The Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) is over for another year and while the majority of the showing fraternity are ready for their winter breaks, we’re not quite ready to let the sparkle of the HOYS 2023 showing classes dull just yet.
A host of deserving champions were crowned over the five days, and the horse sections witnessed a mix of seasoned stars and new faces take to the centre line.
Here are 20 winning show horses from the show that you might not have seen. Which combination gets your top score?
HOYS winners 2023 showing classes: horse victors
1. Red Rock III
Janay Atherden and her own and her mother Lisha Leeman’s 11-year-old gelding reclaim the native/cob/traditional horse class.
2. Tremarl Timber
Angela Smith and Paul Mortimer’s three-year-old gelding, shown by Simon Charlesworth, lifts the Price Family in-hand supreme title on only his second appearance in the show ring.
3. Cotebrook Sgurr Alasdair
Will Morton clinches the British ridden heavy accolade aboard Gemma McClorey’s eight-year-old gelding.
4. Minella Rebellion
The 2021 SEIB Racehorse To Riding Horse champion returns to the show to secure the overall riding horse honours after heading the large class, with his owner Katie Dashwood in the saddle.
5. Chantilly Sandman
Jayne Ross wins her second title of HOYS 2023 riding Jo Baker’s maxi contender, who has been reserve here in previous years.
6. Copenhagen
Simon Reynold’s secures the lightweight honours and the overall cob title riding Rowena Stephenson’s reigning Royal International cob champion.
7. MHS Morning Master
Robert Walker and Jill Day’s eight-year-old lightweight, in-hand horse champion at HOYS back in 2018, reign in the hunter championship on the gelding’s first appearance at the NEC under-saddle.
8. Shanbally Legacy
For the second year on the bounce, Claire Oliver and her Pride Of Neath 11-year-old dominate the small hunter final.
9. Bellvue Tomboy
Matt Cooper jumps one of six clears to triumph in the horse working hunter final with his consistent gelding.
10. KBF Lucia
Lucy Cameron’s six-year-old mare, ridden by Jayne Ross, adds more titles to her ever-growing tally, including the ladies’ side-saddle crown, the non-native plaited coloured horse accolade and the reserve coloured horse of the year.
11. Batley Pepper Gray
Richard Bedford’s three-year-old filly Batley Pepper Gray dazzles under the lights to lift the Shire horse of the year championship.
12. Rosemore Midnight Rendezvous
Jane O’Keeffe’s nine-year-old gelding is crowned small riding horse of the year under Justine Armstrong Small, who took the supreme title here in 2003 with Zin Zan.
13. Randalstown Cromwell
Top of the heavyweight cobs is Debbie Harrod’s nine-year-old, ridden by Ryan Anderson.
14. Bloomfield Eloquence
Loraine Homer and Liz Prowting’s 2021 middleweight winner and reserve hunter of the year repeat the exact same results two years later.
15. Manhatten
Harriet Dennison posts a first HOYS win in horse ranks riding Team Helliwell’s Kilvington Scoundrel six-year-old.
16. Forgeland Hyde Park
Guy Mears’ 12-year-old gelding, another by Kilvington Scoundrel, wins his third hack of the year title en route to standing supreme horse, piloted by Danielle Heath.
17. Ujenik Extasys Fine Design
The 12-year-old stallion gives Hannah Bradley her third miniature horse of the year championship.
18. Cipriana
Jade Hateley takes her first ridden pure-bred Arab title on the horse she finished reserve here with 12 months ago.
19. Dublins Street Fighter
Matt Ainsworth and Sue Hookham’s gelding take glory in the heavyweight show hunter of the year final for the second time as a partnership.
20. Reality Bites
Laura Tylor and her own home-produced gelding lead the SEIB Racehorse To Riding Horse field on their first Birmingham visit.
Liked reading about the HOYS 2023 showing classes? You may also be interested to read…
‘He deserves this so much’: HOYS supreme glory for one of the most consistent show horses of all time
Celebrating HOYS supreme horses of the year: 2003–2023
‘This is a breeder’s dream’: young mare lifts supreme pony title at HOYS on her first visit
Celebrating HOYS supreme ponies of the year: 2003–2023
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