An Irish Sport Horse contesting his third final of the week made his quality as a top-class show horse known when he brought home the 2025 Smith Family intermediate show hunter of the year title at Horse of the Year Show (HOYS).
Nine-year-old Tidy Town, ridden by Alice Homer and owned by Alice’s mother, Loraine Homer, is something of a triple threat on the showing circuit, being one of a small number of horses successfully contesting working hunters, intermediates and small hunter classes.
Here, “Guinness” came through to the intermediates having contested the small show hunter and intermediate working hunter finals earlier on in the week and standing third in both of them.
“It’s absolutely unbelievable,” said Alice, 23. “There really can’t be a horse that deserves this more than he does.”
Bought as a foal by Alice’s grandfather, David Tatlow, Guinness didn’t grow tall enough to contest the weight classes. But when the decision was made to sell him on, Alice stepped in to claim him as her own.
This proved to be a fortuitous decision for Alice, who has enjoyed success at Royal Windsor Horse Show and across the county circuit with the gelding, and the duo came to HOYS this year on a tremendous run of form.
After a successful trip to the Royal International Horse Show (RIHS), where they defended their small hunter title and were also crowned supreme intermediate, the following week they picked up their ticket to the HOYS intermediate final at New Forest and Hampshire County.
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The pair also brought home a clutch of accolades from the BSPS Summer Championships, including the champion intermediate rider and supreme working hunter of the show.
“He’s just unbelievably versatile,” said Alice. “He’s so special to us and he does everything. We’ll keep him forever. We’ll just keep having fun with him and go hunting with him, but he’ll live out his days with us.”
Alice was also in the ribbons earlier on in the week astride her mother’s Uthopia-sired five-year-old Comberton Unique, who is out of Comberton Copelia. The pair finished third in the Culford Lodge Commodities large hack final as well as being finalists in the Honourable Stud intermediate show horse of the year.
Dual campaigner finishes second in the intermediate show hunter of the year final
The runner-up spot went to Rosemore Midnight Rendezvous, an 11-year-old owned by Jane O’Keeffe and ridden by Sophie O’Keeffe. The consistent campaigner netted the intermediate championship at Royal Windsor Horse Show earlier this season as well as placing fifth at RIHS.
The gelding is also campaigned by Justine Armstrong-Small in small riding horse ranks, and most notably won the final at HOYS in 2023.
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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.
