The Dressage Future Elite Championships returns to the Horse of the Year Show for 2023, and will see some of the country’s best horses aged between eight and 10 perform an inter I freestyle as they bid for the title.
This is the 11th year and 10th running of the championship which was launched in 2013, and only missed in 2020 when HOYS was cancelled due to the pandemic. In that time, nine super horses have walked away with the coveted title, but what became of each of the Future Elite winners – did they rise to stardom as expected? We take a look back to find out…
2013 – Michael Eilberg and Half Moon Dynasty
The inaugural Future Elite title went to Michael Eilberg riding the then nine-year-old Dimaggio mare Half Moon Dynasty, who was owned by Jon and Julie Deverill. The pair scored 74.54% to top the class. Michael and “Mollie’ went on to win the inter I freestyle title at the 2014 Winter Dressage Championships, and the inter II at the 2015 National Dressage Championships. She made her grand prix debut in 2016, winning at Keysoe and Saumur CDI3*s the following year but sustained serious injuries in a hacking accident in May 2017, and was sadly put down six weeks later following complications.
2014 – Anders Dahl and Selten HW
The 2014 Future Elite title went to Britain-based Danish rider Anders Dahl – the only non-British rider to have ever won this class. He rode the then 10-year-old Sandro Hit son Selten HW, and scored 79.2% to come out on top, beating Michael Eilberg with the double young horse world champion Woodlander Farouche. Selten went on to have a hugely successful international grand prix career with Anders – he made his grand prix debut in 2016 and later that year the pair were members of the Danish team at the Rio Olympics. They also competed for Denmark at the 2018 World Equestrian Games (WEG), as well as clocking up several victories on the international grand prix circuit. The ride on Selten was later passed to Anders’ daughter Mette, who scored a double win on him in children-on-horses ranks at the Le Mans CDI3* in February 2020.
2015 – Becky Moody and Carinsio
Becky Moody claimed the 2015 title with Carinsio, posting 77.71%, with the Painted Black son, who was eight at the time. He made his grand prix debut late the following year, having won back-to-back national titles at inter I and inter II. Becky and “Jack Jack” became stalwarts of the grand prix scene over the next few years, competing on British Nations Cup teams and clocking up several grand prix Premier League wins. The gelding’s career has, however, been interrupted by injuries – he had some time out towards the end of 2019, and although he returned to top level in 2020 and 2021, he was retired after the National Dressage Championships 2021.
2016 – Charlotte Dujardin and Hawtins Delicato
2016 was the first year in which Charlotte Dujardin contested the Future Elite championship at HOYS, and she duly took home the title with 78.64% riding the then eight-year-old Hawtins Delicato, by Diamond Hit. Charlotte continued to campaign “Del” up the levels over the following 18 months, until he made his grand prix debut in early 2018, at which point owner Carl Hester took over the ride. Under Carl, Del went on to become one of Britain’s most successful grand prix horses of recent years, helping the team to bronze at WEG in 2018 and finishing sixth individually in the grand prix at the European Championships in 2019. In 2020, the gelding was sold to Fiona Bigwood, and the pair enjoyed several international wins together, before Del was sold to Fenella Quinn in 2022.
2017 – Charlotte Dujardin and Mount St John Freestyle
In 2017, Charlotte returned to HOYS and successfully defended her Future Elite title, this time riding the eight-year-old mare Mount St John Freestyle. Charlotte and the Fidermark daughter set a new Future Elite record score of 84.92%. Freestyle made swift progress through the levels; less than a year after her Future Elite win, she won team and individual bronze with Charlotte at WEG in Tryon, USA, having swept the board at British internationals that year, her first season at grand prix. She continued her dominance the following year, though was eliminated in the grand prix at the European Championships in 2019, and qualified for the World Cup final in 2020, which was cancelled due to the pandemic. She campaigned strongly for the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, but was ruled out due to a soundness issue, and returned to her owner Emma Blundell, who won a grand prix on her this year.
2018 – Charlotte Dujardin and Florentina VI
Charlotte made it a hat-trick of titles in 2018, riding the third of her Future Elite winners, the delightful grey Vivaldi mare Florentina VI to victory with 79.12%. The pair dominated the small tour scene that year, both nationally and internationally, but Flora was not seen out in competition again until 2021, when she made her grand prix debut at Wellington Premier League; Charlotte explained they had deliberately given her plenty of time to mature before coming out at top level. Despite making a successful debut at grand prix, Flora has not competed since, but has accompanied Charlotte and her other horses to shows over the past couple of years for training.
2019 – Charlotte Dujardin and Mount St John Valencia
Charlotte added to her growing list of Future Elite winners with the fiery nine-year-old Mount St John Valencia, another Vivaldi daughter. Charlotte and Valencia had enjoyed a very successful 2019 at small tour, but in 2020 the ride on Emma Blundell’s chestnut mare passed to Amy Woodhead. Valencia and Amy have enjoyed success at small and middle tour, winning at inter I at Hartpury Premier League in their first year of competition together. She and Amy scored plus-71% at inter II at Keysoe Premier League last year, before Amy took a break to have her first child. Valencia was sold to Ireland in 2022, and has now made her grand prix debut under Sean Burgess.
2021 – Charlotte Dujardin and Imhotep
The latest of Charlotte’s Future Elite winners, and indeed her fifth in a row, was Imhotep, the precocious Everdale son who took the 2021 HOYS title. Known as “Pete”, the chestnut gelding made rapid progress, winning his first ever grand prix with over 77% in March 2022 and quickly emerging as Charlotte’s top prospect for the World Dressage Championships in Herning, Denmark. At the 2023 Europeans, he led Britain to team gold, and also won two individual bronze medals with a freestyle score of 91.4%. This hugely talented gelding is now being campaigned towards the 2024 Paris Olympics.
2022 – Becky Moody and Jagerbomb
The 2022 title went to Becky Moody, the second time she has won this class. Her latest winner was Jagerbomb, the lovable gelding who was famously unexciting as a very young horse, but has blossomed into a prolific winner for Becky. Since taking the Future Elite title, Jagerbomb has emerged as one of the country’s most exciting grand prix horses, making his debut at top level in early 2023, and clocking up several national and international wins since, including topping the grand prix freestyle at the National Dressage Championships. Becky and Jagerbomb were also travelling reserves for the European Dressage Championships, and the future looks bright for this talented pair.
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