The new rule, which would have applied last year had the show not been lost to Covid, concerns the ages of those riding any horse or pony on the showground. H&H speaks to the show, welfare experts and a producer to find out more
A NEW rule on rider age at the Great Yorkshire Show (GYS) has sparked debate – and applause from welfare experts.
At this year’s event (13–16 July), equids may only be ridden by the riders who are entered to compete with them in certain classes. Any substitute rider may only ride the animal outside the ring if he or she is eligible in age to compete in the same class.
{"content":"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"}
The organising committee ruled that anyone deemed to be too heavy for their mount would be spoken to
H&H responds to the latest news on a big issue for the equestrian industry
“These people are often good riders who do everything for their horses, except the one thing that would truly help
Credit: Future
Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2025 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
H&H news editor
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.
