Who’ll be the best young sports horse at HOYS?
Britain’s best young competition horses head for the Horse of the Year Show at the NEC next month, plus find out who’s won HOYS tickets in our competition
The best young horses in the country will be travelling to Birmingham to contest the SEIB/BEF Young Horse Evaluation Series Championships at the Horse of the Year Show (9-13 October).
Thirty-eight equine stars of the future have qualified for the finals, with 27 British-bred horses among them. British home-bred and home-produced horses include John Poole’s No Illusions, by his own No Complaints, and Margaret Livingstone’s Agincourt, by Stonegrove Ace, which have both qualified for all three championships.
The series was introduced to improve the quality of sport horses in this country and find British-bred young horses with Olympic potential. All horses at the final have impressed judges at the selection events with their potential soundness, trainability, jumping ability, paces and temperament.
Eighteen horses will contest the ‘most promising dressage horse final’ at the end of the afternoon performance in the Horse & Hound Arena on Thursday 10 October.
The show jumping final, on 11 October has 21 horses qualified, while 12 horses will compete for the title of most promising young event horse on Saturday.
Jane Nixon will be judging the all horses on their potential soundness and conformation, while Richard Ramsey will be judging on all three days and will be joined by Ferdi Eilberg for the dressage horses, Derek Ricketts for show jumping and Yogi Breisner for eventing.
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“We are delighted that the finals are being held at the prestigious Horse of the Year Show,” said Graham Suggett, consultant director of breeding for the BEF. “It is an event to which all equestrians aspire and now will provide the perfect showcase for the horses of the future.
“The series is an ideal showcase for the sport horse industry and provides the incentives that breeders and young horse producers at every level need. My hope is that some of these outstanding British-bred finalists will become part of successful British teams in the future.”
HOYS ticket winners
The overall winner of HHO’s competition to win tickets for the Horse of the Year Show is Joanne Mallinson from Leicester. Joanne has won a pair of tickets to the Friday evening performance.
The four runners up, who have each won a pair of tickets for the Friday afternoon performance including the ‘most promising dressage horse final’, are:
- Laura Keen, Offerton, Stockport
- Denise Westbrook, Bracknell, Berks
- Julia Brooks, Alfreton, Derbyshire
- Christine Hook, Biggleswade, Beds
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Carol is an experienced journalist and editor, who is also a passionate amateur rider and dedicated horse owner, having ridden since childhood. She has a particular interest in the emotional well-being and ethical training of horses, alongside veterinary matters, having garnered extensive first-hand experience of numerous equine health conditions through more than 30 years of horse ownership.