Briarhill Buddy Bolden is new HOYS intermediate show hunter of the year

A six-year-old attending Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) for the very first time made light of the unique atmosphere found only at the NEC to secure the HOYS intermediate show hunter of the year tri-colour.

Meg and Bridget Edmondson’s Briarhill Buddy Bolden was ridden by Harriet Dennison, and there were plenty of tears after the Kings Cornet gelding, who is out of Durida and was bred by Anne Coyne, was called out to win.

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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.

‘He handled himself like a little pro’: young intermediate exceeds expectations at HOYS

Harriet, who has won at HOYS on both show hunter ponies and show ponies, was posting her first win in intermediate ranks.

“He’s such a baby and so I’m over the moon with him,” said Meg, who bought Buddy from Russell Skelton and James Murno just under a year ago. “He’s just a little star and is such a nice person, too.”

Meg rides Buddy in small hunter classes; at the BSHA National Championships he lifted the novice hunter supreme, and earlier in the week he finished eighth in the small hunter of the year final here at HOYS.

Meg was experiencing a moment of deja vu; in 2016 she took the exact same intermediate honour with her own mare Blairfield Silicon.

Harriet added: “He has given me my first intermediate win here. We did not expect anything from him as it’s his first time here, but he was such a good boy. All we wanted was for him to enjoy it and contain himself in the atmosphere.

“I’m so proud of him. He’s a proper gentleman to ride and he handled himself like a little pro.

“Each win here is magical. When you’re stood on that back row you know it could go one way or another, so it’s always such a shock. You never think it’s going to happen.”

Ellis Taverner-Burns took second in the HOYS intermediate show hunter of the year final riding Sarah Chandler’s Obus Quality 15-year-old The Politician.

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