Tidy Town needed little introduction to the showing world before this season, but now he has truly cemented his place in the history books, netting his fifth Royal International (RIHS) win, and being the first small hunter to land the supreme horse accolade at Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) in forty years.

The 10-year-old 158cm gelding – known as Guinness at home – is owned by Lorraine Homer, and piloted by her daughter, Alice. He was bred by Michael Byrne in Co Wicklow, and first made his way onto English soil as a foal.

But his trajectory to the very top in showing wasn’t straightforward.

“The day I first saw Guinness, I bought two foals for the Mckay family,” explains Alice’s grandfather, David Tatlow. “One was by Stack of Diamonds, and the other – Guinness – by the British thoroughbred stallion, Superior Premium, out of a Ricardo Z mare. They were two very different sorts of horses. One was tall and backwards – he’s gone on to event successfully now; one was thick-set. I was with Jane Bradbury, who’s a very good judge of a horse in her own right.

“I’m a limb fanatic. If they’ve got good limbs as a foal, they’ve got good limbs to the day they die. Guinness had beautiful limbs. People say, ‘Oh, I can’t judge a foal.’ But you can judge a foal; he’s just a little horse. Guinness was an exceptional little model.”

That said, Guinness remained something of a gamble. For starters, he had been gelded just 48 hours beforehand.

“He was quite swollen and stiff, so we didn’t see much step, but he did have a beautiful walk even though he was so swollen.”

The other snag was that Guinness was small.

“We looked at him and we looked at him. But I kept saying to myself, ‘I wonder whether he’s going to grow?’

“I asked, ‘How big’s the mother?’

“16.2hh, and I knew the sire to be a biggish horse, so we thought, ‘there’s every chance he might grow’. We took the gamble.”

But Guinness didn’t grow. At least, not as much as hoped.

Nevertheless, he stayed at his intended home with the McKie family until Jess McKie broke him in and began his eventing career.

“She did a very good job,” says David, “But she’s tall and he didn’t grow enough for her.”

He returned to the Tatlow/Homer team as a six-year-old to sell on.

“Being based in Northumberland, the McKie’s felt we were better located to sell him – and we found we didn’t really want to sell him on, we wanted to buy him.

“I shouldn’t say this as Alice has produced him to perfection, but I wasn't in love with her wanting to hunt him because I realised his potential as soon as he came back. I said, ‘this is a top small hunter’.

“We’re great friends in the family, but it doesn't stop us disagreeing between ourselves; I was more confident about him being a champion show horse than Alice was at that time.”

Alice agrees, seeing him as a hunting pony when he first returned.

“I hunted him until that Christmas,” says Alice. “I don’t think I took him seriously as a show horse until then, but he got smarter and smarter and I realised I had underestimated him. I haven’t hunted him since, but he was an absolute machine so I can’t wait to again once he’s done showing.”

David was right, and together, Alice and Guinness have formed a formidable partnership.

As well as their five Hickstead titles – three in the small hunter and two in the intermediate hunter ranks plus the bonus overall intermediate sash – Guinness and Alice topped the intermediate hunter type lineup at HOYS, and boast a small hunter win at Windsor.

That same year, the pair were working hunter pony champions at the castle, as Guinness has a third string to his bow: the workers.

“One of the greatest things about Guinness is that you rarely see him without his ears pricked. He really loves his work and approaches it with enthusiasm – even just going for a hack.

“We don’t want to overshow him, but with his versatility – he’s got a real jump in him – and his attitude; he always says, ‘come on, let’s go again’. He’s the dream, he loves his job.”

Earlier this term, Guinness and Alice collected a third working hunter pony supreme title at the British Show Pony Society (BSPS) championships.

“He just absolutely loves those Graham Barclay tracks there,” says Alice.

He also loves a good gallop and Alice argues this is one thing that gives him the edge in the ring.

“Nothing can out-gallop him,” says Alice, whose searing turns up the front of the arena in championships at Hickstead are something to behold. “To ride, he’s got the manners of a hack but the power of a heavyweight hunter. I think it’s what’s made him excel at different venues.

“He can go to a smaller indoor arena like at Addington or into the arena at HOYS and have the adjustability of a hack. But then he can also go into a big grass ring like at Hickstead and open out and gallop.”

Still, performance only counts for half in showing.

“His conformation is another reason he’s excelled year after year,” according to Alice. “He has very correct limbs. He has just the right amount of limb and just the right amount of substance. Fundamentally, he is hard to fault. Yes, he gives a good ride and, yes, there’s showmanship but his correctness means he appeals to a range of judges.”

Whatever it is that gives them the edge, David credits Alice.

“She’s made such a fantastic job of him,” he says. “She’s done it all herself because I’m old and nearly in my grave. Her mother Lorraine’s had more influence than me – it’s her mother who’s taught her to gallop.”

• To stay up to date with the latest news and reports throughout the year subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

Things have never been busier, but I’m trying to find time to get back in the saddle ahead of the UAE winter showjumping season, while also sorting out logistics for our latest Billy Stud auction on 31 October.

After the World Championships in Aachen, I headed to Tokyo for the Asian Games with the UAE showjumping team and co-trainer Duncan Inglis.

Having trained a lot of Japanese riders but not made it to Tokyo for the 2021 Olympics, it was good to see the venue and enjoy a taste of the country, even if it did involve a lot of aeroplanes!

Standards are increasing across the board in these countries, but a gap remains between the lesser equestrian nations who don’t compete in Europe, and those who jump overseas on a regular basis like Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE. This is reflected in the Asian Games having two separate individual championships at 1.45m and 1.55m, which really worked and there was some excellent jumping.

We were delighted to come away with team and individual silver medals, although it was disappointing that we were pipped to gold by our key rival, Saudi Arabia. It was close though – hopefully we can turn that around next time! Duncan and I were very proud that our UAE riders really stood out – the improvement in riding and horsemanship is clear and makes the hard work worthwhile.

We’ve started to get a bit more depth in our team riders and, having now got more experience in high-pressure Nations Cups and championships, they are going into the ring to jump clear rounds. The next goal is to try to secure Olympic qualification for LA28.

We’re also trying to find the most talented young UAE riders, give them team opportunities and to teach them the correct way of riding and horsemanship early on, because it’s hard to change bad habits.

“The standard at HOYS was disappointing”

Which leads me to a worrying trend I noticed at this year’s Horse of the Year Show (HOYS). The winners were extremely worthy and several, like the Foxhunter champion (pictured top), really stood out. But I saw a massive gulf between the people who could ride and the people who couldn’t, which meant the standard on the whole was disappointing.

A lot of riders would be better off spending less time at shows trying to qualify their young horses and more time going back to basics with a few lessons on the flat. If you want to succeed, you need proper training. I can still learn – I still have flatwork lessons and if I remembered half of what I’d forgotten over the years I’d be quite good by now!

I heard a lot of people complaining that the courses were too difficult or the time was too tight, but I saw well-built courses, especially for the young horses. Perhaps they need to look at their own basic riding skills. I’ve said all along that we need a better system of producing young horses, but you can’t blame the system either.

Holly Smith always stands out as one of the few riders in the UK who has the skill to successfully produce grand prix horses. She does a very good job and rode some lovely youngsters at HOYS.

HOYS puissance: a real head scratcher

Having watched the puissance class at HOYS, I still can’t really understand how we ended up with two riders finishing equal first. Both Andrew Hodgins (Shanaclough Luichew) and Rachel Proudley (Easy Boy De Laubry Z) toppled bricks in the final round for four faults, but the latter also fell off having jumped the wall, seemingly before crossing the finish line.

My perception is that there are clear rules surrounding situations like this and you have to cross the finish line on your horse or you’re eliminated. I even remember at Dublin Horse Show one year, Peter Charles hanging on round his horse’s neck so that his feet didn’t touch the ground before he crossed the finish line.

So have the rules changed? Did someone make a mistake?

The way I see it, Andrew should have been judged the clear winner. I’m sure the public were sitting there scratching their heads too – I thought it made us all look a bit stupid.

An important part of the calendar

I can also see both sides of the argument regarding British Showjumping’s recent ruling regarding the 128cm finals no longer being held in front of a paying audience. The situation probably wants managing better but we don’t want to take the dreams away from those young riders.

HOYS is still an important part of our calendar. It’s a great goal for people to have and a brilliant shop window, so we need to support it as an asset.

But we have to be very careful that we don’t end up dumbing down everything, because at the moment it feels like that’s where we’re heading.

● Do you agree with William’s thoughts about riding standards and the dumbing down of our sport? Let us know your thoughts at hhletters@futurenet.com, including your name, nearest town and county, for the chance to have your thoughts published in a future issue of Horse & Hound magazine

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Much debate has been sparked by the British Showjumping (BS) announcement that children under 13 will not be able to compete at some major events from 2029.

H&H reported that BS had commissioned an independent safeguarding review of the sport, carried out by specialists Lime Culture, and that changes had been brought in as a result.

A major change is that from 2029, children aged 12 and under will not be able to compete at shows with paying spectators. This means the 128cm finals held at Horse of the Year Show (HOYS), the London International and the Royal International Horse Show will instead run at the BS spring and national championships.

The news was a major talking point at HOYS this year. Other riders have also shared their thoughts.

Olympic gold medallist Peter Charles, whose three children all competed in the 128cm finals, told H&H the major shows give young riders the opportunity to get used to competing in front of an audience.

“There’s nothing wrong with giving children who are good enough the dream; what is wrong is if they’re doing it without enough regulation; parents buying expensive ponies and letting them go round hell for leather,” he said.

Peter said he believes that if there were more regulation, such as certificates of competency to ride at each level, this would ensure the children were prepared to tackle these tough courses before they do so in front of an audience.

“These shows are the dream for a lot of children and if they’re good enough, they should be allowed to compete,” he said. “I don’t agree with the way this is being done. Riders need to be able to cope with pressure and an audience; regulate it and make it safer, but don’t take away their dreams.”

International showjumper and trainer James Fisher agrees; he told H&H the 128cm finals are “fantastic to have done”.

“I don’t agree with this decision; this was the best pathway for people to reach a good level,” he said. “It inspires people.”

Seeing both sides

Kath James, a showjumper whose twin daughters contested the 128cm finals at HOYS and London, said she can see both sides; although she thinks it is sad youngsters will not get this chance, there are other issues to consider.

“The pressure put on some of these children to do well by their parents, who are often trying to live their own unfulfilled dreams through their kids even to the detriment of the child’s safety, is something I don’t agree with,” she said. “I’ve seen it way too often, some kids are scared to jump and parents are screaming at them to get in the ring. But cancelling HOYS and London certainly won’t get rid of this historic problem.”

Ms James said she lost a friend as a child in a fatal fall from a “flashy, flighty” pony, that she never wants her daughters to be scared, and that there is “nothing worse than seeing a child crying and looking really scared to ride a pony or go in the ring”.

“Often, once in the ring they have a disaster and confidence is knocked even further,” she said. “You hear the parent screaming at them to get in the ring or whip the pony. I have seen this at HOYS with the public watching and it is definitely not good for our sport.

“These parents need educating for the sake of the whole sport. Child welfare is also a priority, even if parents have remortgaged their house to buy the kids’ ponies. You can’t transfer that pressure to the child for an adult decision and the public do not want to see bad behaviour of children smacking ponies because they have been put under pressure by the parents.

“It fuels the fire to ban all equine sports, which would mean no HOYS, no London, no Hickstead, no Olympics.”

More education needed

Ms James also suggested competency measures, and more education for children and parents, and pointed out the pressure of competing at HOYS, for an adult or child.

“I’ve heard of adults going for hypnotherapy for nerves – imagine what a nine- or 10-year-old kid is going through, plus the added pressure of a pushy parent,” she said.

BS said the review involved speaking to parents, children and coaches, and the change “is intended to provide an environment that better supports the welfare and wellbeing of younger competitors, while recognising the additional pressures associated with competing at major, high-profile spectator events”.

CEO Iain Graham told H&H: “Over the last few years, we have introduced competency requirements for our junior riders before they compete in second-round competitions.”

● Let us know your thoughts on the changes to the 128cm finals at hhletters@futurenet.com, including your name, nearest town and county, for the chance to have your thoughts published in a future issue of Horse & Hound magazine

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The Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) has come a long way since its inception on 13th September 1949 at Harringay, particularly with the introduction of many new showing classes.

At one time there were only three chances for junior riders to shine under the spotlight: in the show ponies, junior showjumping and Pony Club games.

I remember the preliminary judging taking place on the ash surface where the Wembley Conference Centre now stands and early morning classes could sometimes be delayed due to thick fog! The conformation phase was held on the adjacent Wembley football stadium coach parking area and the concrete surface certainly tested the soundness of the exhibits!

Nowadays, competitors and spectators can enjoy the judging of both phases in the same indoor arena.

Mixed reviews

However, one of the most significant changes is recent, and has received mixed reviews. First introduced in 2024 and reinstated this year, competitors didn’t know who was judging their classes until the evening before. Also, some of the judging appointments were surprising, chosen through seemingly unorthodox routes.

That said, there were plenty of memorable moments during the week.

It was a masterstroke to invite Hayden Hankey to judge the plaited working hunter ponies as he rode the very first HOYS working hunter pony champion Steady Eddie in 1993.

A shame, though, he didn’t sort the show ponies as he also rode the show pony champion Coveham Sensation in 1991 and is one of only three boys to achieve this alongside Nigel Hollings and Philip Cooper.

Setting new records

Trumping Hayden’s achievements, I believe Florrie Duncalf made history this week by winning both the working hunter pony and show pony titles in the same year, with Star Smokey and Tandridge State Affair respectively.

State Affair – produced by Harrison Taylor – is owned by breeder Joanna Adams who had cause for double celebration when another of her breeding, Tandridge First Edition took the show hunter pony spoils. Is that a record too?

When Caroline Hamilton’s ultra-quality home-bred Lostock Up Till Dark shown by Harrison won the coloured championship, it exemplified how much these classes have gone from strength to strength since this section first appeared at Wembley in 1998.

Hunter maestro Robert Walker and Full Cry III gave owner Jill Day her 10th HOYS hunter title. The first was back in 1996 with The Showman, shown by the late great Bill Bryan.

My favourite moments

One of the highlights of this year’s event was the amazing display celebrating 125 years of the Welsh Pony & Cob Society and the versatility of the Welsh breeds.

The appearance of five-time mountain and moorland (M&M) mini champion and 2017 HOYS supreme pony victor Thistledown Van Der Vaart, and 2013 M&M open champion Yrallt Mayday Surprise, both now in their senior years, was reminiscent of the much-missed Parade of Personalities, which was a feature at Wembley.

Another highlight was seeing this season’s major players vying for the top spot in the 22-strong open M&M championship that certainly showcased our native breeds, apart from the Exmoors, which were beaten by two Shetlands in the mixed class.

Similarly, watching all 20 Price Family supreme in-hand finalists going through to the evening performance for the final presentation was spectacular, giving both competitors and spectators an upgraded experience.

The winner, Seywoods Royal Dancer, is a full brother to three-time HOYS winner Stanley Grange Crescendo and was shown by Simon Charlesworth who has now won this championship four times and qualified 49 times.

Laura Collett, who won the pony supreme here in 2003, judged this year’s ultimate awards with Edwin Prosser. They selected the delightful partnership of Gracie-May Whitaker and Thistledown Wood Owl, the mini M&M champion led by Craig Elenor, for the overall pony accolade.

Alice Homer captured the supreme horse title on the multi-garlanded small hunter Tidy Town, found by her grandfather David Tatlow, and fittingly received the Gilly Tatlow cup.

● What was your HOYS highlight? Let us know your thoughts at hhletters@futurenet.com, including your name, nearest town and county, for the chance to have your thoughts published in a future issue of Horse & Hound magazine

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As the dust settles on the 2026 Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) and the Horse & Hound magazine reports have been dispatched to the printers, I thought I’d share just some of my favourite moments from this year’s five-day extravaganza.

David Simpson’s top-of-the-wings clearance to win Sunday’s six bar was simply jaw-dropping. But Jodie Hall McAteer’s jump-off round with Hardessa in the leading showjumper of the year grand prix was also competitive horsemanship at its very best. OK, she beat crowd favourite John Whitaker in the process, but we'll forgive her that because it made for fantastic sport.

Here are my best HOYS moments and stand-out HOYS winners – what were your highlights? Let us know at hhletters@futurenet.com

HOYS highlights and stand-out winners

1. Soaring sky high over 6ft 6in

David Simpson was only reunited with the 14-year-old mare Cindy R just before HOYS and, as well as finishing equal third in the puissance, they cleared a top-of-the-wings 6ft 6in (1.95m) to win the Thistledown Investment six bar.

“She’s the kind of horse who could set a very big record at a wall,” said David.

2. ‘Such a buzz!’: Jodie and Hardessa wow the crowd

Jodie Hall McAteer’s daring, edge-of-your-seat round on Hardessa to win the leading showjumper of the year grand prix was a masterclass in jump-off riding, while her brilliant mare matched her rider's competitiveness, rocketing gleefully over the fences.

“I think for British riders, it’s such a buzz,” she said, having knocked showjumping legend John Whitaker (Equine America Unick Du Francport) off the top spot in the process.

3. That HOYS winning feeling is extra special

Joe Whitaker’s smile on his victory lap sums up exactly what it means to win at HOYS – and he did it twice! He and Seaview Evolution scored an “unexpected” win in the speed horse of the year, having also topped the Dallamires Stables stakes with the Vilarubbi family’s Vagalenco GF.

“I knew I was fast, but I didn't realise I was that fast!” said Joe.

4. All hail the legendary Luichew

I’m such a fan of Andrew Hodgins and Shanaclough Luichew, who first captivated the crowds at London International last year. They’re completely unorthodox, but the Irishman carefully nurtures the fiery chestnut’s unique traits and they are extraordinarily effective over the big red wall. Andrew and Luichew shared the HOYS puissance spoils with Great Britain’s Rachel Proudley (Easy Boy De Laubry Z) in a Saturday night thriller.

“People comment about how wild he is, but I wouldn’t change him for the world,” said Andrew. “His heart is completely in the right place.”

5. Proving that Whitakers don’t need warm-up classes

William Whitaker had never jumped La Vie Est D’Or in a competition before, but he cruised to victory on this catch ride in Friday’s Grandstand welcome stakes. The 10-year-old mare is usually ridden by owner Iona Watkin Jones’s daughter Glain, whom William trains.

“I know the mare well, but I’ve not actually ridden her that many times,” he said. “But I think that watching her over the last couple of years as much as I have has helped to know her.”

6. A young superstar in our midst

HOYS is always a great opportunity for spotting rising stars – both human and equine – but the stand-out for me this year was Olivia Sponer. Aged just 20, Olivia finished fourth in Sunday’s leading showjumper of the year, delivering a brilliant double clear on the wonderful Bingo Du Chateau. Olivia deservedly received the Paddy McMahon memorial award for the leading under-25 home athlete at HOYS 2026.

7. Diminutive Constanza joins the HOYS hall of fame

As Pippa Goddard says of her 2026 HOYS talent seekers champion PDV Constanza, “She wouldn’t be everyone’s ride, but I would pick a small horse with a big heart like her every day.” The pair extended their phenomenal legacy at HOYS, having won last year’s newcomers final and finished runner-up in the Foxhunter.

8. Throwing yourself in at the deep-end

Samantha Wiseman upended the odds when winning the Foxhunter final with AS His Lordship, despite never having jumped higher than 1.40m. Although they lack experience, Sammy has ample belief in her Irish Phil VD Wezelse Heihoeve x Crown Z gelding, whom she’s partnered since the start of his five-year-old year. Known as “Phil” or “The Connemara Pony” at home, as he barely measures 16hh, he is a stand-out performer.

“I’m just over the moon,” said Sammy.

9. The horse I’d most like to take home

This year’s grade C champion, Omex Star HBF (Douglas Duffin) not only oozes star quality but she’s clearly got scope to burn and such a lovely attitude. The daughter of Big Star was bred in Scotland at Laura Tinto’s HBF Stud – watch this space, she’s clearly going places.

10. Catch me if you can!

Raphaela Dawson rounded off a phenomenal final summer on ponies with an electric catch-me-if-you-can victory in the pony showjumper of the year, riding MHS Glow, before doubling down to take an exemplary Foxhunter win on Woody Van Duyversputten.

“I won here in 2022 on my 128cm in my first year, so to come back on my 148cm in my last year and win again is very special,” Raffy said.

11. And finally... the best celebration goes to...

Anya Dewey Clarke continued to bank the HOYS titles, following up on her victory in last year’s 128cm final with a win in the 138cm, riding her gifted “queen of the yard”, 11-year-old Fredaine Du Blonde. Anya’s winning air punches are now legendary, while the huge hugs she gives her ponies after every round are particularly heartwarming. Go Anya!

Don’t miss the full report from this year’s HOYS featuring all the winners and extra insight in this week’s Horse & Hound magazine, in the shops Thursday 15 October.

British Showjumping (BS) said it was “disappointing” members had to be contacted to remind them of “key” rules on behaviour, alcohol consumption and unaccompanied children, after a number of incidents at Horse of the Year Show (HOYS).

BS emailed all members on 9 October, as the show (7-11 October) was in full swing.

“We hope you’re enjoying the Horse of the Year Show action so far this week,” it read.

“We’d like to take this opportunity to remind all members attending Horse Of The Year Show this week of a few key rules that help us maintain a safe, welcoming and enjoyable environment for everyone.”

The rules covered included the fact all children under 16 must be accompanied and supervised by a responsible adult at all times, in all areas of the event including the stables.

Members were reminded that under-18s must not drink alcohol, and that it is illegal to buy alcohol for or supply it to anyone aged under 18.

“All competitors and visitors are expected to behave responsibly and follow the event rules at all times,” the email stated.

“If you witness anything that causes concern during your visit, please speak to a member of the HOYS event or venue team. Thank you for your support in helping keep Horse of the Year Show a safe and enjoyable event for all.”

BS CEO Iain Graham told H&H: “It’s disappointing we had to send an email like this to our membership, but this was on the back of issues the event organisers, NEC staff and BS encountered at the show.”

The full HOYS report is in this week’s magazine, out 15 October, and to catch up on all the week’s action, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

British rider Jodie Hall McAteer and Hardessa claimed the Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) leading showjumper of the year grand prix for the second time in four years on Sunday (11 October 2026).

The 26-year-old delivered an inspired round that streaked clear of what had been a knife-edge battle for supremacy.

“She loves it here,” Jodie said of her mother Mandy’s 14-year-old mare. “I also love riding here, and I have quite a good track record here, I was fourth in the grand prix last year as well. I think for British riders it’s such a buzz — I like the horses to be in good shape that I’m bringing here, and to build them up and aim the week at getting a good result tonight.”

HOYS grand prix provides edge-of-your-seat thriller

Alan Wade and Ben Townley’s 1.55m first-round course was fair; a third of the 30 starters jumped clear and 12 registered just the four faults — most of whom lowered a vertical with silver 10ft poles at the penultimate fence.

But if the first round was low on drama, the jump-off was edge-of-your-seat stuff, as the lead changed five times in the first seven riders.

Guy Williams opened with a clear on his promising eight-year-old stallion Kazandor Hero Z, then last year’s winner Trevor Breen, this time riding Konrad Obolensky, took the lead.

Olli Fletcher then went a full 1sec ahead with the great Hello William, before John Whitaker – to the crowd’s delight – snatched 0.01sec on the evergreen 18-year-old Equine America Unick Du Francport.

Jodie Hall McAteer takes a flier

This close match made it seem there was little more to eke out of the track, but Jodie and the exuberant Hardessa sprang round to audible gasps from the audience at the mare’s scope, stopping the clock a further second ahead.

“I’d watched Guy and then I saw that John was faster. I knew there weren’t too many options in the course but the others were all a little slow over the first three or four jumps, so I knew if I got them out of the way and got the last line jumped without losing my head, we would be there or thereabouts,” Jodie said. “She is so careful it doesn’t really matter what speed you’re going. She just tries to leave them up.”

Olivia Sponer, the youngest rider in the class at 20, lodged a final clear on Bingo Du Chateau, slotting into fourth place on her debut in the international classes at HOYS.

Read the full report from HOYS in this week's Horse & Hound magazine, in the shops Thursday 15 October.

Thistledown Wood Owl and Gracie-May Whitaker landed the supreme pony title at the 2026 Horse of the Year Show (HOYS).

The charming Welsh section A mare was ridden by Gracie-May Whitaker, seven, – the latest of the jumping dynasty to win here – and led by her producer Craig Elenor, having won the mini mountain and moorland sash earlier in the week.

“I have never ever had a feeling like it,” said Gracie-May’s mother Michaela Whitaker through tears.

“Nothing will ever compare and I need to make the most of this moment because it's – I can’t stop crying – amazing. The pony, she is a mother's dream. She is so good. Just look at her now; she's falling asleep and she just wants cuddles and treats. I absolutely love her – she goes into that main arena and looks after my daughter.

“I've got no words to describe it, and I can't thank Craig and Sara enough because they’ve made not only my dream come true, but Gracie-May’s dream come true.”

Known at home as Birdie, the Thistledown Esteem six-year-old was initially sent to her producers by her breeder Sandy Anderson as a three-year-old, and has been produced by Craig and his partner Sara Parrot ever since.

Michaela bought her last autumn.

Sara, like Michaela, emphasised the young mare’s excellent temperament.

“She's just a dream,” said Sara. “She's easy. She loves it. She's been pretty straightforward and easy from day one. She knows her own mind and bosses the others in the field but once in the ring she's a dream to do.”

The Whitakers have a long association with this show, and the family turned out in force to watch Gracie-May.

“I turned around and literally the whole back row was just Whitaker,” said Michaela.

Michaela went on to comment on the positives of children competing in showing.

“It's just so great because it's a stepping stone to what's to come after, whether you're going to be a showjumper, eventer, dressage rider. It's the making of so many good riders and the confidence it gives these young riders…

“That's why Great Britain does so well, I think, on the teams because the children have such an amazing upbringing and so many opportunities on ponies.

“That's what makes these children amazing riders and able to deal with being under the pressure they do.”

They had no time to dwell further on the success as they needed to go to watch Gracie-May’s father George in the Grand Prix.

“I don’t actually know how he will concentrate jumping,” said Michaela. “Let’s hope for a double win!”

• To stay up to date with the latest news and reports throughout the Horse of the Year Show subscribe to the Horse & Hound website and enjoy our HOYS live news service throughout the show

Harlow White and King Bunowen Castle Ali took the 2026 Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) junior mountain and moorland (M&M) crown in a one-two championship for Connemaras.

Second to the social media star was Lily Richardson riding another Connie, Hazelrock Twist.

Panda, as he is known at home and to fans, is owned by 15-year-old Harlow’s mum Chelsea White and took the open Connemara class here last year.

He will now retire from flat classes, and campaign the workers next year.

Chelsea said: “He is an absolute pony of a lifetime. I just can't describe what he means to us.

“A friend of mine said that it's like poetry in motion, and he is for her.

“She looks so lovely on him, and I'm just the proudest mum ever.”

Panda is a 10-year-old by Best Shadow Melody and out of Bunowen Castle Ellie. He was originally bought as a mother-daughter share.

“He's the whole family pony,” Chelsea said.

“My little boy rides him as well and everyone that can't ride, our friends, we put them on Panda because he's just so safe. He's totally bombproof.”

At home, she said, the gelding loves jumping, and is competing in a hunter trial next weekend.

“He loves his hacking. He loves going zoomies,” she said.

“He just loves just having fun and going down the beach. He is a true Connie.”

A “mega pony” reserve to Harlow White at HOYS

Lily Richardson was reserve on the 10-year-old mare, known as Emily at home.

She is usually ridden by Sue Deacon, and owned by Clare Flynn in Ireland.

Sue said: “It’s the first time Lily has ridden her here.

“She’s a mega pony. Her owners have flown over, her breeders have flown over – everyone’s come to see her.”

Sue won the open Connemaras with Emily at Royal International Horse Show this year.

She added: “She’s a little bit sensitive.

“She doesn't really like being inside as much - she likes big rings.”

Also in the championship was Heniarth Stand Up and Posy Lindsay.

Affectionately known as Stan, the Welsh section B won the junior small breed class.

Second to him was Tromps Sugar Rush with Lara Rae Jones, who was also second in the open As with Sam Roberts.

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Tandridge State Affair has been crowned show pony champion at Horse of the Year Show (HOYS), giving his 15-year-old rider her second tricolour in two days.

Florrie Duncalf rode “Bella” to success in the 148cm class, then strutted under the spotlights in the Andrew Bowens arena.

It came a day after the rider won the working hunter pony championship in the same ring.

Bella is owned and bred by Joanna Adams and is produced by Harrison Taylor.

Florrie said: “With her, I was just thinking I’ll give her a nice time, because she’s never been here before.

“It feels insane. I didn’t expect her to win, or my worker either.

“I wanted them both to have a nice time, but for her to go in there and behave like she did as a novice is unbelievable.”

Florrie had to make a quick dash out the intermediates to make it in time for the championship, and was seen trotting out of the collecting ring after the lap of honour on sixth-placed New Illusion.

“It was worth it!” she said.

After producing a clear round through a tough course to win the 143cm class, Florrie and Star Smokey were crowned working hunter pony champions.

Now a seven-year-old, show pony Bella has been a slow-maturing mare and is in her first full season.

It has been a successful one, including winning the part-bred championship and reserve champion novice at Royal Windsor.

Harrison, who also won a championship sash this week on coloured mare Lostock Up Till Dark, said: “It’s incredible. I can’t believe it.

“I’ve had her for 18 months. She was quite tricky, but everything has just clicked with her and now she’s becoming really easy.”

Bella will eventually go back to her breeder as a brood mare, but will continue to campaign the ridden classes next season.

Reserve champion for the second consecutive year went to the 138cm winner, Stanley Grange Crescendo.

An eight-year-old, he is owned by Victoria Harker and bred by Jerome Harforth.

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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 foal 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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KBF Le Paradis (Mira), with a rider who had only sat on her three times, and former Price Family reserve supreme Scottshall Aristocrat took the hunter and show horse intermediate championships respectively at the Horse of the Year Show (HOYS).

Kinvara Garner says she feels “very lucky” to have the ride on Mira, who is out of HOYS winner CSF Cummer Paradise.

The five-year-old is owned and was bred by Tony Reynolds and Michael Cook.

Kinvara qualified her on a chance ride at the British Show Horse Association National Championship Show, which was her first time riding Mira.

Since then, she had had one practice ride at producer Jayne Ross’s yard, before she took up the reins here.

“Team Ross do all the work,” said Kinvara. “I just turned up and got on, so thank you to them because this mare is seriously special. Her breeders breed amazing horses.”

Mira also competes in the small hunter classes with Jayne, and Kinvara said she is a lovely, straightforward ride.

“She is gorgeous to ride. She’s very powerful,” she said. “You don’t really have too much of a contact – you let her do her thing. She’s pretty straightforward for a baby.”

Second in the hunters was Isabella Mason riding Ashlea’s The Banker, a five-year-old gelding.

Isabella said “Banksy”, owned by Shirley Dennison, gave her a lovely ride.

“He loves the job and he always tries really hard,” she said.

Intermediate show horse of the year

The winner of the intermediate show horse of the year was Scottshall Aristocrat (Reggie), ridden by Ellis Taverner-Burns.

Also a five-year-old, the gelding was bred by Johanna Foster and was reserve Price family in-hand champion here as a three-year-old.

He is produced by John Havey, who said: “For him to have won as a three-year-old in hand and then come back two years later and win, the first time he’s competed here under saddle, is incredible.”

It is Reggie’s first ridden season, and he also competed in the large hack class earlier in the week, finishing sixth.

Ellis said: “It was a complete shock. We had no expectations.

“He’s playful. He likes to nibble and he likes his treats, but he’s a very good boy.

“He’s lovely to ride. He just takes you round.”

Second to the combination was the 2023 winner, Poppy Carter riding Danni Radford’s Ladies Man.

Another Jayne Ross-produced horse, he also won the small riding horse class with Jayne Ross today.

Poppy said: “He went absolutely mega. He just gives his all every single time.”

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Andrew Hodgins made an unforgettable Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) debut when he shared Ripon Select Foods puissance victory with Rachel Proudley, who was claiming her seventh consecutive major puissance win.

Andrew, riding John Glynn’s exuberant Shanaclough Luichew, and Rachel with Graham Ward’s puissance superstar Easy Boy De Laubry Z, were the only combinations to reach the fifth and final round, where the wall towered at 2.18m (7ft 2in).

“To win seven puissance is just amazing. It’s hard to put it into words. I'm just so proud of Easy Boy,” said Rachel, whose final round had a dramatic conclusion when Easy Boy knocked the wall and pecked to his knees on landing, tipping her out of the saddle.

“He put on another great performance. OK, it’s maybe not how we would have liked to have finished off, but again, that's the sport and that's how it goes. The horse is absolutely fine, and so am I. It's a tough class and we’re still very, very pleased with him,” she said.

Andrew and the unorthodox, crowd-pleasing 10-year-old also nudged a brick in the final round, having given the wall some impressive berth in the previous heats. The combination have their own style, with Andrew bringing the Luidam x Coolcronan Wood gelding to a near-halt before sitting back and firing at the wall with unwavering commitment.

“He does prefer to go off his left leg over his right canter lead, and so when I was walking into the corner, I was trying to negotiate onto the left canter lead – but when he locks on and you’re in canter, you’ve only got about two strides to make up your mind.

“You’re going to be going one way or another, and thankfully we haven't had a terrible stride yet!” said Tipperary-based Andrew, who first captured the public’s imagination when he finished third in the London International Horse Show (LIHS) puissance last December, on his first appearance in the UK.

“It's a pleasure to look out through his ears,” he said. “His heart is completely in the right place. Sometimes he can become too brave, but you couldn’t but love him. He gives you everything.

“People comment about how wild he is, I wouldn’t change him for the world. I think that’s part of his character, and that’s what makes him who he is. And to be honest, I love the horse to bits, so I can’t thank his owner John enough.”

Andrew said that he had no regrets over the final round, where the horse performed well “at a new height”.

“She’s outstanding”

“I’m more than happy to share with Rachel,” he said. “Rachel is a class act in any competition, but with that horse, she’s outstanding. And the fact that she’s OK is the most important thing. But if you told me before I came here you’ll be joint first with Rachel, I probably wouldn’t believe you to be honest!

“I slept about four hours in the last two days. I can’t sleep, and I don’t think I'm going to go to sleep tonight!” he added. “I went back to the hotel earlier on around 12pm, and I tried to sleep. It just wasn't going to happen, so I came back up and took the horse out for a walk. When you’re here, the adrenaline just kicks in.”

Eleven starters had braved the challenge in the opening round, whittled down to five by the penultimate heat. David Simpson (Cindy R), Joe Trunkfield (Java’s El Cid) and Chris Franks (Irving VG) had all been jumping superbly, but tipped bricks once the wall hit 2.13m (7ft).

The win was 21-year-old Rachel’s second consecutive puissance triumph at HOYS, where she split victory last year with Joe Trunkfield and Locomotion after clearing the wall at 2.20m.

Rachel won her first puissance at LIHS with Easy Boy De Laubry Z in 2024, going on to win at Bolesworth last year, followed by Dublin – where she broke a 61-year-old record – then HOYS, and London, before taking Bolesworth again this year. All bar one of the victories was riding 12-year-old Kannan gelding Easy Boy.

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Seywoods Royal Dancer, a four-year-old stallion, has taken the prestigious Price Family supreme in-hand championship at the 2026 Horse of the Year Show (HOYS).

Led by Simon Charlesworth, and said to be the “best he’s ever shown”, he was bought from James and Christie Hunton by Carolyn Campbell from a video.

She said: “I had no intention of buying another one.

“When I saw the video, I fell in love with him. Simon rang James, they had a chat about him – deal done.”

“Ralph” is a British riding pony out of Colbeach Duet, who was champion part-bred Arab at HOYS in 2014, and by the prolific stallion Turberry Top Cat.

He is lightly campaigned, narrowly missing out on his ticket with two reserves last term.

At home, producer Simon said, the young stallion can sometimes be a handful.

“His days revolve around wrecking a jolly ball or anything he can get hold of,” he explained.

“He’s full steam. But he’s kind, and he just loves the job – a bit too much sometimes!”

Ralph is a full brother to today’s winning 138cm show pony and reserve champion, Stanley Grange Crescendo.

He has a star-studded pedigree, his granddam Colbeach Serenade qualified for the Price final as a yearling.

Simon added: “I think he’s one of the best I’ve ever shown.

“I think he’s the best I’ve ever brought here in terms of the way he looks. He’s matured a lot over summer.

“His coat has been unbelievable. Obviously the weather’s probably helped.

“I just thought physically, he’s come here looking better than anything I think I’ve ever brought.”

Ralph may soon have stock on the ground, as he is going for AI collections at the end of the month.

The championship followed a new format this year; all the horses were judged in the TopSpec arena, later going for the results and presentation under the spotlights in the international arena.

All the exhibits walked in together, then the colts and stallions went out while the mares were judged, and came back in for their turn.

Simon says he is “in two minds” about how the new process works, explaining that for him, there were too many horses during the preliminary judging in the Top Spec Arena.

“I’m not against the idea, though, because with everyone going in there at night, hopefully more people will see it and that might encourage people to do it, which can only be a good thing, can’t it?”

An emotional occasion

Reserve to Simon went to another plaited entrant, Billy Moran’s homebred Tiger Feet II and Tom Pearson, on the sport horse’s second appearance here.

“I am delighted,” said an emotional Billy. “I lost my wife Joanne last year, and she asked me to keep him till he was three as she thought he would be our next home-bred to do well in the Price, so I did what she wished.”

He’s out of Tiger Trap – a full sister to Billy’s prolific Tiger Attack, who showed and was lightly evented – and by pony stallion Stanley Grange Regal Heights.

“I used him because I wanted to breed a small riding horse, but I ended up with a large riding horse,” said Billy, “but that doesn’t matter.”

It’s been some year for the future large riding horse type; he’s been awarded elite status with British Futurity, and he’s been champion every time out, including standing supreme in-hand at Bramham Horse Trials.

He qualified for the Price at New Forest and Hampshire Show, after impressing judge William Fox-Pitt, and further attracting interest from the eventing world for him, though Billy said that nothing has been properly decided for him yet, beyond that he will be aimed at either ridden showing or eventing next year.

Third place went to Achillty Miss Isabella, a Trakehner filly owned by David Shand and showed by his grandson Hunter Macdonald.

Fourth was Inglehow Russian Star shown by David Russel and fifth was Llanarth Moses Jones owned and handled by Simon Bigley.

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Carters Top Gun impressed the judges to defend his Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) cob championship despite finishing second in his class.

Producer Oliver Hood said he just wanted to have a nice time in the Andrews Bowen International arena, but ended up coming out with the sash with the nine-year-old gelding, owned by Catherine Dickens.

He said: “He went fantastic this morning, and I just thought I was going to go in there and enjoy it tonight.

“I thought, ‘There’s no pressure, I’ll show him off to the best I can and you never know’.

“It’s not often you can pull it off, but he’s been great tonight.”

Olli says the heavyweight has not been out of the top two all season.

His extensive CV includes champion at the Royal International Horse Show in 2024 and two championships at the Hickstead Derby.

He was also cob champion here last year, and thinks his second placing may have helped him clinch the title again.

“To be second, you go in there with a little less pressure,” he said.

“I really just had fun with him tonight. He always knows when it’s the big occasion and turns it on.”

Reserve in the cob championship was the winner of the lightweight class, Norman Commander, ridden by Jayne Ross.

The six-year-old gelding is owned by Alison Tate.

She said: “It’s his first season, he’s not done many shows.

“He was thrown in at the deepend in the HOYS at Three Counties. Then to qualify at Great Yorkshire was the best and we came here not expecting a lot because he’s a baby really.”

Alison bought him in December from Magnus and Kate Nicholson.

He will now do some hunting over winter, as he is proving to have a great jump and may make an appearance over fences next term with Team Ross member Olivia Minihane.

Also in the championship was Will Morton, who pipped Oli in the heavyweights with Valerie Hosegood’s Banview So Smart.

Second in the lightweight class was Brian Murphy riding Polly Coles’ Mythical Creature.

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Thistledown Wood Owl has carried her young jockey Gracie-May Whitaker, of the famous jumping dynasty, to victory at the 2026 Horse of the Year Show (HOYS).

“Birdie” – owned by Gracie-May’s grandfather Martin Wood – and Gracie-May first won the Welsh lead-rein class, then took the overall mini mountain and moorland (M&M) championship, led by her producer Craig Elenor.

The confident seven-year-old rider – who also follows in the family footsteps in jumping – has moved on to first ridden classes, so this was their last show together.

Gracie-May’s mother Michaela Marie Whitaker said: “The mare is unbelievable. It's her first season on the lead and she won two qualifiers. She's a lovely stamp, a lovely mare and we've actually just sold her, so this is Gracie's last ride on her.

“I've won HOYS eight times myself in showing, but nothing compares to this win. This win is unreal.”

Birdie has gone from strength to strength this season, having kicked off her 2026 campaign with the novice tricolour at the British Show Pony Society (BSPS) winter championships.

The reserve sash went to Walter Ashworth riding his mother Lucinda Craven's Dolhelfa Brenin Aur.

When they are not giving a polished performance in the show ring, this pair can often be found galloping round fields at home.

Lucinda said: "We bought him unseen from the Isle of Wight as a two-year-old colt in view for Walter's first ridden pony. I loved his limb and his frame.

“We were here last year on the lead; this is his first year as an open first ridden.”

Walter backed the now six-year-old himself and has brought him on slowly.

“They suit each other. They're a little team,” Lucinda said.

Of his HOYS win, Walter added: “It felt spectacular.”

Second to the eventual champion in the Welsh lead reins was Olivia Marsh with Dean Marsh's Thistledown Detroit-City, led by Sharn Linney.

The non-Welsh lead rein was won by Westown Wild Storm and Naomi Lear, led by John Harvey, ahead of Newoak Rocketman ridden by Charlotte Gough.

Second in a huge first ridden class was Charlotte Knight on her mother Jamie Clarke’s Thistledown Princess Letizia, recently crowned supreme mini at the BSPS Heritage championships.

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Star Smokey, a superstar Connemara, has made his young rider’s dreams come true by winning the working hunter pony championship at the 2026 Horse of the Year Show (HOYS).

“Colin” won the 143cm division with jockey Florence Duncalf earlier in the day.

He cleared a tough, full-up track which caught a fair few combinations out through the day.

The 16-year-old gelding owned by Laura Wheelwright was expertly ridden by 15-year-old Florence.

Florence, who has been riding Colin for four seasons, said: “He's just amazing. He's done everything I've asked him to do. He's won all the big titles now.”

The pair have won the British Show Pony Society's Desert Orchid championship class, the Royal International (RIHS) and have now added HOYS to their CV.

“He’s my life. If I didn't have him, it wouldn't be the same; I could do this on another horse and it still wouldn't be the same, because he's just so special.”

Although he is a forward competition pony in the ring, Colin has a gentle nature at home.

“My brother, he's eight, has very severe additional needs and he leads him in from the field and back to the field. His stable manners are very nice,” Florence said.

“He's so lovely on the ground, and that's another thing that makes him so special because he can do this job for me and then can do that for my brother.”

Colin will now have a break and some winter showjumping before next season.

It’s a kind of magic

Reserve to Florence in the championship was Ami Conchie aboard her own A Kind Of Magic JVH Z.

The 14-year-old gelding by Armstrong VD Kape – who has no front teeth as they had to be removed – produced a great clear round.

“I’m over the moon,” said Ami. “It’s our first big win together, so to go reserve is even better.

“I was first in to go [in the jumping] so the pressure was on, but it was a nice flowing course.”

The pair are based just outside Dundee in Scotland, and this is not the first time they have made the eight-hour journey to HOYS.

After things didn’t quite go to plan in their first year, they finished a respectable eighth last year before pulling out all the stops today.

They qualified at the Royal Highland around a tough Graham Barclay track. Ballyvary Patsy and rider Indie McKeand also qualified there and won their 153cm division ahead of second-placed Dunmore Star, ridden by Izzy Hartswood-Collier.

It was a championship full of legendary ponies, including former supreme winner Noble Peppermint.

The 16-year-old mare was ridden by Connie Hutton and was second in the 133cm class.

Ahead of them was Nancy Lyons Teehan and her mother Louise Lyons’ Dartans Seoda Ban who managed to fend off all competition and successfully defend their 2025 title.

Nancy said: “I can’t explain it. It was unbelievable.”

Lola Carabine and Lady Dublin Of Corderry were second in the 143cm class equalling their position in the mountain and moorland working hunter division.

Second to the eventual reserve in the intermediates was Eridon Echo, a skewbald mare owned by Helen Newman-Moore and ridden by Lottie Newman-Moore.

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Pandoras Conquistadors Bvlgari, a “cheeky” 73cm tall stallion, topped the American miniature horse championship class at the 2026 Horse of The Year Show (HOYS).

“Bo” was shown to the title by his owner Emma Armitage.

He is no stranger to success, being multi-garlanded, and this year took championships at the Royal Welsh and the Devon County Show.

A win at HOYS was last on the list for Emma, who has won here previously with a British miniature horse.

She said: “I’m elated. “He has won every title in the UK and this is just the icing on the cake. It’s what we’ve always wanted to do together and we’ve done it.”

Emma picked out Bo after seeing him “float around the arena” as a five-month-old foal.

The Covergilrs Boleros El Conquistadors seven-year-old was bred by Emma Williams, and is a working stallion.

“He has one on the ground, and three due next year,” said Emma, who has had pint-sized ponies for “as long as she can remember”, and who says she loves the breed for their personality.

“They are little, but they have so much love to give you, and you can have as much fun as with a big horse,” she said.

“He loves to show. He’s cheeky, naughty, but as soon as he goes in the ring he just does his job.

“He absolutely loved it in there. As soon as he’s got a sash on, he’s like, ‘I’m going’.”

Second in the class was Adele Is A Superstar, a mare by McCarthys Storm Warning.

The piebald is owned by Nicola Trigg and shown in the ring by Charlotte Trigg.

She was bought by them as a filly, and is now five.

They say Adele is the “sweetest mare” who “always gives her best no matter what”.

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Lostock Up Till Dark oozed presence and quality to land the coloured horse and pony of the year championship sponsored by CHAPS (UK) at the 2026 Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) before judges Stephanie Barrington and Julie Templeton.

Owned by her breeder Caroline Hamilton, seven-year-old “Susie” was ridden by her producer Harrison Taylor to the title; the pair went one better than last year to land the non-native pony division.

Bred in the purple, Susie is the last born of an exceptional pairing. She is out of prolific ridden mare Up-To-D, and by Lostock Huntsman, who was the first coloured champion here in 1998, and winner of the Kellythorpes leading coloured sire award at HOYS in 2021.

“I’m very pleased for the mare,” said Caroline, who intends to breed from Susie when she’s finished her ridden career. “She’s very special and the easiest person to deal with, which is unusual because sometimes when they’re this special they’re a bit quirky but she’s not.”

Harrison echoed her sentiments.

“She’s just the easiest, nicest horse I've ever had; I just love her.”

Aside from her easy disposition, it’s little wonder the Cheshire-based producer is so fond of her, as she’s notched a string of stellar results, with back-to-back supreme coloured titles at the Royal International, and a win and reserve this term at Windsor.

“She's done all our favourite three. She loves an occasion. She loved the atmosphere in there tonight, she really got up and went this evening,” said Harrison.

The Boss lived up to his name to steal the show in the coloured ridden native/cob/traditional pony of the year sponsored by CHAPS (UK)/ The White Crow and then stand reserve champion, much to the delight of his owner Loren Gaskin.

This incredible 18-year-old has qualified for HOYS five years on the trot. He has finished seventh and 11th before, so today’s spoils meant everything to his connections.

“My granddad bought him when he was two,” said Loren. “We do everything with him, he’s a pet really.”

The blue and white stallion made Loren work for her result though.

“He's had two baths today. Last night he was clean, and then we did the working in, and he looked like he'd been playing out in the field!” she said.

“I’m still on cloud nine from the class win. I wasn’t expecting it. Being home produced, it's hard. Every class is strong but the hairy pony class is very strong. But he felt incredible today,” said Loren, who was planning to celebrate with a Chinese.

Also in the championship were Stephanie Fitt’s home-bred 2023 champion Castra, ridden by Oscar Elcock to win the junior division.

Diane Stennett and Lucy Cameron’s 2025 champion and supreme horse KBF Lucia won her second class of the week – the non-native horse – with Jayne Ross in the saddle. The pair landed the ladies’ show horse class on the show’s opening morning.

Just as Will Morton thought his week couldn’t get better his ride, Bannview So Smart, owned by Valerie Hosegood gave him another centre line moment in the coloured native/ cob/ traditional horse class.

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Full Cry III and Robert Walker land what is believed to be owner Jill Day’s 10th hunter title at the Horse of the Year Show (HOYS).

Balou Du Rourt seven-year-old “Billy”, winner of the middleweights, has had a stellar start to his career, with sashes at Great Yorkshire and Royal International to his name this term, as well as the novice hunter spoils at Royal Windsor as a four-year-old.

“He’s a special horse,” said Robert. “Last year probably would have been too soon for him. We had time to wait for him.

“I like to come here with a horse that can possibly win it not once but twice, three times, four times, five and that's how I look at it. One-hit wonders don't tend to last.”

Although he has won the championship so many times, Rob says it does not get any less special.

“Each year there becomes more anxiety leading up to the show,” he explained. “Before, when you hadn't had a winner here, it was a case of you come and try your best.

“But actually when you've been successful here, it's wanting to try and win again.”

He says the clever gelding has a forward-thinking, trainable attitude, adding: “He learns things so easily.

“He's bred to be an amazing sports horse. He finds everything way too easy. It’s just a case of just teaching him and then putting him away and going for a hack, then going back again.”

Rob Walker pipped his partner Sarah on Crystal Cove II to second in the middleweights.

Speaking after her class, she said “Fishy” is “like a pair of old slippers”, and added: “Robert's horse is super talented, and if anything's going to beat me – I don't mind it being him!”

Reserve in the championship was Hannah Horton riding Lucinda Freedman’s lightweight winner Tigbourne.

“Tigger” – a winner here in 2024 – also won the lightweight hunter class at Royal International Horse Show (RIHS) this summer.

An emotional Hannah said after her win: “It means everything to me. It's been a hard year and we just cracked on with the horses.

“To win that, it's just a pinnacle of the year. You finish it on a massive high; to get here is amazing – but that's just the icing on the cake.”

She says Tigger felt like “poetry in motion” in the ring, and gave her his all.

Second in the lightweights was Angela Smith’s former Price Family supreme in-hand champion Tremal Timber and Vicky Smith.

The heavyweight class was won by Jayne Ross on Greenhall Will I Ever.

This was the gelding’s second open class, having come out this season as a novice.

Jayne said: “He's been fantastic.

“He's just got the most lovely, lovely attitude to life. He’s a gentle giant.”

The five-year-old performed beyond his years in the big ring, and his rider described him as “very honest”.

Second to Jayne was Susan and Vicky Tennant’s Waterfall ridden by Leon King.

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Monarch In The Mist has added a win at Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) to his impressive CV.

“Jack” was ridden to victory in the maxi cob division at the 2026 HOYS by his producer Will Morton.

The duo have had heaps of success, having been cob champion at Royal Windsor this season, and winning the maxi cobs twice consecutively at the Royal International.

“He’s done it all now,” Will said. “He's ticked every big win off the box. He's just phenomenal and he's so easy with it.

“He had 15 minutes of work this morning just to see the ring and have a little warm-up before we go in. He’s spectacular.”

Last term, Will and the consistent cob were reserve to Oliver Hood and Indigo Blue , who finished third this time.

Jack, by Fintan Himself, is owned by Rosamund Lane, who bought him from a photo of him jumping a hedge out hunting.

Will, based in Epping Forest, says the hardest part of producing the grey gelding is keeping him clean.

“The guys do the cleaning and Sophie Lane is very good. She comes to the show with a trolley full of whitening powder, shampoos and things,” he said.

“The whole team was battling this morning. I went up there and there were about five of them – one on each leg and one on his body. It’s a team effort.”

Will and Jack, an Irish Sports Horse, qualified for the final at Royal Cheshire Show.

He added: “I mean, what can I say? He’s just spectacular isn’t he?”

Second to the pair was Craig Kiddier and Clare Trebble's lightly campaigned Harvey Star.

The six-year-old is by Killea Hill View and out of Liath Star, and qualified at Lincolnshire Show, his first ever qualifier.

He was bought as a three-year-old from Ireland, as a hunter for Clare but good enough to contend the Irish Draught classes but has proven to be a special find.

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Joyton Sunshine and Ella Eynon ended a rollercoaster season on a high, landing the 143cm mountain and moorland working hunter pony division at Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) against the odds.

“It was a massive course, right up to height and you couldn’t take a breath anywhere as there were tight turn-backs and some tricky lines,” said Ella. “I was nervous going in but Dad said when we walked it, ‘just keep your canter because the jumps will come up quick’. Dougie never lets me down, though.”

This is not their first centre-line moment here. Ella and “Dougie” – owned by her parents Rebecca Faulkner and Eurig Eynon – stood champion in 2022 when he was a five-year-old, and they’d won the 133cm division.

Two years later, a more mature Dougie measured out just before they were due to head to the Royal International (RIHS).

“We were gutted,” said Rebecca. “RIHS was tough for Ella that year without her best friend.”

The family regrouped, and a few shows later, Ella and the beloved Welsh section C gelding were HOYS bound in the larger section, finishing fourth, returning last term to come a close second.

“He’s tiny in this class, but he has so much scope, that he actually jumps better now; he has more respect for the fences at this height,” said Rebecca. “He and Ella have a beautiful relationship; he really is her pony of a lifetime, and Dougie would jump the moon for her if he could.”

It’s nevertheless been “an emotional rollercoaster” of a season for Ella and Dougie, who clocked up five seconds, and got their pass just a fortnight ago on a technicality. Luckily, as the bold and game chap he is, Dougie was ready to step up to the HOYS challenge.

“For Ella, at 16, the prospect of not bringing Dougie was devastating, and it was tough mid-season to keep her confidence high going into the qualifiers feeling she could do no more, but couldn’t get the win. This has made it all worthwhile.”

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HS Queen Bea and owner Helen Forster enjoyed a fairytale centre-line moment at Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) as they won the SEIB Search for a Star working show horse class.

Warwickshire-based Helen has owned Bea since she was a six-month-old foal. It was her first time riding at HOYS after tragic circumstances stopped her and her late horse Greannanstown Jackpot from competing here in 2023.

“Sadly, he broke his leg a few weeks after he qualified and didn't get here,” Helen explained.

“He's no longer with us. I honestly never thought this would happen.”

Nine-year-old Bea won the London International working show horse final last term with Helen’s sister Anne Grindal, as Helen had been injured, so she decided to pick up the reins in the Search for a Star classes.

Helen said: “We did West Wiltshire show at the beginning of the season and qualified. The wheels then fell off the bus.

“She's been injured all season, so we've done one show since then. HOYS prep has been on the water treadmill, so that's got her back in shape.

“I was a bit of a nervous wreck out here, but she just was brilliant. She loved the crowd. She thought they were all there for her.”

The working show horse was judged alongside the working show pony class, and all combinations had to include two rustic jumps in their performance.

It was 15-year-old Evelyn Tuck riding her own Pitch Supreme (GiGi) who took the pony title.

The pair qualified at the same show as the horse winner, after travelling four hours from Derbyshire.

Evelyn said: “I was a bit nervous that she was going to be a bit overwhelmed by the atmosphere but she coped with it really, really well.

“It's an amazing feeling. I can't even put it into words.

“I haven’t been to a big show like HOYS before. It’s very big compared to what I'm used to but I've loved it.”

The 12-year-old mare came into their family two and a half years ago, the first pony they viewed in their search.

Since picking up their ticket, Evelyn and GiGi trained hard in their favourite activity – the workers classes – but also enjoyed farm rides and cross country.

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Heiner Schiergen shook his head.

His freestyle music had barely started when the German rider, last to go, signalled that something was wrong.

“When the 27-year-old rider entered the arena and gave the signal for his music to start, it commenced at the canter section,” wrote Richard Davison, who was riding in the class and covered the drama in his H&H column at the time.

It was the Sunday of the Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) at Wembley, and the freestyle finale of the Volvo dressage World Cup qualifier. Carole Mortimer’s H&H report at the time called what followed “the greatest dressage drama to be seen in Britain”.

Heiner wasn’t there to make up the numbers. He was riding the nine-year-old Hanoverian gelding Without A Doubt, and the pair had become firm crowd favourites after taking second place in the earlier grand prix – which then, as now, acted as a qualifier for the deciding freestyle.

“Amid scenes of great confusion, Heiner was left standing in the arena as chairman of the judges Eric Lette ran over to the technicians to be told that the first three minutes’ music were missing,” Richard wrote.

A race against the clock

The judges put the clock on and gave Heiner two minutes to fix the problem. Fellow German rider Frank Lamontagne, wrote Richard, “sprinted back to the horsebox for a spare tape.”

An H&H news report continued: “There was an agonising wait before his compatriot Frank Lamontagne came running into the arena with a duplicate tape.”

Frank’s return turned what was really a fairly minor mishap (what dressage rider hasn’t had trouble with their music, or doesn’t know one who has?) into something much more fun: a fiasco.

For a proper fiasco you need two things. High stakes – check. And a complete upending of the normal social order.

As Frank ran back into the arena clutching the spare tape – imagine that happening at the London International Horse Show where the World Cup qualifier is held today – that happened.

A crowd from a sport with a reputation for polite applause cheered him in like a returning hero. They were firmly on Heiner’s side, and they weren’t shy about showing it.

Frank, Richard recalled, was “greeted by cheers befitting the bearer of the Olympic flame”, and Heiner then “performed a good, lively test”.

Carole wrote: “He finished to immense applause and cheers from the enthusiastic supporters who were convinced his test could have won."

But that was only the first act of the fiasco – as the crowd began to settle, no score was forthcoming. Instead, it was belatedly announced that despite being allowed to perform his test, Heiner had been disqualified.

“The news was greeted with an even more vocal audience booing, jeering and stomping their feet,” Carole wrote. “A reaction more reminiscent of continental counterparts.”

The H&H news report described how “booing and foot-stamping turned to cheers as the rider entered the arena to debate the issue with chairman of the FEI dressage committee Eric Lette and Joep Bartels, the Volvo World Cup Dressage director” (pictured above). The uproar, it added, lasted “a full four minutes, continuing as organisers struggled to stick to a programme of presentations.”

The result got lost in it all. "The somewhat overshadowed victory belonged to Canadian Penny Rockx and 16-year-old Winsome,” Carole wrote, with our own Richard second on Askari.

The explanation

Despite the chaotic scenes, Eric Lette’s reasoning afterwards was quite straightforward. "After the bell has sounded, the rider has one minute to enter the arena," he said. “We gave him two minutes, but the final wait was nearer eight. The tape is the responsibility of the rider, and I must be fair to all the riders.”

In other words, Heiner had overshot the time allowed to start his test by some distance.

Richard said in his column that, as Eric explained at the press conference later, the decision had already been made before Heiner rode.

“As seven or eight minutes had elapsed before Heiner’s music began,” he said, “he was only allowed to ride on the understanding that the incident would go before the independent appeals committee. In the end, he decided not to appeal, no score was given and the disqualification stood.”

Heiner, for his part, saw it rather differently. “I think it would have been better to have been disqualified rather than letting me ride the whole test,” he said.

“A lot of time was wasted as I did not realise what the problem was. It was stressful waiting, but once I started riding my nerves disappeared, although I felt the horse had gone over.”

What happened to the tape?

Nobody could say. It was revealed afterwards that “somehow, part of the music programme had been blanked out.”

The show’s technicians insisted “the professionally-produced tape could not be tampered with,” but Lamontagne “claimed to have checked the tape three times before handing it to the technicians.”

Richard wrote: “Inevitably, rumours of sabotage circulated the arena. It was unpleasant for the technicians, and produced a most unsatisfactory end to what was otherwise an excellent competition.”

Richard’s verdict was that it was a “mix-up just waiting to happen”. Heiner and Without A Doubt were “the victims on this occasion”, he said, but “it could have happened to anyone at any show”.

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Admiral Augustus commanded the ring to land the SEIB Search for a Star championship at the 2026 Horse of the Year Show (HOYS), ridden by his owner Robyn Carr.

The pair won the show hunter division of the series, which is now in its 28th year, en route to the tricolour.

Robyn bred the five-year-old grey gelding, and decided to start showing him locally last year.

“I am speechless, I didn’t think this would happen at all,” she said. “When he turned four I thought he was a good stamp of a horse, so we started doing a bit and qualified this year at our third show. It’s been an amazing journey and a childhood dream to ride at HOYS.”

Reserve went to Kay Gillam and her roan gelding Victor I, winner of the show cob title.

“I never expected in my life to be reserve champion at HOYS. I was so nervous I had to ask the steward to get me a bottle of water!” she said.

“Victor is very good at reading me and he knows when I’m nervous and relaxes me. He loves a big occasion, and I know I can trust him... He’s a showman.”

Making the win even sweeter, Victor incurred a serious injury in his younger days; he suffered a field accident as a four-year-old after Kay bought him from Fionnuala Moloney – who was here to watch him win.

Kay, a lorry driver from Norfolk, said: “We thought that was going to be the end then – we really did.

“But, we healed him and discovered he has a muscle disease halfway through that.

“He does take a lot of management. He has to be ridden every single day and I have to watch his diet.”

Despite his struggles, Victor enjoys hunting with the Narr Valley Bloodhounds.

“His mind has always been good,” said Kay. “We knew if he got to HOYS he'd be able to manage it no bother. He's just one of those nice horses that you just love to have around.”

His rider is no stranger to SEIB Search for a Star having competed in the series in the 1990s, 26 years ago, with her cob Mutley MG. She also competed in the open HOYS maxi cob championship in 2015 with Hortons McLaren.

The additional class winners were as follows:

Traditional cob: Helen Parnell's Angel of the North ridden by Abby Parnell

Hack: Summer Dance owned by Felicity Bond and ridden by Rosie Chetwynd-Talbot

Riding horse: Carnsdale Graceful Affair owned and ridden by Sarah Clucas

Working show pony: Pitch Supreme ridden by Evelyn Tuck

Working show horse: Helen Forster riding her own mare HS Queen Bea

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Copperbeech Encore, a working Connemara stallion, shone under the spotlight to win the mountain and moorland (M&M) championship at the 2026 Horse of the Year Show (HOYS).

Owned by Debbie Todd, “Brian” has been ridden by Vikki Smith for the past two seasons.

An emotional Vikki said: “I worked so hard, and it doesn't always pay off. You can put everything together at home, and you don't always get it in the ring.

“I felt yesterday, we did everything we could to make it good for him, and today, he was a bit worried, but he trusted me.

“That bond – that's all you can try and get to go in there.”

Brian qualified at the last chance of the season – Moreton-in-Marsh Show.

He spends much of the season covering, and at seven-years-old has plenty of stock on the ground.

“We went to Dublin this year,” Vikki explained. “That made us miss quite a few HOYS qualifiers because we were over in Ireland for nearly a month.

“We didn’t bring him out at the beginning of the season because he covers mares at home. Debbie has got lots of offspring from him.”

Brian won at Dublin Horse Show and was second at Clifden Connemara Show before collecting his ticket in September.

Vikki added: “It was all a bit of a rush really, but I just wanted him to behave in there, and he did.

“He was a bit scared of the spotlight, but then after that, he was a good boy. When it went in front of him, he panicked, but then it was like he knew I had him.”

The win is extra impressive for owner Debbie, as this is the first time she has had one of her own Connemaras at the show.

“It really means a lot to her,” Vikki said.

After winning such a prestigious accolade, Brian is to end on a high and hang up his HOYS boots.

Another very lightly shown pony stood reserve. Gillian Simpson’s homebred Welsh Section B mare, Wortley Sinderella, was only backed in this spring by her producer and pilot, Lucy Glover.

The pair swiftly announced themselves as ones to watch, landing the challenge championship at the British Show Pony Society (BSPS) winter championships, and the novice championship at the recent BSPS Heritage championships.

Lucy and the team decided to try a HOYS qualifier after three or four novice shows, and duly qualified.

“She’s been a dream to do,” said Lucy. “She takes everything in her stride and has the most amazing personality, especially for a chestnut mare!”

Last term, Lucy finished second aboard Sinderella’s full brother Wortley Warrior. Success is in their genes, as their mother Wortley Imagination also stood in the lineup here in her younger days.

The other winners in the championship were:

Exmoor/Shetland winner Wikners Gryffindor, ridden by Sarah Parker and owned by Anthony Bell. He is the only Shetland in history to qualify for HOYS in-hand and ridden. He was shown here in the “Price” by Anthony’s daughter Zoe.

Dales winner Griseburn Major owned and ridden by Joe Watson, who piloted the Wolsey Viking gelding to the overall championship here in 2022.

Fell winner Greenrivers Luke owned and ridden by April Gilmartin, who performed a standout show in his class.

New Forest winner Ravenstone Fudge II owned by Beverley Bayes and ridden by Steph Turner. They are London-bound next after taking a stunning championship at Royal Windsor this term.

Dartmoor winner Salcombe Frowder Cove ridden by Maisie Kerry-Oates and owned by his breeder Felicity Thompson. He is produced by Katy Marriott Payne, who was in floods of tears as she watched on from third place.

Highland winner Ashleyvale Glen Duror ridden by Ellena Thomas and owned by Karyn Thomas. The upstanding stallion has twice won his division at the Royal International.

Welsh C winner Danwood Llewellyn owned by his breeder Linda Atkinson and ridden by Hannah Atkinson. He was reserve champion here with Linda in the saddle in 2018, but almost didn't make it this time as they broke down en route.

Welsh D winner Thorneyside Royal Command owned by Lynn Scott and ridden by Kaitlin Fairhurst. This pair are also former RIHS winners.

Welsh A winner Noaberhoeve Clinton owned by Jade Gardner and ridden by Aliya Kahn. The Dutch-bred stallion has been a lucky find for this team, who had owned him just a few weeks before he duly qualified for here.

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Dycott Welsh King and Ross Keys completed a memorable hat-trick of wins, before going on to take the overall mountain and moorland (M&M) working hunter pony of the year crown at Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) 2026.

“It’s the best feeling ever,” said a clearly emotional Ross of the experience. “I’m speechless. He’s just a dude, isn’t he?”

The Mitcheltroy Welsh Prince 19-year-old Welsh section D won the exceeding 143cm division despite being the oldest in the class, and at 145cm, one of the smallest, too.

King is jointly owned by Ross and his partner Anna Chaplin and Angela Thomas.

“We all own him. We just… he's part of the furniture – a joint effort,” said Ross before adding, gesturing at King’s condition and turnout, “but this is all Anna, it’s nothing to do with me.”

On his performance earlier in the day, Ross said: “He jumped mega. He took the track on. Literally, I couldn't stop him. He wanted that without a shadow of a doubt.”

Judge John James agreed, describing King as “Special.”

“At 19 years of age, he certainly could show the younger ones what to do and he jumped foot-perfect, as far as I’m concerned. He was a good representative of his breed and he really went well,” said John.

Ross has ridden King to 10 consecutive qualifications for here and for the Royal International (RIHS). As well as their three wins here, the pair boast a win at Hickstead, a Windsor championship, and countless more wins at county shows the length and breadth of the country.

“He's just a machine. He loves his job,” said Ross. “He's a bit grumpy in the stable, and a bit grumpy for the winter time when he's not doing any work. He lives for this. He's most happy when he's here doing this.”

As well as a glittering career over fences, King has covered, and has progeny on the ground.

“He's actually a granddad. Daichristu Prince, his son, was here with us last year and he’s maturing and coming up through the ranks.”

But King isn’t ready to hand over the mantle just yet.

“We’ll carry on. You know, he loves his job. He comes back stronger and stronger,” said Ross. “He loves the crowd and thrives on atmosphere…If he retires he'll probably just be really grumpy.

“He'll be a grumpy old man like me! So we'll carry on doing him, and he'll tell me when he wants to retire. When he wants to retire, he’ll retire. He owes me nothing. He's my best friend.”

The championship was largely dominated by Welsh ponies, with a representative of the breed taking the top spot in every division of this championship, and two seconds.

M&M working hunter pony of the year reserve champion

Poppy Gresty finished reserve having won the 133cm division aboard her mother Jenna Gresty’s Welsh section C, Seiont Watcyn, on the pair’s debut here.

Poppy had been first to jump in her class earlier today and produced a very stylish clear.

“He felt absolutely mega [this morning]. I just wanted to get round with no stops and even if he had every pole down, I’d still be pleased.”

Poppy was supported by family and friends, including her trainer Amy Canavan-Smith, who took this championship in 2025, and from whom the Grestys purchased Watcyn.

Since then, he’s been “very quirky” but with persistence, this pair have built a stunning partnership.

“He’s an absolute dream… my whole world.”

Poppy and Watcyn hit top form to qualify at Moreton in Marsh, the final open fixture of the year. The 122cm and 143cm winners also qualified there.

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William Whitaker had never jumped La Vie Est D’or in a competition before, but they looked like an established partnership as they cruised to win the Grandstand welcome stakes at Horse of the Year Show.

The 10-year-old mare is usually ridden by owner Iona Watkin Jones’s daughter Glain, whom William trains, and he said it was “fantastic” to take the ride for the week.

“I know the mare well, but I’ve not actually ridden her that many times,” he said. “But I think watching her over the last couple of years as much as I have has helped to know her.”

The light-footed Dutch-bred mare, with whom Glain has had good results at three- and four-star this year, has all the blood and scope, and she and Will looked in perfect sympathy and balance as they pulled off some cracking turns to win this two-phase class from fourth of 27 starters.

“She’s naturally a very quick mare, so I knew that if I could execute the round I walked, and try to be on the first distance to every jump in the jump-off, she’d be there or thereabouts, and everything came up nice for me,” William said. “She tried really hard so I’m absolutely delighted with her.”

William said it was great to start the indoor season on such a high.

“And it’s at home, all my family are here; whatever class you win in in the main ring here at the NEC, it always gives you that special feeling,” he said.

William is to jump his other ride here, Bradley Hill’s 12-year-old stallion Cristallo’s Double Take, in tonight’s feature class.

“I’ll be targeting him for the grand prix on Sunday, and I’d think I’ll keep La Vie in the second classes, but we’ll take it class by class and see how it goes,” he said.

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A rider who had “never jumped this height before tonight” upended the odds to win the historic Redpost Equestrian senior Foxhunter final 2026 on her Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) debut.

Some riders have spent decades in pursuit of this prestigious championship but Samantha Wiseman and her seven-year-old gelding AS His Lordship ran away with a confident victory in her first year of attempting HOYS qualification.

It was a remarkable result for the 27-year-old, whose previous experience at 1.40m amounted to a single class and the qualifiers.

“Going in there tonight was a big ask for me and the horses, so it’s incredible,” said Sammy, who also contested the class on Quinteros Mr Popular and qualified for the newcomers final and the grade C.

“My coach, Caroline Rios, told me and my mum at the start of the year to buy our tickets for HOYS and we said ‘No way! It won’t happen’ but I got five tickets. It’s been incredible but we’ve worked really, really hard.”

Sammy, who runs an equestrian centre and a dog grooming business in Aberdeen, produced a composed clear round a suitably exacting track to reach the three-rider jump-off, in which she won by 1.68sec

Foxhunter final 2026 asks tough questions

The final was no soft introduction to championship jumping. Time and technicality took their toll on the 24 starters, the clears only emerging from the final six combinations.

Douglas Duffin and Omex Star HBF lowered an oxer in the jump-off, leaving Seamus Taylor and Billy Wolsey as the only combination to post a double clear before Sammy entered the arena, last to go.

“I was incredibly nervous but he was jumping really well in the warm-up. Although I was already crying about having a clear before I went in!” Sammy said.

Although relatively inexperienced at this level, Sammy had plenty of faith in AS His Lordship, an Irish Phil VD Wezelse Heihoeve x Crown Z gelding she has partnered since the start of his five-year-old year.

Known at home as Phil or The Connemara Pony as he barely measures 16hh, he had been a stand-out performer throughout the qualifiers.

“When he performs, he really, really performs. I already knew what he was capable of. When we’re both in partnership on a good day, he is incredible. He’s naturally quick and careful,” Sammy said.

“I’m just over the moon, to be honest. I didn’t think it would happen but at the same time, I’m very determined, so if it all goes to plan on the day, then why not?”

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The winner of the NAF Five Star silver league final at the 2026 Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) said she had thought this might be her 19-year-old superstar’s swansong – but the mare may refuse to retire.

Catherine Housman and her own Contrichta triumphed by half a second over Lucy Hassall and One For Lucy, from second in a six-strong jump-off. The fiery and fabulous mare, with whom Catherine has won and been placed up to 1.30m level, including coming seventh in this championship in 2022, manoeuvred like a pony, ears pricked from start to finish, and pulled off some cracking turns lines to seal the deal.

“I knew I could have been faster so that was nerve-racking waiting but I really overthink it if I watch people go, then do something stupid and have a fence!” Catherine said. “So for me to go earlier is better because I just do my own thing, do what I set out to do, and if it’s enough, it’s enough. If it’s not, it’s not.

“It was the same when we qualified at Chard, I was early to go in that jump-off and I just went pedal to the metal, ‘Come on, let’s go!’ She’s better when I dare her a bit.”

Catherine works for Julian Mincher, to whom “Dante” came as a sales livery about five years ago.

“I’d had a long time out of the ring,” Catherine explained. “She was really brave and always going, and one I could trust and learn on because she’d been there, done it, a bit. I like them hot and forward, and she’s definitely hot and forward. I took her to an arena hire and that was it, I fell in love with her.

“We really clicked and I just felt like she was my horse, like I’d never had before.”

Catherine said she knew what she wanted to jump and that Dante would be the one to do it, and she was. They did Catherine’s first 1.20m together, her first 1.30m and were placed at the Blue Chip Winter Showjumping Championships. They also qualified for the bronze league final at HOYS in 2021 but Dante went lame days beforehand.

“Then I thought I wanted to step up after jumping the 1.10ms, and do the silver league, and she’s just so much fun,” she said. “The aim was always to come here, and especially after coming here and not having such a great jump-off when I was placed here before, I just wanted to come here today. Third time lucky; I’m very superstitious, and I just knew I wanted to win it this year.”

Catherine told H&H after she qualified in August that she might retire Dante after HOYS owing to her age, although the Heartbreaker mare is showing no signs of slowing down.

2026 silver league final win the icing on the cake

“She’s 19 now and winning here was just the icing on the cake, I thought ‘What a way to go out’!” she said. “But everyone’s telling me not to; look at her go, she’s still fit as a fiddle, and I don’t think she’s going to retire very easily.

“I’ve given her holidays before and she jumps out of the field and brings herself back into the stable. I’ve tried to leave her out, and she just appears one day in the yard, and you say ‘Oh, hi, holiday’s over then’!

“She’s fit, well and sound and you can see, her ears are forward in every picture, looking for the next fence, turning before I do – I have to be a bit careful of that! – but I’d love to retire her fit and sound, and maybe have an embryo from her. I’ll just go with the flow, and maybe slow her down a bit, much she’s not very keen on slowing down!”

Catherine added that there were plenty of tears at HOYS when she realised she had won, and that the lap of honour was the icing on the cake.

“You dream of it as a kid, don’t you?” she said. “To be able to do that, it’s what dreams are made of. She’s just everything to me, my horse of a lifetime, I’ll never find another one like her. I’ve run out of words for her, she’s just phenomenal.”

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Laura Tomlinson won the Dressage Future Elite Championship at the Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) for the second time in three years on Thursday evening, this time with eight-year-old gelding Ostmarks Digal (Grand Galaxy x De Noir).

The Olympic gold medallist, who took the title in 2024 on the homebred Forest Hill, scored 77.79% for her inter I freestyle in the Andrews Bowen International Arena. All three judges placed the pair first, and they finished almost two percentage points clear of Gareth Hughes and Morricone III (75.92%), with Dannie Morgan and Fever Tree third (73.58%).

“I’m feeling quite excited that I’ve got something quite special under the saddle, and hopefully something really impressive for the future,” Laura said.

“I always seem to end up with massive horses! He is well over 18 hands, but he is very elegant with it and he is lovely to ride.”

Laura has had the gelding since December, when he arrived from the same German yard as her former top ride Rose Of Bavaria, who retired in 2024.

In eight outings since, he has not finished outside the top two and has won all but two tests. At the LeMieux National Dressage Championships last month, he won two titles, the Fairfax Saddles PSG gold (71.79%) and the D&H gold inter I (71.97%).

But it hasn’t always been plain sailing. “The first couple of times I rode him at a show, I wasn’t overly impressed – he was quite challenging to get on,” Laura told H&H last month. “But the more we get to know him, the easier he is.

“For me, this is a really great milestone for him. There is lots more work to be done, obviously, but it is nice already at this stage to feel like it is all there.”

Launched in 2013, the Dressage Future Elite Championship brings together Britain’s leading eight- to 10-year-old horses in an inter I freestyle. Previous winners include championship medallists Hawtins Delicato, Mount St John Freestyle, Imhotep and, of course, Jagerbomb, who won the title in 2022.

“It is a brilliant way to prepare them because you don’t get many atmospheres like this at the lower level when they are a bit younger to prepare them for what is to come in the future,” Laura said.

“So it is a great way to give these horses an opportunity like that, and I absolutely couldn’t be happier with how he handled it all.”

Dressage Future Elite Championship, HOYS 2026 – full results

1. Laura Tomlinson and Ostmarks Digal – 77.79%
2. Gareth Hughes and Morricone III – 75.92%
3. Dannie Morgan and Fever Tree – 73.58%
4. Matt Frost and Lenika – 72.83%
5. Michael George Eilberg and EDH Saubermond – 72.17%
6. Alexander Harrison and Ventura – 71.79%
7. Demi Howard-Cartwright and Newton Astro Nascente – 69.83%
8. Jody Haswell and Valentinio – 68.21%

Judges: Nick Burton (H), Clive Halsall (C), Andrea Smith (M)

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A rider who broke her wrist “straight after” qualifying for Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) has claimed the NAF Five Star bronze league championship, although her appearance at the final was “touch and go”.

Katie Benbow collected a ticket with her nine-year-old mare Latico at Northcote seven weeks ago but shortly afterwards a young horse she was hacking tripped and fell.

“I broke my wrist and it needed plating,” Katie said. “I had friends and family keeping [Latico] fit for me. I hadn’t been back on her at all til three weeks ago when I had a little hack to ease myself back into it. I needed to see if my wrist would stand up to HOYS – I only entered two days before the entries closed.”

“The surgeon has done a fab job and the physio worked wonders,” she added. “I’ve been very lucky it hasn’t given me any grief riding. I jumped at Aintree last Wednesday and Stainsby on Sunday and that was it. We completely winged it.”

Katie and Latico are no strangers to national championships, having taken titles twice previously. The mare, who she bought as an unbacked four-year-old, won the British novice championship in 2024 and the amateur 1.10m championship at Aintree last November.

Latico does have a quirk – she is not a fan of rugs in prizegivings, dumping her rider on her first championship lap of honour at Stoneleigh.

“I said to Frank [Grunnill, steward] that I was going to have to take the rug off, I can’t canter round with a rug on, I’ll genuinely end up on the floor, which wouldn’t be good just after breaking my wrist!” she said.

“He said ‘you’ve got to walk in with it’. I said that was fine but I couldn’t canter. We did the pictures then whipped it off!”

2026 bronze league final: the jump-off

Eight riders made the jump-off for the bronze league final, and all the early contenders lowered one of the last two fences.

By the final few riders, there had been just one steady clear from Martin Brake (Juduela), whose lead Katie overturned by more than 7sec. A closing bid from Anabel Cluer (Ciao bella Z) lowered the winning margin to 1sec.

“Watching the last one go was a bit nerve-wracking. She looked really fast over the first half but I think I had done two turns and I don’t think she got one of them,” Katie said.

“Buying her a quirky, unbacked horse has definitely paid off,” she added. “She is one in a million and has been an awesome little mare for me. She’s not big but has a lot of stride and is a little power pack.

“She definitely has a heart of gold and loves her jumping, especially a jump-off!”

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Stobilee Zac made his team's 15-hour drive from John O’Groats to Birmingham’s NEC worthwhile when the Clydesdale landed the Barber Family ridden heavy horse of the year championship at Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) with Lucy Stewart in the saddle.

The 14-year-old by Great American GW Carver out of Stobilee Ruby and was bred by Robbie Morton.

He was bought by owner Brian Bissett as a foal and has been produced by Brian’s daughter Isla Miller since he was a four-year-old.

There were happy tears as Isla, who has ridden him to three reserve titles here, watched on from on board one of her youngsters, four-year-old Clydesdale Hartcliff Loretta, owned by Andrew Swanson. They finished ninth.

Isla said: “Lucy’s my partner in crime so we try to do it together… I took the ride on this baby so she could ride Zac today.

“Zac’s literally been a phenomenal horse. He’s competed all over the UK, but I can put my one-year-old daughter on him and she’ll ride him to the field; he’s just fantastic.”

The long journey south to Birmingham might have felt like a challenge in itself – “that’s a lot of diesel,” quipped Brian, “and at £2 a litre, we won’t attempt to calculate the fuel bill…” – but the path to the final, having secured the gelding’s ticket at Fife in May, has been smooth sailing.

Rachel Moore Rooney judged the ride portion, Randy Robertson the conformation phase.

In an interview beforehand, Rachel said she was hoping to see “top-quality horses with correct conformation” and “good movement”. She said that further ticks would be awarded to those “that give a safe, balanced and forward-going ride” and “horses that are mannerly and cope confidently with the busy atmosphere”.

The gelding, who has qualified for this final for eight consecutive years now, duly delivered, and looked at home under the bright lights of the International Arena, which comes at no surprise given his illustrious showing career.

“He’s the current ridden Clydesdale world champion,” said Lucy. “He’s such a showman.”

Lindy Winship’s Burlington Park Loose Valley son Cardington Billy Bob, a striking grey Shire gelding bred by the late Frank Evans and ridden by Emma Green, was the runner-up – they were returning to HOYS as defending champions having won this class 12 months before.

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Copybush So Fashion impressed the judges with her level-headed attitude and stylish performance to take the hack tricolour at the 2026 Horse of the Year Show (HOYS).

“Sophie” - owned by Nicola Miller - was ridden by her producer Will Morton to give a polished showpiece in the championship, including canter transitions on shallow loops.

The five-year-old mare performed well beyond her years.

“I'm not normally a mare person, but I'll have to eat my hat because she's super special,” said Will.

“I just love her. She's got such a good brain, such a good temperament, and she’s incredibly clever.”

Sophie was shown at HOYS by Matt McGivern in-hand as a three-year-old on behalf of her breeder, Pembrokeshire-based Sarah Baker, when she finished an impressive fifth in the Price Family supreme in-hand.

But this was Sophie’s first time here under saddle and she pipped seasoned combination and reigning Royal International Horse Show (RIHS) supreme Boston Black Tie (DJ) and his producer Helen Baker to the championship.

Will added: “It's an incredible atmosphere in there all the time anyway, so any championship here is just brilliant to ride in.

“But, to go in there on a young horse, who at the beginning of the season was completely new to this, and she just went in and owned it – felt incredible.”

Although he impressed judges Stephanie Barrington and Sacha Shaw with his show piece, Will admitted he “didn’t have a clue” what he was going to perform when he walked in the ring.

“She's only five, she still can be a bit green at times, so I thought, ‘I'll do what I know I can do and try to do it well’,” he said.

“Her transitions are quite good for her age, and she’s very mannerly so I knew I could kind of steer her around and just show her off to her best.”

Sophie will have some downtime over winter and enjoy hacking in the countryside around Will’s yard in Epping Forest.

Experts in hack ranks, Helen and DJ, were pulled into the reserve spot after a polished show which included trot to canter transitions on a straight diagonal line.

Helen said: “I enjoyed it in there, and I think he really enjoyed it too.

“He listened to everything I asked for in the show and did most of it one-handed.”

DJ, bred by Stephen Howard and owned by Nicola Faulconbridge, seems to have got used to the limelight following his supreme win at RIHS. His rider said: “When he realised he wasn't champion, he threw a right temper tantrum!”

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Alice Homer and her mother Loraine Homer’s Tidy Town proved the ones to beat once more when they were called forward as the top pick for the Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) small show hunter of the year crown.

Ten-year-old “Guinness” is by Superior Premium out of Ricardos Trump. He was judged here by Rachel Moore Rooney (ride) and Susan Stockley-Bridges (conformation), and with Alice has been a tremendously consistent campaigner and arrived at HOYS unbeaten in small hunter ranks this term.

“There are no words left for how incredible he is, there really aren’t,” Alice said. “As a young horse, we maybe used to say that HOYS wouldn’t be his show because he loves a big, galloping ring, but I think as he's got older and more mature he’s proved he can either step up to the big grass rings or, like today in here, he can be so measured and controlled.

“It’s like you’re riding on a piece of silk, his mouth is so soft. He can extend then come back like a hack, but yet he has all the power of the hunter. It’s just incredible.”

The pair were extending a serious run of form, with this year’s highlights including titles at the Royal International Horse Show (RIHS) – in intermediates as well as in small hunters – the British Show Pony Society (BSPS) Summer Championships and the British Show Horse Association (BSHA) National Championships. The pair are also seriously dominant in working hunters.

“He won his third RIHS small hunter title, and his fifth RIHS title altogether, this summer,” she added. “He also won his third-in-a-row supreme working hunter pony at BSPS. Actually one of the biggest ones was at the BSHA National Championships when he won the overall hunter championship, so he beat the lightweight, middleweight and heavyweight to get the big classic supreme hunter championship.”

Having claimed the intermediate show hunter title here with the Irish Sport Horse last term and now with the small hunter title under her belt to boot, Alice has her eyes on one final prize.

“I would love, tomorrow, to do well in the working hunters, because I have a finite amount of time in the intermediates,” said Alice, 24, who has just one season left in this particular class. “I know it sounds ridiculous when you've had such a good season… and I really was not expecting to win this one, I really wasn’t!”

Second to Alice and Guinness was the former Royal Windsor and Hickstead Derby Meeting winner, Red Valentine – who also stood supreme hunter at the British Show Horse Association (BSHA) National Championships in 2025 – ridden by Will Morton.

Will came through to the small hunter final having earlier in the morning secured two slots in the hack showdown. He won the large division on Nicola Miller’s exciting Small-land Maytino five-year-old Copybush So Fashion, and stood second in the small section atop Sara Fisher’s Time After Time.

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Natasha Nelson was delighted to be crowned champion of the NeedleSmart, John Illingworth and Cliff Kirby ridden pure-bred Arab of the year final at Horse of the Year Show (HOYS), with Mike, Jayne and Sandra Johnson's Bugatti.

Nine-year-old Bugatti, by Master Design, is a newcomer to the top echelons of ridden showing but has belied his relative inexperience to secure some top results:

“He did a lot of in-hand before he came to me to do his ridden career, but this is only his second season; his first open season,” said Natasha, a member of the Meads Show Team.

“He was British national supreme champion as a novice last year, and this is his first HOYS so I’m just absolutely blown away.”

This was not only a poignant win for the chestnut stallion, but for his rider too.

“It’s my first HOYS win. Horses from our team have been placed up to third before,” she said. “But on a horse I’m actually sitting on, I’ve never made it further than sixth so I’m absolutely made up!”

Following an enthusiastic lap of honour, Natasha describes Bugatti as “a darling” and “good fun to have around”.

“He was very excited, he’s done a lot of in-hand so he can flare up, but actually as a person he’s really gentle, cuddly,” she added. “Your nan could lead him out, he’s a darling, he’s really good fun to have around.”

So what’s the plan next?

“I’ve no idea! I need to go and have a glass of champagne, I think!” Natasha said. “But I’d like to think we’ll have him out again next year.”

Runners-up to Natasha and Bugatti were Sian Warman and Waliandro, while third place was awarded to Louisa Biles riding Arimathea.

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Shemkia Snip and a very teary Kelsey Bishop took the first Veteran Horse Society veteran of the year championship sash at the 2026 Horse of the Year Show (HOYS).

At 26, “Snippy” was the oldest in the class. South Wales-based Kelsey has owned the former brood mare for 17 years.

“I bought her to showjump,” said Kelsey. “But we went to a local show and someone encouraged us to try more showing and here we are. I never imagined that a pony I bought for £700 would be at somewhere like this, let alone win HOYS.”

Snippy really found her home in the veteran showing ranks. Among her many accolades, she was reserve supreme senior at Royal International this term, and is also London-bound, having qualified for all three of these coveted places at their first attempt.

Making the success even sweeter, Kelsey almost lost Snippy to colic.

“She had two nasty bouts of colitis,” said Kelsey. “Then she did a check ligament, so she had a long period of box rest. I thought I might lose her. But she’s back better than ever.”

Snippy gave a stunning show; she is full of presence and a big-moving mare.

“She’s sassy, but she’s as good as gold,” said Kelsey.

Taking the runner up spot was Shonagh Stark with Susan Don’s Taffechan Flashman Bertie Blaze (Bertie), making their journey south from Scotland well worthwhile.

Susan has owned 21-year-old Berti – who has previously enjoyed a successful driving trials career at national level – for 12 years. He now participates in a less demanding attelage driving competitions with Susan and has also given a junior driver the opportunity to experience local driving events.

A versatile pony, Berti also competes in affiliated dressage with Shonah.

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Katy Green said Gorsehill Layla was “prepped to perfection” for Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) – and it showed, as the pair took the Alan Marnie & Family (Meta Lounge Limited and SHB (GB)) working hunter of the year championship

Katy and her own and Charlotte Readings’ eight-year-old took a flawless turn about the imposing Colin Ellison track to lead the 30-strong field under judges Stephanie Barrington and Chris Yates.

“She was mega,” said Katy, who has deliberately chosen to campaign the mare by Emerald Van’t Ruytershof out of Gorsehill Amber lightly in the workers this year to keep her from getting bored.

“We’ve prepped her to perfection; not overjumped her, taken her show jumping and she’s had a lot of fun. We’ve not jumped many worker classes and she qualified really early this year.”

The pair finished fifth last term here.

“She was so good here last year. She had one down and I knew she had it in her, so I wanted to save her for this… It was a tough track and took some jumping.

“She absolutely loves her job so it makes my life very easy… I’m thrilled for the horse and for Charlotte.”

Gorsehill Layla: spotted in Ireland

Layla was first spotted by Katy’s mother in Ireland and though Katy wasn’t initially quite sure, her friend Laura Wheelwright persuaded her as she shared her name with Laura’s daughter, whom Katy trained to win here in the intermediate ranks a few years ago.

“She said, ‘don’t be boring’, and I didn’t have an IBAN number, so she said, ‘I’ll buy here and you can pay me back.”

She wasn’t originally intended for the workers.

“Mum wondered what I was doing aiming her for them, but I knew she had a good jump and was genuine, so I knew I could turn her into one and now she’s proven herself to be one.”

Katy described the course as “massive” and admitted some relief when she’d cleared the last.

“I watched Craig’s round so I knew what to do,” she said.

Craig – Kiddier – finished reserve with Vicky Tennant’s Irish Sport Horse Bold Adventure, who lived up to her name as she clocked up a brilliant clear to defend her reserve champion.

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Danwood Llewellyn won the Welsh section C of the year title at Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) for the second time. He is owned by his breeder Linda Atkinson, who rode him to win his class and stand reserve champion in 2018. This time, however, he was beautifully piloted by Linda’s daughter Hannah Atkinson.

The Yorkshire-based family team almost didn’t make it though.

“We broke down on the M1 on the way here this morning,” said Hannah. “At that point I was really worried we wouldn't make it. Luckily, my dad Ian made an early call to contact recovery. They were great, and had us on the road a few hours later.

“Shout out to the truck boys; we wouldn’t have made it without them!”

“Lewi” – a 15-year-old by Wyken Rob Roy out of Rivervalley Loulou who was also campaigned by Hannah – has had a stellar career including standing champion at the Royal International, best of breed at London International, and supreme ridden champion at the Royal Welsh.

The Atkinsons almost retired him here last year. Thankfully, his form this spring persuaded them otherwise, and he’s gone on to prove that decision correct time and again.

“He’s ticked off a few things for us this year,” said Linda. “He won the Royal Highland for us after Hannah had had nine seconds there, he was supreme ridden at the Welsh Pony and Cob Society’s 125th Anniversary Show, and now this for Hannah. I think he deserves to retire now.”

Linda described watching Hannah with Lewi as “nerve-wracking”, adding, “but Hannah always does a good job and he always tries his best.”

Standing second to Hannah and Lewi were a delighted Jane Smith and her own Dafren Rhodri.

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A 13-year-old who was making his fifth appearance in the SEIB racehorse to riding horse final at Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) stepped up to take his turn in the spotlight.

Morean Hamilton’s Rich Man Poor Man (Robbie) was ridden by his producer Kirstine Douglas to take the spoils.

The Robin Des Champs gelding started his career with trainer Philip Kirby, but after he was disappointing on the tracks, Morean was tipped off that he might make a show horse for her instead, and she instantly fell in love.

“He’s always been placed here,” said Morean, “But he hasn’t had his day and he hasn’t always given the best account of himself here. He’s a big horse in that arena and he’s different to a lot of the racehorses – he also competes in middleweight hunter classes.

“We haven’t campaigned him in hunter classes really this year, and just focused on this. Obviously we didn’t know who the judges were going to be, but when we heard that Hayden [Hankey], an event rider, was judging, we did think he may like him, and he just went for him. It was lovely.”

Robbie gave a beautiful account of himself for ride judge Hayden to take the win.

Rich Man Poor Man’s extensive CV

He adds this to a long list of accolades, having notched multiple wins in the Scottish Retraining of Racehorses (RoR) final held at the Royal Highland Show, and also standing supreme at the RoR championships at Aintree.

Kirstine was emotional, saying that she wondered whether this one would be the championship to elude the pair.

It was emotional for Morean, too, who has owned Robbie since he was a four-year-old.

“It feels quite surreal. People were saying It’s my personal first win here,” explained Morean. This made the win all the more popular for spectators who know Morean as she is known for her generous support of fellow competitors.

In second was Hannah Horton with Migration, an Alhebayeb Dam 10-year-old. Migration was given to owners Anthony and Georgina Andrews and Hannah Horton by the Gail Brown Racing Syndicate.

It is two and a half years since 10-year-old Migration last ran. He was in training with David Menuisier for whom he won over £200,000 including winning the Lincoln Handicap in 2023.

Taking third place for the second time were Sar Cassidy-Hill’s Imperial Ruby and Sarah Llewellyn.

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Jayne Ross rode Diane Stennett and Lucy Cameron's multi-garlanded campaigner KBF Lucia to secure the 2026 ladies’ show horse championship at Horse of the Year Show (HOYS).

The nine-year-old mare by Free Spirit out of Seabourne Swansdown, bred by Tony Reynolds and Michael Cook, has lifted this title before, in 2023, and won her coloured final three times, also netting a supreme and reserve sash in the latter division.

“She’s such a giver. She’s the most gorgeous little horse inside and out. She tries her hardest for you. She’s the one you go to when you’re not having a great day.”

Jayne and Lucia were returning to HOYS as defending supreme champions, having won the coloured supreme last term.

“[There was] no pressure, inasmuch as no more pressure than you would ever feel,” Jayne said.

“It’s always difficult to come back when you’ve been supreme but it’s a different class, she won this a couple of years ago, the side-saddle, so it’s lovely that she’s come back and won it again. You can’t put yourself under that pressure – you come back and enjoy it and have a nice time, and I always enjoy it with her because she’s so special.”

It’s a busy week for Team Ross; Jayne said: “We have 14 horses here altogether, more than enough to keep us busy, and it’s so lovely to have one in the box so early on.”

Taking the reserve championship was Amelia Hood riding her own Seabourne Singing Hills.

“He’s very special to me,” said Amelia, who has owned the seven-year-old by Aveia out of Ducal Lavender Hill since he was a foal. “I bought him straight from his breeder Michael Maryan and we’ve done everything with him. My husband Oliver backed him, and rode him in his novice season last season. I put a side saddle on him in April – ladies’ is my passion and I always dreamed of riding him. To be second is amazing, I’m delighted.”

The pair return on Friday for the lightweight hunter showdown.

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Edwin Prosser and Laura Collett were recently revealed to be Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) 2026 supreme horse and pony judges. For equestrians both in and outside of showing, Laura’s is a household name. But what of Edwin?

For those of you who do not know the Welsh pony aficionado, here’s an insight into his background in horses, in showing, and what he will be looking for in the ring at HOYS.

Edwin's background in horses

Edwin grew up around ponies.

“My father had a smallholding,” says Edwin. “I used to drive his pony and trap. Then I had a pony and learned to ride and went to Pony Club.”

In his teens, Edwin picked up the ride on two local jumping ponies.

“The local butcher had bought 14.2hh jumping ponies for his daughters, and when they grew too old to ride them, I was offered the ride, and rode them for two seasons around the local county and agricultural shows.”

After leaving school, Edwin worked with point-to-pointers for a year before taking time away from horses.

“Then when my daughter was one, I bought her a Welsh section A and when she was old enough, we showed her for a few seasons on the lead until my daughter decided to give up. At that point, I looked to the in-hand ring and bought a section A stallion to show myself – Foxhunter Clove, who was champion at Glanusk in 1976.”

A long association with the famous Cottrell stud followed.

“I went to buy a foal from Mrs Johns-Powell at the Cottrell Stud, and from there she kept an eye on me, and I ended up doing and showing her ponies for 22 years.

“We won lots of major shows, including the Royal of England and the Royal Welsh, and were supreme at the Royal Welsh with Cwrtycadno Cadfridog in 1996, qualifying for the ‘Cuddy’.”

This wasn’t Edwin’s last qualification for Horse of the Year Show’s ‘Cuddy’ supreme – now the Price Family supreme in-hand championship.

Cadfridog’s daughter, Edwin’s own home-bred Mintfield Songthrush repeated her father’s success, standing Welsh section B and supreme at the Royal Welsh in 2004, earning her a spot in the coveted HOYS line-up.

He also produced Dr Wynne Davies’ stallion Trefaes Taran to qualify for the final, before he was shown by Dr Wynne’s son, David, to stand second in the pony final.

Since hanging up his showing jacket, Edwin has thrown himself into stewarding, including a 15-year stint in the main ring at the Royal Welsh.

As well as being a Welsh breeds enthusiast, Edwin is a big racing fan, making annual trips to Ireland to visit, among others, Coolmore, Ballylinch and Ballydoyle.

Edwin is also an experienced judge.

He had the honour of officiating over the in-hand championship at HOYS in 2022 with Tullis Matson, and joined Jocelyn Price to judge the junior mountain and moorland (M&M) final the same day, so judging the supreme won’t be his first experience of officiating over at the NEC.

“I really enjoyed it, and I’m looking forward to this time,” says Edwin. “It took a while to sink in when I was first asked. It’s a real honour.”

Edwin has also judged all over the globe, including twice in Australia, America, Holland, France and Belgium, as well as at countless shows in the UK.

What will Edwin Prosser be looking for?

In the supremes, Edwin insists he will be looking for a quality exhibit and a good mover. It must also be “true to type” whatever it is, have clean limbs and correct conformation.

It may be easy to assume that given Edwin’s background and personal interests, he will be drawn to the welsh, or even the former racehorse, but previous form suggests not. Edwin and Tullis chose the horse division winner, broodmare Lovestruck as their champion, and Connemara mare Skaergaardens Delicious Love for reserve.

“It will be whatever stands out as the winner on the day,” says Edwin.

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This year, I don’t know what it is, but this season seems to have gone by faster than ever.

Looking back, I think it’s been particularly tough financially. After a difficult winter, where hay and straw shortages meant higher prices, we rolled into the season to rocketing fuel costs. Pressures on shows mean that entries certainly aren’t getting any cheaper.

And then came the heat and the hard ground that accompanied it. It certainly made me appreciate the shows running on surfaces and it’s something to bear in mind if we are to have such hot summers in future.

There were only a couple of fixtures where we decided not to take certain ponies on account of the ground as, thankfully, we were lucky that most had qualified for Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) by that point.

One thing that struck me at qualifiers this year, though, was the narrow range of marks some judges awarded. With 50 marks available, why use a range of eight? I would like to see judges be braver. If they love an exhibit, give it a high mark, but if an exhibit is not for them, give it a low mark. It’s fine to have an opinion, be brave enough to stand by it.

During that particularly hot spell, I found it bizarre that Royal Norfolk and exhibitors were criticised for running during a weather warning. Although the extreme heat continued, there was no such criticism of anyone showing in the heat in the following weeks.

What a shame this show came under fire, having tried hard to mitigate against the heat and ensure the welfare of all present. The horses and ponies looked comfortable in a pleasant breeze.

Praise and promise

Despite the weather and the harsh financial climate, the National Pony Society staged a championship that was well attended and that catered for everyone, from the serious HOYS qualifiers to novice finals and novelty classes for the children. There were also unaffiliated classes on offer, which I felt were brilliant for allowing beginners to see and experience showing at an affiliated level, and hopefully increase their interest.

The Royal International was also fantastic. The team there are particularly helpful and every year stage a show that was slightly better than the last. The atmosphere was superb – fun, but with seriously high standards in the ring.

However, I would like to see a tweak in the timetable. The mini ponies are usually in the ring at the same time as the opens. Changing this would be so helpful for parents and pony producers who have children in both rings, particularly if they need to lead a mini finalist.

HOYS judges

I am pleased that HOYS has reinstated the surprise judging format. I can see that perhaps it makes things more difficult for horse producers. All ride judges like something slightly different, and this way, they can’t tune up their exhibits to suit a certain way of riding.

As a pony producer, I like the element of the unknown. This is perhaps because it’s different and people can’t speculate or predict who will do well. I also felt it made for a calmer atmosphere “backstage” last time round. Inevitably at this time we’re all feeling the pressure of HOYS.

It’s not that I am worried about the results – they will be what they will be – it’s just that I believe it’s harder than ever to qualify, so more than ever, you want all your exhibits to look well and go well on the day.

It’s my favourite show – the one we all want to be at – so I want to come home thinking I’ve given it my best shot.

So with that in mind, good luck to everyone.

● What are your thoughts on HOYS’ decision to reveal who’s judging each class at the 11th hour? Let us know your thoughts at hhletters@futurenet.com, including your name, nearest town and county, for the chance to have your thoughts published in a future issue of Horse & Hound magazine

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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.

“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 stopped 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.

“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.”

• To stay up to date with the latest equestrian news in the run-up to Horse of the Year Show, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

There will be no 128cm showjumping finals at Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) or the London International from 2029, as part of plans to improve pony and child welfare, and improve enjoyment of the sport.

British Showjumping (BS) has announced changes to “strengthen welfare of young competitors”, having commissioned an independent safeguarding review of the sport.

The review resulted in 39 recommendations, the implementation of which is ongoing. A major change is the fact that from 2029, children aged 12 and under will not be allowed to compete at shows with paying spectators.

This includes the Royal International Horse Show as well as HOYS and London International. Qualification from the winter pony premiers will instead be to the spring pony championships, and from the summer shows to the British Showjumping National Championships.

128cm showjumping finals move

“The change is intended to provide an environment that better supports the welfare and wellbeing of younger competitors, while recognising the additional pressures associated with competing at major, high-profile spectator events,” a BS spokesperson said.

“At British Showjumping, the welfare of all members, particularly children and young people, is our highest priority. We are committed to ensuring that everyone involved in our sport feels safe, supported and respected at every level of participation.”

BS commissioned Lime Culture, a safeguarding consultancy specialising in safety and wellbeing of children and adults in and outside sport, to carry out the review after concerns had been raised about increasing demands on children in showjumping.

“Members from across the sport, including parents, officials, coaches and riders, were consulted and shared their experiences as part of the review,” the spokesperson said.

“The current competition structure and its impact on the wellbeing of children participating at every level of the sport were also considered. Many participants highlighted that competing at shows alongside their friends, in a fun and supportive environment, was a key driver of their participation.”

Lime Culture CEO Stephanie Reardon said it was a pleasure to work with BS on this review.

“We saw first-hand their proactive approach to safeguarding and their clear commitment to understanding the experiences of those involved in the sport,” she said. “From the outset, there was a willingness to listen to different perspectives and to reflect openly on what is working well, where approaches could be strengthened and how safeguarding practice can continue to develop.

Meaningful action

“We were particularly encouraged by British Showjumping’s response to the findings and its commitment to taking forward the recommendations. Turning recommendations into meaningful action is an important part of strengthening safeguarding practice and demonstrates a commitment to learning and continuous improvement.”

Other action being taken as a result of the review and recommendations includes working with organisers to plan the junior calendar around school dates and avoid exam times for certain age groups.

Affiliated venues each have safeguarding officers, and the updated BS star performance awards “encourage members to look beyond competitive success, with guidance on rider wellbeing, horse welfare and the rules of the sport”.

“This skills-based progression system places rider development and safety at the heart of training within British Showjumping,” the spokesperson said, adding that BS has also promoted a register of qualified, accredited coaches.

BS CEO Iain Graham said: “Lime Culture’s in-depth review has helped us take positive action to safeguard the future and integrity of our sport and, above all, the welfare of our young competitors. We have made significant progress in implementing the recommendations and remain committed to delivering lasting change.”

Have your say

● What do you think about the changes? Let us know your thoughts at hhletters@futurenet.com, including your name, nearest town and county, for the chance to have your thoughts published in a future issue of Horse & Hound magazine

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Multiple medal-winning event rider Laura Collett and experienced judge and breeder Edwin Prosser will judge the supreme horse and pony championships at Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) 2026.

HOYS organiser Grandstand Media announced this week that the pair will “have the honour of selecting this year’s supreme champions from some of the finest horses and ponies in the country”, on the final night of the show (11 October).

European champion Laura, who also won world team gold and individual bronze this year, won the supreme pony title at HOYS in 2003 with Welsh section A Penwayne Ryan.

“Horse of the Year Show holds very special memories for me,” she said. “Winning the supreme pony championship when I was just 13 was an incredible moment and one I’ll never forget.

HOYS supreme judges 2026: ‘A tremendous honour’

“I know how much it means to qualify for HOYS and to stand in that arena on the final evening. To return all these years later as a supreme championship judge is a real honour, and I’m really looking forward to it.”

Edwin, of Mintfield Stud, is a highly experienced judge of Welsh ponies and cobs.

“It is a great honour to be invited to judge the supreme horse and pony championship at Horse of the Year Show,” he said. “I have very fond memories of judging the Price family supreme in-hand championship in 2022, so to be asked to return four years later to judge the supreme is a tremendous honour.

“It means a great deal to me and everyone at Mintfield Stud, and I’m very much looking forward to being part of such a prestigious championship.”

● To stay up to date with the latest equestrian news in the run-up to and throughout HOYS, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

Former racehorse Communion secured a surprise Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) pass in the Racehorse to Riding Horse at the British Show Horse Association (BSHA) Championships.

Known at home as Monkey, he is owned by Donna Bamonte, who produces him from home, and was ridden by chance on this occasion by Sophie Staveley.

Monkey had been lightly but successfully shown – he’d qualified for the Royal International Horse Show as a large hack – when Donna saw the Mattmu seven-year-old with former owner Amanda Picillo and snapped him up in March.

“Me and mum went up to North Yorkshire and loved him,” said Donna. “Monkey was beautifully schooled and we've spent lots of time since out hacking up the hills".

Donna already had one former racehorse – Hagar – HOYS-bound having qualified at Wiltshire Spring Show, so her aim here was to make it into an evening performance.

“As Hagar was already qualified for HOYS I wanted to get into the evening performance with her - which we did having taken second in the amateur owner rider class,” Donna explained. “I was rushed with Monkey as there wasn't much time after Hagar's class, when Sophie came along and was keen to have a spin on Monkey. He went like a dream for her and won the class. I can't believe we've got two through to HOYS

The horses are a welcome relief for Donna, who lost her husband Perry Bamonte – guitarist and keyboardist for The Cure – at Christmas last year. They provided a focus in spring and continue to bring comfort.

"It's still very raw,” she said. “I need the routine and focus that the horses give me, they are my pets and family. I said to Mum that Perry wouldn't have wanted yet another horse, but Mum said she didn't think he could have cared less if it helped me. I love the longevity of the relationship I have with my horses. Getting to go out to shows is the jam on top! They are truly home produced and I was delighted that Sophie was able to step in and help on the day.”

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Where has the season gone? It feels like five minutes since we were squinting at the qualifier lists, and now the evenings are drawing in and Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) is looming. It really has flown by.

Looking back over the summer, though, one thing is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore: the numbers.

Not everywhere, and not in every class, but many classes that were once well filled are now running with seriously depleted numbers.

I don’t believe people have suddenly stopped wanting to show. I think it is simply becoming too expensive to compete at a certain level for the average family, and a significant part of that expense comes down to the number of societies we have, each running separate finals for the same types of class.

Most of us would hate to see showing become the preserve of those with the deepest pockets. It has always been a sport where ordinary people with one pony, plenty of determination and a bit of luck can make it to the highest level. But the average family is being quietly squeezed out and I don’t think we’ve properly reckoned with what that means, or why it is happening.

Start with the pony. A decent one that will hold its own at county level now changes hands for a sum that would put down a deposit on a house. That figure alone rules out a great many people who might otherwise be standing beside us in the collecting ring and we should be honest enough to admit that we are poorer for it.

Double the cost

But some of the cost is one we have created ourselves. This is where societies need to look hard at what they are offering their members.

In certain sections, you need to join two separate societies to compete in the same class, as one holds the Royal International route and the other HOYS. That isn’t a criticism of any one society. But collectively, we’ve ended up in a situation where the same classes require membership of different bodies and it is the competitor who pays for it twice over.

Faced with that choice, most families will simply pick one route and let the other go. Then we wonder why the classes are getting smaller.

This is something the industry needs to sit down and solve together. Nobody expects it to be simple, and there will always be different organisations with different responsibilities and ambitions. But the goal ought to be a straightforward one: better value for the people who are paying to keep our sport going.

Don't forget about the other 50%

On a brighter note, we’re only weeks away from HOYS. If you have a ticket in your pocket, here’s one last thought before you go.

For most flat classes, 50% of the mark comes from the conformation phase. Yet how many of us spend the week before bathing, plaiting and polishing, but barely a moment practising standing up?

You have literally seconds in front of that judge, and all the hot oil in the world won’t counteract four legs pointing in four different directions. Practise teaching your pony to stand correctly from a light aid and, importantly, to stay there while you step away. It gives the judge a much clearer picture of what is actually in front of them.

Spend some time really looking at the horse or pony you’re showing, too, and take off the rose-tinted glasses first. We all think ours is the best in the country, but be honest about its good points and its weaker ones. Then learn to stand it in a way that accentuates the good.

Practise in the yard, in the field, with people walking past. Recruit someone to play the judge. Half the overall marks are there for the
taking and 10 minutes a day is all it takes to go after them.

Best of luck to everyone going to Birmingham.

● How do you think we can help alleviate costs in showing without forcing our fixtures to run at a loss? Let us know your thoughts at hhletters@futurenet.com, including your name, nearest town and county, for the chance to have your thoughts published in a future issue of Horse & Hound magazine

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Graham Dunkley is one of the judges who has the enviable task of judging at the 2026 Horse of the Year Show (HOYS).

This year, what each judge is assessing will be revealed just the night before the class. Trialled in 2024, this format is back by popular demand. So, while we won't know what Lancashire-based Graham is judging for the time being, we can learn a little more about him, his background in showing, and what she will be looking for in the ring.

One thing we do know, having been trained as a classical chef, Graham can handle the heat...

Graham's background in horses and showing

Graham rode and began showing as a child. Though he rode many show ponies, two native ponies have had a significant influence on his equestrian journey.

That particular journey “began back in 1975 on a little Welsh Section A lead-rein pony called Norgwill Pipi,” says Graham.

“At the time, the local riding school was run by husband and wife team Bob and Pat Templeton, who decided to try their hand at producing show ponies. Bob later became a well-known showman with strong links to HOYS and after marrying Julie, they went on to help shape the showing world as it is today.

“My little pony Pipi also went on to enjoy success, winning his breed section at the Olympia finals.”

The second pony hit headlines just earlier this year. This was the latest addition to the Dunkley family’s herd: Highland pony Genesis of Westown (Noah). Incidentally, you can find out more about this in the March 5, 2026 issue of Horse & Hound.

“Quite unexpectedly, Noah brought me back into the show ring as a rider after a 30-year break. It certainly was not planned but he reminded me that being in the saddle is my happy place,” says Graham.

“In showing, it is easy to become so focused on turnout and performance that we put too much pressure on ourselves and those around us. Noah reminded me that we do this sport for fun. For those of us who are truly hooked, nothing quite compares with the bond between horse and rider, and competing against yourself to be better that you were yesterday.”

Owning horses is a lifelong learning curve for any equestrian. Graham believes that “the most important lesson horses have taught me is that the right way in the end isn’t always the quickest way. There isn’t a gadget or TikTok video out there that replaces the need for patience, kindness and understanding that every day is a school day. That is true when working with horses, and it is just as true in every aspect of life.”

In a lifetime spent around show ponies and horses, Graham has had a good number of highlights to remember.

“I have been lucky enough to ride some beautiful horses and ponies over the years and have enjoyed many amazing moments.”

However, one of his fondest is the memory of “a small local show, watching my son absolutely smash his first-ridden debut on his little Shetland pocket rocket.”

Graham's judging experiences and highlights

“Before judging, I got into stewarding once my riding career paused.”

This is something he would encourage all prospective judges to do.

“It teaches you how to manage a ring, which is ultimately the job of the judge. You learn to spot that child who is about to take flight on their bombproof schoolmaster, or how to deal with the one who has had a wrong leg and needs some encouragement before dealing with mum outside the ring.

“I was one of the main ring evening performance stewards for Ponies UK when it was at the East of England Showground, along with Phill Judge and Nigel Oliver. Great times.

“You also see much more than you would from the other side of the ropes and when I was starting out, the knowledge I gained from watching and talking to the senior judges was invaluable and helped me gain the confidence to become a judge.”

Graham started judging at at a very local level, “as is the case with most judges,” and has now now been a panel judge for over thirty years.

“I have been fortunate to judge at some fantastic shows and, without detracting from those experiences, my highlight has to be my two previous HOYS judging appointments; to judge at HOYS is both an honour and a privilege.

“That is the gig that every judge starting out wants to be invited to. The first time is obviously a bit daunting leading up to the show; however, the second time, you can allow yourself the time to take it all to enjoy and appreciate the experience of judging the best of the best.”

What will Graham be looking for in the ring?

“I started my riding career on show ponies and these, for me, will always hold that special place,” he says. “However, you will always get a kick when that special animal walks into the ring and that can come from any of the sections.

“I want to see animals smiling through the bridle, with an attitude that cannot be ignored,” he continues. “Reaching the finals is incredibly difficult, so all the ponies will already be of a high standard, true to type, correct in conformation and way of going.

“I’m really excited to see the one or two with that unmistakable star quality, deserving of having their names on the roll of honour alongside the great show animals of the past.”

Graham’s pet hates

“Maybe I am turning into a grumpy old man but I have a few. My biggest bugbear is bad manners and that is from the competitors. I was always taught to smile, be on time, be correctly presented and give the impression that I was doing something I enjoyed.

“Another one is animals going in a forced outline and not carrying themselves. But the pet hate that frustrates me the most is overcomplicated individual performances that are often inappropriate for the class and are usually badly executed.

“As a judge, I want to see lots of little things done well: correct paces with crisp transitions. I would rather see simple perfection than complex chaos. I have lost my winner numerous times for this reason.”

Tips for HOYS first-timers

Graham says: “The clue is in the title – be a showman.

“From the second you step into the ring to when – if you are lucky enough to be – you’re cantering out on the lap of honour, you are on show and someone will always be watching.

“Don’t play it safe; try to wow. With reference to my earlier point, that doesn’t mean attempting a one-handed serpentine, with a rein back and a walk to canter thrown in for good measure. At HOYS, there will be a set show, so take time to execute it correctly, don’t rush and most of all, enjoy the ride.”

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