Organisers of The London International Horse Show announced an exciting new Showing Series to run in 2023 with finals taking place at the renowned annual Christmas horse show in London in December.
The organisers have worked with the British Show Pony Society (BSPS), the British Show Horse Association (BSHA) and ASAO, to create a joint series that consists of 23 different classes which will be held at ASAO member shows including BSHA Rising Star classes for Hunters, Hacks, Cobs, Riding Horses and Show Horses and BSPS classes for Performance Ponies including Coloured Ponies, Mountain and Moorland Lead Rein, Working Sports Ponies, and Cradle and Nursery Stakes Working Hunter Pony classes which give the youngest riders the chance to qualify for the first time for a major indoor final.
THE SERIES
23 different classes will be held at ASAO member shows including BSHA Rising Star classes for Hunters, Hacks, Cobs, Riding Horses and Show Horses and BSPS classes for Performance Ponies including Coloured Ponies, Mountain and Moorland Lead Rein, Working Sports Ponies, and Cradle and Nursery Stakes Working Hunter Pony classes
The emphasis on this new series is to be inclusive with a focus on the amateur competitor, encouraging them to compete at their local agricultural and county show. Entrants for the classes will not have to be an association/society member to compete in the qualifying classes but would have to join the relevant association/society if they reach the final. It is expected that this open invitation will encourage many more competitors to ‘have a go’ at their local show.
The BSHA classes are Rising Stars classes and are performance led with all participants completing a timed freestyle show on the day. The classes are open to amateur BSHA members and non-members.
The BSPS classes are not restricted to amateurs however the majority of the classes are performance classes. For example, the Lead Rein Class will have obstacles and small jumps.
As well as making the classes more inclusive, the ambition is to make the classes more interesting and informative for the public. Commentators will be encouraged to explain the classes to the watching public, describing what is required of the competitor and what the public should be looking out for. The intention being to engender a higher level of interest in Showing.
The full list of classes planned for the series is shown below.
| Showing Classes LIHS 2023 – BSHA & BSPS planned classes | |
| Day One | |
| Rising Star Small & Lightweight Hunter | BSHA |
| Rising Star Middleweight & Heavyweight Hunter | |
| Rising Star Hunter Championship | |
| Rising Star Lightweight Cob | |
| Rising Star Heavyweight Cob | |
| Rising Star Maxi Cob | |
| Rising Star Cob Championship | |
| Day Two | |
| Rising Star Small Riding Horse | BSHA |
| Rising Star Large Riding Horse | |
| Rising Star Riding Horse Championship | |
| Rising Star Small Hack | |
| Rising Star Large Hack | |
| Rising Star Hack Championship | |
| Day Three | |
| Rising Star Racehorse to Show Horse | BSHA |
| Rising Star Ladies Show Horse | |
| Rising Star Small & Lightweight Working Hunter | |
| Rising Star Middleweight & Heavyweight Working Hunter | |
| Rising Star Working Hunter Championship | |
| Day Four | |
| BSPS Junior Performance Pony | BSPS |
| BSPS Performance Pony not exc 148cm | |
| BSPS Performance Pony not exc 158cm | |
| BSPS Performance Pony Championship | |
| Day Five | |
| BSPS Performance Coloured Native/Cob/Traditional Horse/Pony Class | BSPS |
| BSPS Performance Coloured Non Native Horse/Pony Class | |
| BSPS Performance Coloured Championship | |
| BSPS Heritage Lead Rein Working Sports Pony | |
| Open Cradle Stakes Class | |
| Open Nursery Stakes Class | |
| Worker Stakes Championship |
Simon Brooks-Ward, Event Director for London International Horse Show said; “It has been a long-held ambition to add more Showing to London International Horse Show and we are very excited to be launching this Showing Series. The space that the ExCeL London venue offers means that we are able to put a new arena alongside our existing arena which allows us to accommodate this series. We are delighted to be working with the ASAO, BSHA and BSPS, as many will know, the BSPS already successfully hold the Ridden Mountain and Moorland Championships at the London Show.”
Agricultural and County Show organisers have until early January 2023 to apply to run classes.
Stay tuned for more information!
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Suzanne Ashton, Founder of Everything Horse (Est, 2012), has a BA Hons in Marketing Management and a Diploma in Equine Science. Suzanne has ridden and owned horses all her life and has twelve years of experience in marketing, writing, design, SEO, and website creation.