New Carmarthenshire-based show features full set of Mountain and Moorland HOYS Qualifiers

The Native Breeds Ridden Festival, based in Wales, will welcome 15 new Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) qualifiers in 2020. Organised by the West Wales Horse & Pony Enthusiasts (WWHPE), the event will run at United Counties Showground in Carmarthen on Sunday 31^st May.

As a recently formed group, the WWHPE’s aim is to appeal to a diverse audience including all breeds and disciplines, ranging from racing to dressage, showing to driving as well as show jumping. The group welcomes new members and hopes they will enjoy the calendar of equine talks and events. The ambition behind creating the new show is to provide a focused event for the large numbers of riders and ponies in the area to compete at. United Counties Showground offers a great site, that is well located due to the road network, and easy accessibility for exhibitors not only from Wales, but the rest of the UK and Ireland.

Horse of the Year Show Event Director, Emma Williams explains: “The Mountain and Moorland breeds have once again experienced a rise in the numbers contesting qualifiers across the board, resulting in a demand for additional qualifiers. Based on feedback, Wales has been identified as an area requiring more HOYS qualifying opportunities. Carmarthenshire encompasses an area not currently covered by other shows offering HOYS Mountain and Moorland classes, with the closest being the Royal Welsh Show 62.5 miles away. This made the Native Breeds Ridden Festival a natural choice for the new 2020 set of HOYS qualifiers.”

Mervyn Davies, Chairman of The Native Breeds Ridden Festival commented “It is an exciting opportunity for us to launch this unique Festival with the HOYS qualifiers.  We look forward to welcoming exhibitors and their supporters from afar to West Wales”.

Richard Miller, Heniarth Stud, President of West Wales Horse & Pony Enthusiasts, added “In granting us this fantastic opportunity of qualifying tickets, we, as breeders and exhibitors in West Wales can only thank Grandstand Media for the recognition of the dedicated, consistent and successful enthusiasts from this area who have shown the Horse of the Year Show such a high level of commitment over the years. I’m sure this opportunity to gain qualification on Carmarthenshire soil will be valued and enjoyed by many competitors from the principality and beyond.”

The new HOYS qualifying classes will be:

• Mountain & Moorland Ridden Fell/Dales/New Forest & Highland Pony of the Year
• Mountain & Moorland Ridden Connemara Pony of the Year
• Mountain & Moorland Ridden Welsh C Pony of the Year
• Mountain & Moorland Ridden Welsh D Pony of the Year
• Mountain & Moorland Ridden Dartmoor/ Exmoor/ Shetland Pony of the Year
• Mountain & Moorland Ridden Welsh A Pony of the Year
• Mountain & Moorland Ridden Welsh B Pony of the Year
• Mountain & Moorland First Ridden Pony of the Year
• Mountain & Moorland Lead Rein Pony of the Year
• Mountain & Moorland exc. 143cm Working Hunter Pony of the Year
• Mountain & Moorland 143cm Working Hunter Pony of the Year
• Mountain & Moorland 133cm Working Hunter Pony of the Year
• Mountain & Moorland 122cm Working Hunter Pony of the Year
• Junior M & M Ridden Small Breed Pony of the Year
• Junior M & M Ridden Large Breed Pony of the Year

ENDS 

For more information on Horse of the Year Show 2020, please contact Horse of the Year Show Press Office, Grandstand Media Ltd. Tel: 02476 858 205. Email: press@hoys.co.uk

To learn more about the West Wales Horse & Pony Enthusiasts (WWHPE) you can contact Barbara Green at wwfestival@btinternet.com.