New voice of equestrian sport found at British Open

Visitors to Wednesday’s British Open Show Jumping Championships found themselves listening in on the final round of Grandstand Media’s competition to find a new voice in broadcasting.

After two tough preliminary rounds, the three finalists — Adam Cromarty from Fife, Jo Thoenes from Oxford and Ian Scott from Stamford — “went live”, with their performance judged by H&H deputy editor Jaki Bell, showjumper Tim Stockdale and commentator Mike Tucker.

The winner, 36-year-old Jo, a radio broadcaster at BBC Oxford, received a voice-training bursary worth £500 and will join the commentary team at October’s Horse of the Year Show.

“This was tough,” said Jaki. “But Jo’s clarity of tone stood out and, as a new voice for the future, she took the rosette.”

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