The stakes were high in the Colne & Brynseion Mountain & Moorland Mini Pony of the Year Championship on the fourth morning of Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) as one little pony and rider duo showed they have big futures ahead of them. Martin Wood’s six-year-old Welsh A Thistledown Wood Owl floated around the TopSpec to steal judge Glenis Cockbain’s eye not once but twice for a win in the Colne Mountain & Moorland Lead Rein Pony of the Year Welsh followed by the overall Championship spoils. The big-moving mare is by Thistledown Esteem out of Thistledown Snowy Owl and ridden by Martin’s granddaughter Gracie-May Whitaker; the daughter of

Day four at Horse of the Year Show began with a flurry of action as Britain’s young pony-riding stars took centre-stage in the Andrews Bowen International Arena. The 138cm Championship saw Lincolnshire’s Anya Dewey-Clarke conclude a thrilling jump-off by going almost two seconds quicker than anyone else on Fredaine De Blonde. And it meant that 11-year-old Anya joined an exclusive HOYS club of riders to win the 138cm and 128cm Championship, having triumphed in the 128cm competition last year. Charlie Barker, riding Another Barney, finished second in a time of 27.16, and the podium places were completed by Annabel Widdowson aboard Unsphinx D Hurl Vent. “It is just an amazing

Cousins Joe and Jack Whitaker delivered a thrilling finale to day three at Horse of the Year Show as the Dallamires Stables Cup took centre-stage. They were separated by just 15 hundredths of a second following a gripping jump-off, with Joe taking the top prize on Vagalenco GF and Jack pushing him to the limit aboard D&H Valmy De Le Lande. Max Routledge and Me The Rebel R.T completed the podium places after seven combinations from 26 starters lined up for a race against the clock. It completed a familiarly successful day at HOYS for the Whitaker family, with William having won the opening Grandstand Welcome Stakes. Assessing his win,

The TopSpec Arena was a hive of activity this afternoon as the classes for the Coloured Horse and Pony of the Year Championship sponsored by CHAPS (UK) took place under the skilled eye of judges Stephanie Barrington and Julie Templeton. The stakes were high this evening as first and second from all five classes took part in the final showdown to crown the next Champion. It was Tobiano mare Lostock Up Till Dark (Suzie) who took the honours, owned and bred by Caroline Hamilton and ridden by Harrison Taylor. They topped the line up in the Coloured Ridden Non-Native Pony of the Year sponsored by CHAPS (UK)/Appleton Grange Stud earlier

Laura Wheelwright’s 16-year-old pony Star Smokey (Colin) was crowned National Pony Society/Mole Valley Farmers Working Hunter Pony of the Year Championship on home turf on day three of HOYS. The scopey Connemara is on lease to Florence Duncalf from Cheshire, but originally comes from here in Birmingham. In their first season together in 2023, Florence and Colin finished second here at HOYS and then had two down last year, so this year has certainly proven to be their year with their first centre line moment in the 143cm section topped by going Champion. “To come here and jump clear is just amazing, let alone win it!” said Florence, who is