‘I can’t believe I’m lucky enough to have him’: emotional win as a small hunter takes HOYS supreme for first time in 40 years

Tidy Town has become the first small hunter in more than 40 years to take the supreme horse title at 2026 Horse of the Year Show (HOYS).

Surprised would be an understatement to describe the emotions of rider Alice Homer when she was called forward as the champion in the Andrews Bowen International arena.

Her former eventer pulled off an outstanding gallop in the main ring following a show piece in the pre-judging that impressed guest judge Laura Collett.

She said: “He means everything to me.

“You dream for a lifetime to find one horse like him. I just can’t believe I was lucky enough for him to come to me.”

“Guinness” has been a fantastic all-rounder for Alice, and also competes in working hunters alongside the flat classes.

The 10-year-old gelding is owned by Loraine Homer, and was found by Alice’s grandfather David Tatlow as a three-year-old for a family friend.

He went on to compete in eventing but did not grow tall enough, so came back for Alice to show.

Unfortunately, Mr Tatlow was at home this weekend, so did not see the horse he sourced take the supreme with his granddaughter in the saddle.

“He’s such an incredible man and I really wish he was here tonight,” Alice said.

“He’ll be so pleased. He had so much success himself, he got so much success for Mum and now for me with finding these incredible horses. I’m just beyond lucky.”

The only other small hunter to take the supreme at HOYS was the Van Praagh family's Macbeth, who won in 1985 with Allister Hood.

Alice performed a superb show in front of judges Laura Collett and Edwin Prosser.

It included one-handed canter transitions on a straight line and walk-to-canter transitions.

Once in the Andrews Bowen arena, the combination pulled off an impressive, powerful extension, which rivalled the bigger horses in a quality line-up.

“I just had nothing to lose,” Alice said. “I thought, ‘Well, if I can’t win the supreme, I might win the fastest gallop’.

“I imagine the judges thought, ‘you’d cross country pretty well on that horse’!”

Alice described Guinness as a cheeky character, adding that he had a moment in the collecting ring before he went in and took the title.

“He actually tried to bite one of the fellow supreme competitors!” she said.

“It was the heavy horse as well, and I thought, ‘I’m not sure you want to take that on’.”

At home, Alice and Guinness enjoy hacking and “pretty much anything other than going in the school”.

Guinness is an Irish Sports Horse, and he qualified for HOYS this year at Staffordshire County Show.

Previous wins on his CV include five victories at Hickstead’s Royal International, including three in the smalls and two in the intermediate hunter ranks, which he has also won here.

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