H&H Live: Blue Chip BSPS Heritage M&M championships at Olympia
The Blue Chip British Show Pony Society (BSPS) Heritage mountain and moorland championship at the London International Horse Show, Olympia is the pinnacle of the season for native breeds.
Can’t be there in person on Monday 19 December 2016? You don’t have to miss out — Horse & Hound will be providing live written commentary of the whole championship, so you can follow what is going on in the ring and find out who is crowned champion here first.
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Nine breeds will be represented in the BSPS Heritage mountain and moorland championship in total, including four Fell ponies, a single Exmoor, Shetland and New Forest pony plus Connemaras, Highlands, Dartmoors, Dales and the Welsh sections.
There are 41 ponies qualified for this prestigious Olympia final altogether and, on top of bidding for the championship title, there are best of breeds awards up for grabs too for all nine breeds represented.
Initial judging of the class is split into large and small breeds on Monday morning, beginning at 9.30am. The performance judges are Sharon Thomas and Kevin Walker, while Stephen Howard and D Price Jones will assess conformation.
Performance marks are announced after each pony’s individual show, but conformation marks are not revealed until the final.
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Once all ponies have come in front of the judges on Monday morning there is a break until they return mid afternoon for the final result to be announced.
Last year’s winner, H&H columnist Rebecca Penny’s Fell stallion Townend Schubert, is absent from the start list, leaving the field wide open. Who will be crowned the 2016 champion? Join us for our live written coverage on Monday 19 December at 9.30am. Don’t forget to sign up for an email reminder above.
Don’t miss H&H’s full Olympia report on sale Thursday 22 December and come back to HorseandHound.co.uk on Monday 19 December to find out the champion’s first reaction to their great victory.
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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.