockets. It got too much to make 20 each year; I just didn’t have the time.”
“I do use the HOYS logo, but I have permission to do so from Sandy Anderson. He joked that I had ‘stolen’ his logo, but in good humour. I checked that I wasn’t breaking any copyright rules!”
Morean explains that the season decides who receives a package each year.
“There has to be something special about it – a first HOYS or something remarkable. That’s why I sent your Brian one,” she tells me. “When I saw him qualify after all these challenges, I had to send him one.”
This season has been no different.
“I was watching the coloureds at the Royal Highland, for example, and a lovely little pony with a young girl was called forwards as champion on her birthday, and then they told her that there had been a mistake, and she wasn’t the champion and sent her back into line. I thought, ‘well that’s such a shame’, and added them to my list.
“I’ve got friends that have tried for years to qualify one with their wee girl, and this year, they’ve got two qualified, so they were a must. It kind of sorts itself out.”
Whether she knows the combination or not doesn’t matter to Morean.
“There’s often a degree of the Miss Marple about it,” she jokes. “I have to find out where to send it, so I track down mums or friends who might know where to send them.”
She sometimes has to adapt the package, too.
“I wanted to send Team Harvey some luck this time, but I couldn’t send all eight combinations a browband, so with a bit of detective work, I made a call to team member Hazel Sleight to make sure all the children – and adults – had an individual card, and a browband to share.
“They have this kind of universal appeal, and it always surprises me that people will reveal that they have wanted one for years, and wondered how to get onto the list!”
She sends them all out in September.
“I send them over my birthday,” she says. “I always take a few days off at that point anyway, so it means I can make sure they all get to their destinations.
“It’s so disappointing if they get lost, but that’s only happened a few times thankfully. I usually get a message to say thank you, and sometimes I get videos of the children opening them. I always make sure Valerie knows they are appreciated, too.
“Then at HOYS, I’m there for the week, so I try to watch how they all get on. It’s nice to follow the journey.”
This year, as well as watching, Morean will be there as a sponsor – Hamilton Tarmac sponsor the small hunter division – and as an owner, with five horses produced by Kirstine Douglas qualified across six classes. So what about her own horses? Do they get a browband?
“One of mine is being ridden by Kirstine’s groom, so she’s had one. But I make my horses special hoods. I like pink, or leopard print or something, but this year Kirstine has insisted on navy. I’m not there every day to exercise them and so on, so this is my way of preparing them; my HOYS tradition.”
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Bethan joined Horse & Hound as showing editor in January 2025, after spending two years as Editor for Showing World. Having adored ponies since childhood, she started showing as a teenager and has enjoyed wins at major shows up and down the country, including Royal Highland, New Forest, and the Royal Welsh, as well as HOYS, RIHS and London. She is particularly passionate about Welsh breeds and is also a Welsh language commentator.