Brand New Showing Series Announced

New Showing Series announce for 2023

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. 

See also  Lanaken Championship showcases young horse breeding and talent

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 HunterBSHA
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 HorseBSHA
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 PonyBSPS
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 ClassBSPS
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.”  

See also  British Eventing Support Trust Awarded £15k

Agricultural and County Show organisers have until early January 2023 to apply to run classes.  

Stay tuned for more information!

You may also like


Discover more from Everything Horse Magazine

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.