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

Hollie Gerken completed a remarkable and historic double on day two of the Horse of the Year Show at Birmingham NEC. She became the first rider to win Leading Pony Showjumper and Pony Newcomers classes in the same year, completing a spectacular title double in the space of just four hours. The Demolition Services Ltd Leading Pony Showjumper of the Year competition first took centre-stage at HOYS in its inaugural year of 1949, and Hollie became just the fourth rider since then to win it two years in succession. Only five combinations made the jump-off, but Hollie held her nerve on Galaxy V to clock 33.09 seconds and edge Darcy

Scottish rider Jordan Thompson reflected on “a big day” for him after he completed a stylish victory in the Events Through a Lens Talent Seekers, incorporating the seven-year-old championship.. It concluded a busy opening day of the 75th anniversary Horse of the Year Show at the NEC Birmingham as Jordan triumphed in both elements – overall winner and best seven-year-old horse. His long journey from Renfrewshire became a double success story after just six combinations from 29 starters made the jump-off. The Talent Seekers is a highly-anticipated competition with more than an eye on the future, and there can be no doubt that Jordan’s partnership with stallion Double De Muze

The Sport Horse Breeding of GB Working Hunter of the Year Championship has been an integral part of Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) since 1951 and competition this year was as fierce as ever. 34 combinations started out over David Cole’s course of rustic fences, with marks available for both jumping and style. The testing track soon narrowed the field down to 12, who were all invited back to the Andrews Bowen International Arena for the ride and conformation judging. Ride judge Jessica Stalling, one of Australia’s most accomplished show riders, worked her way through “a very strong field” while conformation was judged by HOYS-winning producer Simon Reynolds. After