What a day Will Morton had on the Thursday of Horse of the Year Show (HOYS), collecting a first and second placed rosette in the Large and Small Hacks respectively, a Reserve in the Small Hunter Championship and then taking The Andrews Family Hack of the Year Championship this evening with Nicola Miller’s five-year-old Copybush So Fashion.
Broken just one year ago, today she has finished an incredible first season in this chestnut mare’s career, winning theCulford Lodge Commodities Large Hack of the Year this morning and then going Champion.
“It’s just incredible,” said Will. “I put it all down to the temperament, she has a fantastic temperament and a good brain.
“I take her round the fields a lot to keep her sweet and get her strong and fit… she likes to get out and about. I do a lot of schooling out hacking”.
Reflecting personally on the win, Will said: “I always said I love my hunters and my cobs, but I’d really like a hack and now I’m very lucky to have two really good ones. Both young horses and both very exciting.”
Winner of The Andrews Family Small Hack of the Year, Nicola Faulconbridge’s Boston Black Tie stood Reserve Champion with Helen Baker in the saddle.
DJ, as he is known at home, is by the prolific sire Kilvington Scoundrel and gave Helen a fantastic ride under the lights of the Andrews Bowen International Arena tonight.
“I couldn’t have asked any more of him and I really enjoyed being in there”, she said.
Now in its 28th year, the SEIB Search for a Star Championship series gives amateur riders, and their horses and ponies, the chance to qualify for HOYS and benefit from a thoroughly supportive network in the process.
Overall Champion was the winner of the Show Hunter, a very smart homebred gelding – Admiral Augustus, owned and ridden by Robyn Carr.
Robyn bred the five-year-old grey gelding and decided to start showing him locally last year.
“I am speechless, I didn’t think that would happen at all,” she said.
“When he turned four I thought he was a good stamp of a horse, so we started doing a bit and qualified this year at our third show. It’s been an amazing journey and a childhood dream to ride at HOYS.”
Reserve went to Kay Gillam and her roan gelding Victor I, winner of the Show Cob. Kay is a lorry driver and last competed here at HOYS 11 years ago.
“I never expected in my life to be Reserve Champion at HOYS. I was so nervous I had to ask the steward to get me a bottle of water!
“Victor is very good at reading me and he knows when I’m nervous and relaxes me. He loves a big occasion, and I know I can trust him… He’s a showman.”
The additional class winners were as follows:
Traditional Cob – Helen Parnell’s Angel of the North ridden by Abby Parnell
Hack – Summer Dance owned by Felicity Bond and ridden by Rosie Chetwynd-Talbot
Riding Horse – Carnsdale Graceful Affair owned and ridden by Sarah Clucas
Working Show Pony – Pitch Supreme ridden by Evelyn Tuck
Working Show Horse – Helen Forster riding her own mare HS Queen Bea
Martin Fountain’s two-year-old Shire filly, Woodhouse Phenomenol, was crowned Shire Horse of the Year Champion supported by the Shire Horse Society. It was a very special win for the Fountain family, as the win marked the third generation to claim the HOYS title; her dam Woodhouse Phenomenon winning in 2021 and her grand dam Woodhouse Miss Dynamite in 2017.
Handled in the ring by Will Fountain, the two-year-old was an orphan foal so a foster mare had to be found and since then she’s won almost every time out.
Emily Worthington’s Stubbins Rebel Without a Cause stood Reserve, a five-year-old bay mare by West Winds Zebedee.
The first two days of HOYS are a Mountain & Moorland spectacular and the prestigious National Pony Society/ Supreme Products Mountain & Moorland Ridden Pony of the Year Championship is a culmination of 11 class sections, showcasing all 12 of our wonderful native British breeds.
With 22 ponies in contention, you could hear a pin drop in the Andrews Bowen International Arena as judges Julie Templeton and Helen Starkie made their final deliberations.
In the end no one could beat the Connemara stallion Copperbeech Encore, owned by Debbie Todd and ridden by Vikki Smith. Now in his second season with Vikki, the pony went one better from their second placing last year to take the spoils.
Only lightly shown this year due to covering mares until springtime, he showed star quality through and through to impress the judges.
A tearful Vikki said: “I’ve won six times on the flat [M&Ms] on six different breeds but never taken Champion, it means so much to me.
“I felt like today, even though he was a little bit novicey in there, he let me hold his hand and trusted me.”
Another very lightly shown pony stood Reserve. Gillian Simpson’s homebred Welsh Section B mare, Wortley Sinderella, was only broken in March this year by Lucy Glover.
Lucy has carefully produced her this year and the team decided to try a HOYS qualifier after three or four novice shows.
“She’s been a dream to do,” said Lucy. “She takes everything in her stride and has the most amazing personality, especially for a chestnut mare!”
Lucy also has her full brother, Wortley Warrior, who was second last year at HOYS.
The full class winners were as follows:
Exmoor/Shetland: Wikners Gryffindor ridden by Sarah Parker and owned by Anthony Bell
Dales: Griseburn Major owned and ridden by Joe Watson
Fell: Greenrivers Luke owned and ridden by April Gilmartin
New Forest: Ravenstone Fudge II owned by Beverley Bayes and ridden by Steph Turner
Dartmoor: Salcombe Frowder Cove ridden by Maisie Kerry-Oates and owned by Felicity Thompson
Highland: Ashleyvale Glen Duror ridden by Ellena Thomas and owned by Karyn Thomas
Connemara: Copperbeech Encore owned by Debbie Todd and ridden by Vikki Smith
Welsh C: Danwood Llewellyn owned by Linda Atkinson and ridden by Hannah Atkinson
Welsh D: Thorneyside Royal Command owned by Lynn Scott and ridden by Kaitlin Fairhurst
Welsh A: Noaberhoeve Clinton owned by Jade Gardner and ridden by Aliya Kahn
Welsh B: Gillian Simpson’s homebred Wortley Sinderella ridden by Lucy Glover
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