Day three of Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) opened in the TopSpec Arena with the National Pony Society/Mole Valley Farmers Working Hunter Pony of the Year classes judged by William Fox-Pitt MBE and Chris Lawrie from Australia. Watching the ponies and riders tackle David Cole’s course, William said: “I’m very impressed with how well the horses are going… It’s a good hunting course with lots of questions.” All of those questions and more were answered by the judges’ overall Champion and winner of the Intermediate Section, Plato VD Donkhoeve, a nine-year-old Belgian Warmblood owned and ridden by Philippa King. This was their first HOYS win and a particularly special moment for Philippa’s

Irish rider Commandant Geoff Curran produced a dominant display to win The Dick Turpin Stakes as international competition began at the Horse of the Year Show in Birmingham. Puissance champion at HOYS in 2022 and 2023, and bidding for a hat-trick this year, he added another title to his collection by landing the one-round speed class aboard DHF Alliance. Their time of 56.86 seconds proved more than two-and-a-half seconds quicker than runner-up Paul Barker with Strides Maureen, while William Whitaker and Active Spirit finished third. “She won it very well,” Geoff said. “She is a very fast mare naturally, and if I do my job and keep it smooth, she

Michaela Scott produced the performance of her career to win the Redpost Equestrian Senior Foxhunter Championship at the Horse of the Year Show. The Northamptonshire rider guided Eddie G Z to a commanding victory, dominating a jump-off that saw them triumph by almost two seconds from Gaspar Maksud and Ballypatrick Tiberius, with Holly Smith and Une Copine Van Overis finishing third. The iconic Foxhunter class once again delivered the goods, attracting the finest of British talent that provided a thrilling conclusion to day two at Birmingham NEC. “I can’t believe it,” Michaela said. “It has been a dream to qualify for the Foxhunter final, something I have dreamt about my

Thursday’s evening performance at Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) saw two very prestigious showing Championships get underway in the Andrews Bowen International Arena.  The first and second placed Hacks from earlier on in the day came forward for The Andrews Family Hack of the Year Championship.  Displaying elegance and style in abundance, the Champion was announced as the winner of the Small Hack, and last year’s Reserve, Shirley Dennison’s seven-year-old bay gelding Manhattan ridden by Harriet Dennison.  Nigel, as he is known at home, is by the prolific sire Kilvington Scoundrel, who has sired so many of the Hack Champions here at HOYS. Nigel and Harriet produced another foot-perfect

Laura Tomlinson and Forest Hill lit up Thursday night at the Horse of the Year Show with an outstanding display to win the Dressage Future Elite Championship. Laura, an Olympic team gold medallist and individual bronze medallist at London 2012, showcased all her experience and quality to coax a winning score of 75.833% aboard her home-bred ride. “I enjoyed myself,” she said. “It was his first ever Freestyle to Music and it was quite a big atmosphere, so I was delighted with how well he coped and how onside he was. I am really excited about him. “It is not often with horses of that age that you get a

Visitors to day two of Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) were treated to a spectacle of heavy horses. Alongside the wonderful Musical Drive of the Heavy Horses for the 75th Anniversary, these magnificent breeds were also battling it out for some of the most sought-after titles in the showing world. First up was The Barber Family British Ridden Heavy Horse of the Year Championship where the two oldest horses took the spoils. Harry and Hannah Bardsley’s 15-year-old Shire mare Moorfield Nancy was crowned Champion, giving the whole team, including rider Alice Pimbley, their first HOYS win. Harry said: “I’ve known her [Nancy] since she was two hours old. This