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 smallest horse in the field appeared to have the biggest jump, as the second of the two clear rounds, Samantha Darlington’s chestnut mare Jara, gave daughter Georgia a foot perfect ride to claim the prestigious title.
The 11-year-old Warmblood previously partnered Georgia to victory here at HOYS in 2022 in the Intermediate Working Hunter Pony. Georgia wanted the opportunity to jump a course in the main Andrews Bowen International Arena, and so was delighted simply to qualify.
“I was over the moon to jump a clear round,” said Georgia. “That was good enough for me and [the win] is just the cherry on top.
“It was a great course – what you’d expect at HOYS, big and tough… My mare’s an out and out jumper so I knew I stood a good chance of jumping a nice round.
“I now showjump her up to 1.30m and this is only her third worker show this year. She was jumping out of her skin today and made it feel easy.”
Samantha, Georgia’s mum, said: “To be one of only two clears is absolutely unbelievable.
“[Jara’s] so small she looks like a little 12.2 pony going round with the others! They were perfect – the horse jumped well, Georgia rode it spot on and it was brilliant.”
Vicky Tennant’s Irish Sport Horse, Bold Adventure, lived up to her name to take the Reserve spot after jumping clear earlier in the day with Allan Birch.
Over in the TopSpec Arena, future stars had been taking on a smaller rural obstacle course with their ponies in the Enablelink Ltd Lead Rein Pony of Hunter Type of the Year Championship. This class aims to find a pony suitable to take its rider on country and town activities on the leading rein.
Mandy Burchell-Small’s homebred Welsh Section B, Rowfantina Man of the Match, was exactly that after a foot-perfect performance secured him the Championship, having been placed twice before with the title eluding him until now.
The seven-year-old gelding, known as Matty at home, was ridden by Amanda’s granddaughter Isabel Burchell, also aged seven, and led in the ring by dad, Mandy’s son, Oliver.
“[Matty] is amazingly brave and will follow Oliver wherever he goes,” said Mandy. “He’ll walk through fire for him. He’s also a big favourite for Isabel, she absolutely adores him.
“We hope that she might ride him one day as an open pony as well, as we’d love to keep him, because we’ve bred him and cherish him.”
Isabel joins her brother James in winning at HOYS on one of their grandmother’s homebred ponies. James won the Junior M&M Ridden Small Breeds back in 2023 on Mandy’s Section A, Rowfantina Orlando Bloom.
Reflecting on the win today, Mandy said: “It means everything – if you breed the pony, you bred the child who led it and your granddaughter rides it – how much better can it get? It can’t get better than that.”
ENDS
For more information on Horse of the Year Show 2025, please contact Horse of the Year Show Press Office, Grandstand Media Ltd. Tel: 02476 858205. Email: press@hoys.co.uk
Image: CREDIT 1st Class Images – Alan Marnie & Family (Meta Lounge Limited and SHB (GB)) Working Hunter of the Year Championship winner Georgia Darlington and Jara
