The 2024 Royal Windsor Horse Show welcomed the country’s best working hunter riders and their steeds to tackle a stunning 12-fence rustic track built by leading designer Lisa Kelly.
Lightweight and heavyweight contenders took to the Frogmore Arena on Thursday morning to compete for two separate titles. On the completion of both classes, first and second placed combinations headed into the Castle Arena to vie for the working hunter championship title, which was eventually secured by Adele Hanson and her winning heavyweight, The Top Drawer.
As the working hunter classes have been held in the main ring in previous years, the new setting of the Frogmore Arena provided different challenges.
Let’s take a look to see whether this year’s course would suit you and your horse…
Fence 1
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The first fence was a welcoming upright with a brush filler to the front. Approached off the right rein, riders were required to judge the turn off the corner correctly to ensure a tidy approach and start off their course with gusto.
Fence 2
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Coming in second was this wide and poley oxer that required careful riding to ensure the back pole was left in the cups.
Fence 3
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An eye-catching white willow tree-themed upright sat at fence three.
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Fence 4AB
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The first combination of the course — a double that required two strides. The foliage wrapped around the poles was an interesting touch — hopefully your horse can distinguish them from snakes?!
Fence 5
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Every championship track requires a water tray in the mix, and this year’s was placed under fence five. A tricky obstacle as it coming away from the gate, and the poles could be rolled if a horse became unsettled by the water beneath.
Fence 6
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The show-stopper of the course. A bright and flashy ladybird would be well-received by those who had put the miles in showjumping over winter.
Fence 7
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A mother duck and her young welcome combinations to fence seven. The solid filler could possibly spook a few horses, but the more experienced should clear it with ease.
Fence 8
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The second double of the course required one stride in-between each element.
Fence 9
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The ninth effort was this chunky sheep-themed oxer.
Fence 10
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Three from home and we were treated to the sole skinny of the course. If your horse is going well then this should flow nicely.
Fence 11
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A pretty curved bridge that required careful, neat jumping so the top pole stayed in position.
Fence 12
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The 12th fence of the course, an oxer with three jagged planks. This required quite an effort so we can imagine that some impressive official photographs were snapped here!
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Former H&H showing editor and deputy features editor
Born and raised in the Lake District, Alex has grown up on the showing scene. She has qualified and competed ponies at the Royal International, Horse of the Year Show and Olympia and has first-hand knowledge of the current issues in the showing world as well as the horses, ponies and riders who compete in the sport. Alex joined H&H in January 2018 as showing editor, cementing its place as the leading equestrian publication for both showing reports and current showing news in the UK. She moved on in October 2024 to pursue other opportunities, but continues to write for us on a freelance basis.
