An incredible win for Holly Smith in the Puissance at HOYS

Holly Smith capped a brilliant day’s action at the Horse of the Year Show when she won The Thistledown Puissance with gentle giant Quality Old Joker. The Great Britain Nations Cup rider, competing in just her third puissance after previous appearances at Liverpool and Arena UK, cleared 2.20 metres (seven feet, three inches) in round five to take the £5,100 top prize. Her four other challengers in the final round – joint runners-up Peter Smyth, James Smith, Joss Williams and 18-year-old Christopher Megahey – all came to grief – leaving…

Day 4 round: Horse of the Year Show

Day 4 round: Horse of the Year Show Earlier in the day, Billy Twomey and Archolum Duke took the Naylors Equestrian Accumulator, and Robert Murphy added another title to his Horse of the Year Show collection when he won the Squibb Group Pony Foxhunter Championship. Robert was crowned leading pony showjumper of the year at HOYS in 2015, and his latest triumph proved another notable success on what is his last year of competitive pony riding. Nicole Lockhead Anderson made a nine-hour road journey from Aberdeen spectacularly worthwhile as she…

HOYS – Non Stop Action for Day Three

Charlotte Dujardin riding Florentina VI, class Dressage Future Elite Championship HOYS 2018

HOYS – Non Stop Action for Day Three  Horse of the Year Show Day Three Round-Up Day three of Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) started with a win for Bridget Edmondson’s Blairfield Silicon in the Guy Fawkes III Intermediate Show Hunter of the Year Championship with Meg Edmondson in the saddle. Next up in the Andrews Bowen International Arena were the Catplant Group of Companies Ltd. Lightweight, Middleweight and Heavyweight Show Hunters of the Year. The Championship took place later in the evening and saw 18hh Heavyweight Hunter Bloomfield…

HOYS Day Two – Winning Streak for the Ladies

HOYS 2021 Image – Joe Stockdale HOYS 2019 - Credit 1st Class Images

HOYS Day Two – Winning Streak for the Ladies If you’ve ever been to Horse of the Year show you’ll know it’s jam packed full of action from the minute you arrive. If you dare to go shopping, good luck finding your way back to the main arena where all the main action takes place as the shopping village is just immense! Day two of this year’s action seen in a dominant winning streak from the ladies! In the TopSpec Arena the British Show Pony Society M&M Working Hunter Pony championships…

Final fling for Hopetoun International

Final fling for Hopetoun International The June 2016 fixture of Hopetoun International, in West Lothian, was to be its final British Eventing fixture, as the Edinburgh based Horse Trials comes to a close. The International level Eventing had been ran at Hopetoun House & Estate since 2011, firstly as a CIC, the event then added CCI1* and 2* competitions to the schedule in 2013 and became known for its true cross country test on the banks of the River Forth. Prior to 2011, Hopetoun was organised by Peter Dale as a…

HOYS Lottie Tutt takes Blue Chip Pony Newcomers Championship

Buckinghamshire teenager Lottie Tutt added her name to an impressive roll of honour when she won the Blue Chip Pony Newcomers Championship at the Horse of the Year Show in Birmingham. The 15-year-old followed previous winners like current world eventing star Oliver Townend and show jumpers Matthew Sampson and Jessie Drea in winning a class that was first contested at HOYS in 1985. Riding six-year-old bay mare Market Angel, Lottie went quickest in a nine horse jump-off, clocking 31.15 seconds to claim top spot from runner-up Ffion Roberts, on Kantjes…

Joe Clayton wins Connolly’s RED MILLS Senior Newcomers Championship

Joe Clayton wins Connolly’s RED MILLS Senior Newcomers Championship Joe Clayton added his name to a who’s who of show jumping when he won the Connolly’s RED MILLS Senior Newcomers Championship at the Horse of the Year Show in Birmingham. Joe, who is based with British Olympian Michael Whitaker in Nottinghamshire, claimed a pulsating victory on Michael’s seven-year-old bay mare Lexi III. And in taking the newcomers class, he joined an illustrious list of previous winners that includes riders like Laura Renwick, Billy Twomey and Michael Whitaker himself, who took…

HOYS News – Shropshire rider wins Horseware Bronze League Championship

Shropshire rider wins Horseware Bronze League Championship Shropshire rider Emily Morris saved the best until last to win the Horseware Bronze League Championship on day one at the Horse of the Year Show in at the NEC in Birmingham. Katie Shaw who last year’s Silver League winner, had set a rapid jump-off pace with Cyloma Z, clocking 33.87 seconds, but last to go Emily and 11-year-old Ultimatum II went almost three seconds quicker to take spot, with Stephanie Gunn and Lady Larino finishing third. “We had to go for it,”…

Hannah Biggs to head up elite horse owners ‘Passion’ syndicate

Hannah Biggs to head up elite horse owners ‘Passion’ syndicate Hannah Biggs and Elite Horse Owners are delighted to announce the launch of the PASSION syndicate’s initiative. Together they will select, produce and campaign top class dressage horses from the 2017 season through to the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. Hannah Biggs has already achieved so much in her world class dressage career. Based at Milton on Stour, Dorset, Hannah recently notched up top placings in the Advanced Medium Gold class at the National Championships. (Stoneleigh Park, Warwickshire 15th-18th September). The…

Olympic riders feature in ‘Dressage Friday’ at Horse of the Year Show 2016

Olympic riders feature in ‘Dressage Friday’ at Horse of the Year Show 2016 Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) is set to bring another unforgettable five days of entertainment to the NEC in Birmingham this week. With show stopping displays, exhilarating show jumping and outstanding showing championships, this year’s show is setting supreme standards by adding two Olympic dressage champions to the line-up. Olympic dressage rider Carl Hester MBE will be hosting a dressage spectacular on Friday 7th October at the prestigious Horse of the Year Show. The dressage masterclass…

Victoria Bax Blog

Victoria Bax - Frankie attempting his first ever corner jump

September brought the return to competition for Crystal Ka for the first time since our mis-hap with the ditch in early June. A quick 200 mile round trip to Goring Horse Trials in Oxford for the Intermediate Novice class resulting in a neat test for a score of 30 (70%), then a ‘sack the jockey moment’ in the show jumping where I interfered far too much causing two rails. On to cross-country, we enjoyed a super easy clear ride with 0.4 time faults to follow, as I stupidly set my…

Be prepared before Seasonal Pasture Myopathy strikes, advises BEVA

Be prepared before Seasonal Pasture Myopathy strikes, advises BEVA Seasonal Pasture Myopathy, is your horse at risk? With Autumn round the corner and trees clearly displaying their seeds now is the time to identify and deal with the risks of any sycamore trees on or near your horse’s grazing advise vets at the British Equine Veterinary Association (BEVA). Sycamore seeds are toxic and can cause the fatal disease Seasonal Pasture Myopathy (SPM) (also referred to as Atypical Myopathy). Seasonal Pasture Myopathy is a highly fatal muscle disease in horses caused…

Richard Davison on-board for ‘Dressage for All’

Richard Davison on-board for ‘Dressage for All’ British Dressage is pleased to announce that dressage personality Richard Davison has joined the line-up as host and compere for this year’s British Dressage National Convention, in association with Harrison Clark Rickerbys and St John’s Chambers.  Held at Hartpury College in Gloucestershire over 19 – 20 November, this year’s inspirational event headlines ‘Dressage for All’ in recognition of the sport’s increasing participant diversity and improved accessibility to competing. Four-time Olympian Richard Davison FBHS has been involved in dressage for over four decades in…

Tarzan Learns the World is Not Such a Scary Place

Learning the Hosepipe is not to fear

Tarzan Learns the World is Not Such a Scary Place It has been over six months now since Tarzan has been receiving rehabilitation from the team at World Horse Welfare’s Penny Farm Rescue and Rehoming Centre after he was found abandoned and severely underweight, with a body condition score of one. Tarzan was found alongside a filly that sadly had to be put to sleep after becoming unwell on arrival at the centre. It is no surprise to learn that Tarzan found it difficult to initially trust the staff at…

Another Facility Awarded Funding to Improve Facilities

Another Facility Awarded Funding to Improve Facilities Hoof Club CIC at Local Equestrian Centre Rein & Shine Awarded £68,000 from Sport England The team at Hoof Club CIC (Community Interest Company), based in Braydon, Wiltshire, is thrilled to announce they have secured £68,000 of National Lottery funding from Sport England’s Inspired Facilities fund. Since 2011, Inspired Facilities has been helping breathe new life into tired community sports facilities and converting existing buildings into venues suitable for grassroots sport.  This grant has been awarded alongside partnership funding from Rein & Shine…

A third of UK horses are lame reveals horse survey

The British Equine Veterinary Association

A third of UK horses are lame reveals horse survey A third of the UK’s horses (32.9%) were recorded as lame during this year’s National Equine Health Survey (NEHS). Consistent with previous surveys lameness was shown to be more likely to be caused by conditions such as osteoarthritis in the limb rather than problems in the foot. Blue Cross carries out NEHS in May each year, in partnership with the British Equine Veterinary Association (BEVA). It is sponsored by Dodson & Horrell and Zoetis and supported by the UK’s leading equestrian organisations and…

Finalists announced for Equine Thesis of the Year competition

BETA Feed Approval Mark

Finalists announced for Equine Thesis of the Year competition With the preliminary judging now complete, the finalists of the prestigious British Equestrian Trade Association Equine Thesis of the Year award – an academic initiative designed to put undergraduate research back on the map – have now been announced.Universities and colleges throughout the UK offering equine-related courses took up the challenge to submit one student thesis as part of this highly regarded competition and the following have made it through to the finals. ● Harper Adams University – Lucy Morgan. Thesis: Equitation…

Young Driving Talents perform at top level

Anika Geiger (GER) was the runner-up in the marathon of the Young Drivers Single Horse class and won gold thanks to her dressage victory and good cones round (Photo: FEI/dr. Jürgen Schwarzl)

Young Driving Talents perform at top level  By Cindy Timmer From 22nd to 25th September, Schildau in Germany hosted the very successful fourth edition of the FEI European Championship for Children, Juniors & Young Drivers. A total number of 82 children and young drivers from 12 nations were represented. Nine nations battled it out in the Nations Cup. After four days of sport at this high quality event, six new European Champions were crowned at this season’s highlight for the young driving talents. Warm welcome The sun came out every…

International Showjumpers confirmed to compete at Horse of the Year Show

International Showjumpers confirmed to compete at Horse of the Year Show Book your tickets now to witness the greatest names of British Showjumping compete at this year’s Horse of the Year Show. HOYS is delighted to announce the International Showjumpers who will be competing at the “World’s Most Famous Horse Show”, held at Birmingham’s NEC from 5th – 9th October 2016. There are a total of 32 spaces for riders competing in the CSI3* classes here at HOYS. Of the 16 places available to GB competitors, the following 15 British…

Land Rover Regional Championships Conclude for 2016

Winners. Image credit Top Shots Photography

Land Rover Regional Championships Conclude for 2016 The inaugural Land Rover Pony Club Regional Championships have reached their conclusion for 2016, seeing over 2,000 grassroot horse and rider combinations taking part; some of whom were experiencing a competitive environment for the very first time. Dressage riders and Show Jumpers took part in qualifying rounds in each of the 19 Pony Club Areas, where the top ten headed to one of five championship events where teams and individuals were crowned winners in their regions. Pony Club Member Keira Shafiq* pulled out…

Hoof Capital funded Centre celebrates opening of new facilities

Hoof Capital funded Centre celebrates opening of new facilities Hoof Capital funding allows centre to move forward. S&G Equine Limited will unveil their new equestrian facilities at an open day on Friday 30 September. Thanks to the British Equestrian Federation (BEF) Hoof Capital funding award of £17,500 along with investment from landlord Adrian Marsh, the centre now features a newly resurfaced main arena with top quality Martin Collins surface and a new warm-up and beginners arena, utilising the old surface off the main arena. Over the last three years the…

BEVA Announces New Junior Vice President

BEVA

BEVA Announces New Junior Vice President BEVA, the British Equine Veterinary Association, has elected Renate Weller, Professor of Comparative Imaging and Biomechanics at the Royal Veterinary College, London, as Junior Vice President of the Association. Three new Council members have also been elected. The new appointments were announced at the BEVA’s Annual General Meeting, held at BEVA Congress earlier this month. Professor Weller has been an active member of the equine veterinary profession for over two decades, working in primary practice, clinical research and referral practice. She has served on…

2017 Trailblazer Qualifications Now Under Way

2017 Trailblazer quals now under way Solution Saddles Combined Training Elementary Sarah Hildebrand and Barney Credit Hoof Prints Photos

2017 Trailblazer Qualifications Now Under Way Qualifiers are under way for the prestigious SEIB 2017 Trailblazers Championships. There are over 60 equestrian venues throughout the country offering Trailblazers qualifying competitions and the series provides competitors with an opportunity to compete at different levels in their chosen discipline. The 2017 Trailblazer competitions include show jumping, dressage, showing, working hunter and combined training and there are classes for both senior and junior riders. For dressage, show jumping and combined training, qualification consists of a first and then second rounds.  Competitors in first…

Local riding school provides opportunities to those who may miss out

Knowsley Village Stables Yard Manager Penny Pleasant

Local riding school provides opportunities to those who may miss out Educating Through Accessibility Mark A local riding school in Merseyside is helping young people with learning difficulties to find a career path, with the help of a nationally recognised scheme. Riding for the Disabled Association (RDA), in partnership with Hoof, the British Equestrian Federation’s (BEF) participation programme launched the revolutionary Accessibility Mark scheme with the aim of getting more disabled people to participate in riding. Wendy Kinnin, owner of Knowsley Village Stables is passionate about providing opportunities for those…

David Britnell Blog September

David Britnell Blog September Courtesy of David Britnell’s sponsor, Timothy Foxx www.timothyfoxx.co.uk So, Continuity is now on a well earned holiday after a magical season together culminating in a very special tenth place in our fIrst ever FEI CIC3* at Hartpury International. Outings with the other horses have also been very productive. At Solihull back in August I had a super outing Sir Gawain at BE90 which he found very educational as it was a very twisty track compared to his previous runs, with a good variety of fence types,…