Louise Simpson riding HELLO VIVENDI owned by Caroline Breen, winner of the Speedi-Beet Grade C Championship during HOYS in the NEC in Warwickshire in the UK on 9th October 2016
Anyone planning to head to the NEC in Birmingham for the Horse of the Year Show (HOYS, 4-8 October) has been urged only to buy through the show’s official partner or website.
HOYS warned customers yesterday (26 September) that it had been contacted by people who thought they had booked online but had only been sent e-tickets.
“Please be aware these are not legitimate tickets and the holder will not be allowed access to the show,” organisers said in a statement.
“The Ticket Factory is our only official ticketing partner and this year we are not issuing any e-tickets, only hard copies which will either have been posted to you or will be waiting for you to collect from the box office upon arrival at the show.”
Visitors should only book through the HOYS website or with the Ticket Factory. Tickets on tout websites may be for sale for well above the marked price, if they are even legitimate, and there are still tickets on sale via official channels for all days of the show.
A spokesman for Grandstand Media told H&H: “We would like to urge all of our customers to only book through our official ticketing partner, the Ticket Factory, or through ourselves via our website. This year we are not issuing any e-tickets.”
Tout websites have come under the spotlight in the last year. The government investigated “secondary” ticketing sites and has banned the use of automated “bots” which buy tickets as soon as they go on sale, after which they are re-advertised for many times their face value.
It is not clear how many potential HOYS customers have been caught out but anyone who fears they have been affected should call the Ticket Factory on 0844 5810777 to confirm their booking, or email customerservices@theticketfactory.com (for general seating tickets only).
For a preview of this year’s HOYS, don’t miss this week’s Horse & Hound magazine (28 September).
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
Eleanor is an experienced journalist who spent over eight years working for local and national newspapers before joining H&H as news editor in March 2016. Passionate about equine welfare and exposing the truth, Eleanor has reported on all aspects of the industry, from Brexit to anti-bullying campaigns, and from dressage rules to mules. Her sport of choice is showjumping, in which she competes her own horses, and she also enjoys reporting at local jumping shows through to international championships.
