The British Show Pony Society (BSPS) is intending to go ahead with its annual summer championship show at Arena UK (28-30 August) as planned.
The popular fixture holds classes for plaited ponies, working hunters, coloureds and natives of all levels. All current BSPS members will be able to attend with no pre-qualification required.
The announcement is welcome news to the showing community, who up until now have been left without a show season after the majority of county shows and summer fixtures have been forced to cancel due to the coronavirus pandemic.
BSPS vice chairman Paul Cook said the society has received positive feedback on their intentions to run the show.
“We’ve been meeting behind the scenes a lot and given the current government guidelines we now see it appropriate for the summer champs to go ahead,” said Paul. “There will be a lot of planning to do, but judges are already confirming they are on board.”
Schedules and timetables are currently been finalised at the BSPS office and are set to be released shortly.
“With no Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) qualifiers, we hope that the show will attract all sorts of members; we hope to run a large novice day which rewards those ponies who qualified for the winter championship finals, as well as best of the best type classes for those open ponies who would have been contending the qualifiers this season.
Horse & Hound Newsletter
Never miss out on the latest happenings in the equestrian world
“We also hope there will be limited opportunity for stabling and these details will be finalised nearer the time.”
We are continuing to produce Horse & Hound as a weekly magazine during the coronavirus pandemic, as well as to keep our website at horseandhound.co.uk up to date with breaking news, features and more. Click here for info about magazine subscriptions and access to our premium H&H Plus content online.
Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now
Former H&H showing editor and deputy features editor
Born and raised in the Lake District, Alex has grown up on the showing scene. She has qualified and competed ponies at the Royal International, Horse of the Year Show and Olympia and has first-hand knowledge of the current issues in the showing world as well as the horses, ponies and riders who compete in the sport. Alex joined H&H in January 2018 as showing editor, cementing its place as the leading equestrian publication for both showing reports and current showing news in the UK. She moved on in October 2024 to pursue other opportunities, but continues to write for us on a freelance basis.
