Horse of the Year Show Announces Rulebook Developments 2026

Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) extends its sincere thanks to competitors, judges, societies and supporters for their engagement throughout the 2025 season.

Following a period of trials, consultation, and detailed review, HOYS would like to confirm a series of carefully considered updates to the Rulebook for the 2026 season.  All changes of note have been introduced in collaboration with the relevant societies.

Horse of the Year Show 2026 will take place from 7^th to 11^th October.

Plaited First Ridden Height Adjustment Fully Adopted

After a successful trial throughout the 2025 season, the upper height limit for the Plaited First Ridden Pony of the Year will continue to be set at ‘ponies not exceeding 123cm.’

148cm Children’s Riding Pony – Rider Age Reverting to Traditional Criteria

Following the request from British Show Pony Society to amend the rider age for the 148cm Children’s Riding Pony to ‘not to have attained their 18^th birthday’, this was trialled throughout the 2025 year in qualifiers and at Horse of the Year Show. 

Following feedback received throughout the season and careful review, the proposed rider age limit in the 148cm Children’s Riding Pony class will not be adopted into the HOYS rules.

For 2026, the rule will revert to the traditional wording:

‘Riders not to have attained their 17th birthday before the 1st of January in the current year.’

Welsh Section D Measurement Requirement

From 2026, Welsh Section D ponies will no longer require a Joint Measurement Board (JMB) height measurement to compete in the Mountain & Moorland Exceeding 143cm Working Hunter Pony class.

This is in line with the changes established in 2025 for the Welsh Section D in the M&M Ridden Pony of the Year classes.  This breed is not bound by an upper height limit, as depicted by the breed standards.  It is hoped that this rule alteration will help ease some of the financial pressures experienced by competitors.

Intermediate Classes welcome more Membership Options

Horse of the Year Show remains committed to the original ethos of the Intermediate classes, providing a stepping stone from pony class into the adult horse ranks.  To encourage broader participation and to support rider development, the Intermediate Show Hunter classes will now also welcome eligible competitors, owners and animals holding memberships with either Sport Horse Breeding of Great Britain or the British Show Horse Association. 

In addition, from the 2026 season, the Intermediate Show Horse will also permit competitors, owners and animals holding membership from Sport Horse Breeding of Great Britain.

This is in addition to the membership societies already in place for this class including NPS, BSPS, TSR and UK Ponies & Horses.

It is hoped that aligning the membership requirements for both Intermediate classes will provide more opportunities for competitors to progress smoothly into horse classes.

Riding Hat Rule Clarified for Safety

The safety and welfare of all participants in HOYS qualifiers and at the final is of the upmost importance to Horse of the Year Show.  While competitors over the age of 18 retain personal choice regarding headwear, it is important to emphasise, ahead of the 2026 season, that headgear should meet current safety guidelines and be correctly fitted to ensure maximum protection. 

To ensure clarity and consistency in the Horse of the Year Show wording, the riding hat ruling has been updated:

‘A rider whose had falls off will be disqualified.’

This replaces the previous wording (‘comes off’), and it is hoped that this will remove ambiguity for stewards, judges, and competitors.

Ladies Side Saddle – Ride Judge Panel Expanded

The Ladies’ Side Saddle is a Championship that is steeped in lavish tradition and history.  From 2026, we are pleased to allow the appointment of the ride judge from the Sport Horse Breeding of Great Britain ‘Ladies Ride’ panel.

The aim is to allow a broader pool of experienced judges to select from, to support organisers of HOYS qualifiers and the future of the class.

Working Hunter Pony (WHP) Classes

In recent years, the numbers in the Plaited Working Hunter Pony Sections have continued to slowly weaken, to the point where some organisers are not generating enough entries to cover the costs of holding these classes.  Therefore, it is necessary for us to address this for the future of the Championship at HOYS.    

From 2026, these classes will adopt fixed course heights at qualifiers and the final, replacing the previous height ranges.  This change aims to provide more consistent course heights across the qualifiers, which we hope will provide competitors a smoother transition to the final for all height sections. In addition, riders will be permitted to compete more than one animal in WHP qualifying classes.

To ensure clarity and to safeguard competitor welfare at the final, in any Working Hunter or Working Hunter Pony class, any animal finishing with a negative jumping points score will not be eligible for qualification for Horse of the Year Show.

We will slightly reduce the height of the fences for the Not Exceeding 133cm Working Hunter Pony at qualifiers and the final.  This change is made with the intention of providing some of the youngest competitors more encouragement as they start out in these classes.   

Horse of the Year Show remains committed to the Plaited Working Hunter Pony sections jumping a standard appropriate for the Championship level at Horse of the Year Show, and therefore all rider ages and other height sections will remain as per 2025.   

Jumping Course Guidelines 2026:

The course will consist of a minimum of twelve numbered fences, a minimum of two of which must be spreads. A change of direction must also be included.  

Qualifier Height	Max Fence Height	Spread
Not exc. 133cm	85cm	90cm
143cm	100cm	105cm
153cm	105cm	110cm
Intermediate	115cm	120cm

The height and width of fences for the Working Hunter Pony classes may be increased by approximately 5cm – 10cm from the qualifying height at the final.

Final Height	Max Fence Height	Spread
Not exc. 133cm	95cm	105cm
143cm	110cm	120cm
153cm	115cm	125cm
Intermediate	125cm	135cm

These rule changes reflect our ongoing commitment to prioritising animal welfare and ensuring the best possible experience for every competitor.

The full HOYS rulebook will be released in January 2026.

ENDS 

For more information on Horse of the Year Show 2026, please contact Horse of the Year Show Press Office, Grandstand Media Ltd. Tel: 02476 858205. Email: press@hoys.co.uk 

Image: 1st Class Images