A morning of strong competition culminated in the Jacksons of Yorkshire Mountain & Moorland Working Hunter Pony of the Year Championship on the second afternoon of Horse of the Year Show (HOYS).  It was an emotional Championship win for Amy Canavan-Smith riding her own Clonfert Melody’s Boy (Dave) having won the 143cm section earlier in the day. The seven-year-old stallion by I Love you Melody has been with Amy since a foal, making the win particularly poignant.  “John [my husband] bought him for me as a Valentine’s present six years ago… and I knew he always had this win in him. I’m so proud of how far he’s come,” said

Hollie Gerken continued to make history at Horse of the Year Show as she delivered a successful title defence in the Blue Chip Pony Newcomers Championship. Twelve months after completing an unprecedented HOYS hat-trick by winning the Newcomers, Leading Pony Showjumper and Foxhunter classes, Hollie once again produced the goods. She became only the third rider in 40 years to land back-to-back Newcomers crowns, emulating Matthew Sampson in 2005 and 2006 and Alex Gill, who did a 2013-14 double. Essex-based Hollie, though, was pushed all the way by Lola Thulborn and Fabreeker V, who finished just seven hundredths of a second behind her time of 26.20 aboard No Limit X.

William Rekert completed a thrilling opening day’s action at Horse of the Year Show with victory in the Events Through a Lens Talent Seekers, incorporating the seven-year-old Championship. Just a few hours after Pippa Goddard, who is based in the same Kent yard as William, won the Senior Newcomers Championship, there was further success for the Canterbury-based team. Six combinations made it through to the jump-off, and only 68 hundredths of a second covered the top three, with William guiding Fifty Shades of Grey home in a time of 32.20 seconds. Hot on his heels was British Olympian Holly Smith, who finished second aboard Nike van het Singraven and also took the

When the Andrews Bowen International Arena is transformed into an exhilarating ride across country it can only mean it is time for the Alan Marnie & Family (Meta Lounge Limited and SHB (GB)) Working Hunter of the Year Championship – a class with a wealth of HOYS history dating back over 70 years to 1951. A suitably testing course with plenty of questions sought out the boldest of the 33 starters. With just two clears, a total of 14 combinations were invited back by judges Susan Oakes and Sarah Smith for the ride and conformation phase, before the final 10 were chosen for the evening performance to decide final placings. 

The first national class of this year’s show produced a thrilling jump-off featuring 10 combinations, with less than a second separating the top three finishers. It was Canterbury-based Pippa and PDV Constanza that came out on top, with their time of 30.58 seconds proving enough to hold off runner-up Joseph Trunkfield, riding Usha Z, with James Ingham and Altesse 2 VN Z in third. Three riders – Aimee Paxton (Chilli’s Duke), Thomas Pritchard (Princess SW) and Charlotte Walker (Victoria’s Painted Secret CW) – went marginally quicker than the winner, but four faults for each of them proved costly. The Newcomers class was first contested at HOYS exactly 40 years ago,

Equestrian influencer Harlow White – known and loved by fans across the equestrian world – has won her first HOYS title on just her second visit to the Show. Harlow and her mum, Chelsea White’s, nine-year-old gelding King Bunowen Castle Ali was crowned National Pony Society/ Supreme Products Mountain & Moorland Ridden Connemara Pony of the Year among a very large class of 24 quality ponies. Panda, as he is known at home, has been with Harlow for just a year but they have already made their mark on the showing circuit with a collection of major wins. This was the gelding’s first time competing on the flat at HOYS,