H&H’s showing editor Bethan Simons reflects on the showing classes at London and suggests a New Year’s resolution that everyone can get on board with
Though we’re toeing the starting line of a brand-new season it’s just a blink since the end of the last, London International, which was once again a festive triumph. For starters, watching younger competitors meeting Santa was heart-warming.
The British Show Horse Association’s (BSHA) rising stars series and Senior Showing and Dressage Ltd (SSADL) championships at London completed a trio of amateur-only home-produced finals in a month, alongside the Showing Teams And Rising Stars (STARS) championships and the new The Showing Register (TSR) Amateur of the Year.
All three held a joyous atmosphere. Competitors felt genuinely happy to be competing on stages with all the bright lights and ceremony that befit the graft, time and cash they put into their prep – regardless of their final placing. Some seasoned competitors would do well to channel this energy when they are standing further down the line than they’d wish at open finals.
The standard in London’s performance classes was outstanding; I particularly loved the two-minute bell that signalled time over in horse ranks, as it focused shows. Some shows in the pony ranks were a tad long.
Interviewing winners of the rising stars classes, several professed not to have purchased their mount for showing but rather had fallen into it. Some had qualified by dipping a toe at their local agricultural shows and, now hooked, they’re looking to further their ambitions. It’s safe to say then, the series is working as a stepping stone into affiliated showing.
Similarly, many grassroots showing enthusiasts found themselves competing at their first major fixture in the British Show Pony Society (BSPS) performance classes. I wonder if the “performance” label makes entering less daunting? There’s safety in knowing training will get you far, with reduced pressures on dress or etiquette.
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There were fewer new faces at the top of the BSPS lines. I see why longer-term show riders who wouldn’t usually have a class in London are being drawn to its all-singing, all-dancing Christmassy allure. But I wonder whether we’ll lose some new members drawn to the BSPS to contend these classes, disillusioned with the prospect of “not a look in” against seasoned players or even professionals?
Hopefully, the festive magic at London will keep them coming – and I hope the BSHA maintain their strictly amateur and home-produced criteria. I know some professionals will argue there is no need for more amateur finals, but more on that another day.
I applaud the displaying of performance marks in real time for this championship. In the end here, my top two shows finished champion and reserve, and other excellent performances were rewarded with a top-10 spot. Ponies who made mistakes weren’t placed, which is positive news for showing.
Perhaps such a system at broader qualifying and final fixtures would force some judges to consider more carefully their decisions when allocating or changing marks, not to mention make it more interesting for spectators.
Anyway, any system that augments transparency is welcomed by me so I was pleased that the BSPS’s digital marking system was a triumph in ranking performance pony contenders. It also ran glitch-free with the marks from the Heritage championship’s four judges, and seems set to take over from paper here in 2026.
Finally, there were two professionals assigned to helping rising stars finalists with last-minute questions and jitters. Brilliant! If we all make it a 2026 resolution to help at least one person get into the ring, think how much better our numbers and stronger our memberships could be by 2027.
● How can we aid transparency in showing marks? Let us know at hhletters@futurenet.com, including your name, nearest town and county, for the chance for your thoughts to appear in a forthcoming issue of the magazine
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Bethan joined Horse & Hound as showing editor in January 2025, after spending two years as Editor for Showing World. Having adored ponies since childhood, she started showing as a teenager and has enjoyed wins at major shows up and down the country, including Royal Highland, New Forest, and the Royal Welsh, as well as HOYS, RIHS and London. She is particularly passionate about Welsh breeds and is also a Welsh language commentator.
