Happy Feet / Minions Guy W. / Trevor B.
Toy Story Harry Ch. / Matt S.
Mary Poppins Pippa F. / William F.
Shrek Jack W. / Jo St.
Iron Man Gemma St. / Laura C.
Frozen Holly S. / Manuel F.S.
Pirates of the Caribbean John W. / Marcus E.
Alice Tom McE. / Kirsty Ch.
Just some of the teams that took part in THE FANCY DRESS RELAY during The London International Horse Show at ExCel in London on the 15 December 2022
The legendary London horse show fancy dress returned this evening in fantastic style, with veteran riders and rising stars joining forces for a superb night’s entertainment.
Holly Smith and Manuel Fernandez Saro, as Elsa and Olaf from Frozen, jumped clear in the fastest time to win, Holly making use of sticky spray to combat her slippery costume complete with flowing skirts and long blonde wig.
Among the stars of the show were Pippa and William Funnell, or Mary Poppins and Dick van Dyke sporting a full-skirted white ensemble and a natty striped blazer respectively, who soared round as if towed by a parrot-handled umbrella – but William felled a pole.
“You can tell this is a husband and wife by the way she was urging him on,” said the commentator, to which William replied: “Was she tutting when I had the fence down? All I can say is that she’s always been supercalifragilisticexpialidocious to me.”
Pippa added that she would “probably kill my husband for making me dress up like this”, adding: “And one thing that’s guaranteed is that he won’t be sweeping my chimney before Christmas!”
The team from Frozen Holly S. / Manuel F.S. (1st) inTHE FANCY DRESS RELAY during The London International Horse Sho w at ExCel in London on the 15 December 2022
(Image credit: Peter Nixon)
The audience cheered on Marvel heroes Captain America and Thor, aka Laura Collett and Gemma Stevens, Tom McEwen and Kirsty Chabert as the Mad Hatter and the Queen of Hearts, Jack Whitaker and Joe Stockdale as Donkey and Shrek, Guy Williams and Trevor Breen as the penguin from Happy Feet and a Minion, and Harry Charles and Matt Sampson as Buzz Lightyear and Woody from Toy Story.
And before the last pair came in, there was a pause. As the Funnells left the ring, all their fellow competitors poured in, still in their costumes, putting the fences up with abandon. Judicial officials put them back down just as Marcus Ehning as Captain Jack Sparrow and John Whitaker, complete with huge bosom, as Elizabeth Swann galloped into the ring as Pirates of the Caribbean.
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Marcus lowered a couple of fences but the pair won the London horse show fancy dress judges’ and audience vote.
“I’ve got a question for you,” John said afterwards. “How do you fill a hole in a parrot? Polyfilla.”
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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.
