Horse enthusiasts travel from down under for “The World’s Most Famous Horse Show” HOYS.
This year Horse of the Year Show has attracted visitors from all over the UK, Europe, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and even from as far away as Australia! Olivia Cakebread and her fiancé Dave live in a small town called Lara, which is approximately 60km from Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. They have both planned their trip to the UK to combine each of their passions; whilst Olivia is coming for Horse of the Year Show, partner Dave is coming to watch his home team of Liverpool FC play.
Having grown up in a horsey family in Australia, Olivia’s father and grandfather were Thoroughbred racehorse trainers. Olivia developed a love for show jumping from a young age and she says: “This is when my fascination with Horse of the Year show began. I remember watching a documentary that featured the great horse Milton competing in the puissance. I was immediately obsessed and ever since then I have always wanted to attend.”
Olivia and Dave often discussed the idea of travelling to the UK, and being a Brit himself Dave also wanted to return to visit family and friends. Last Christmas Dave surprised Olivia with a HOYS Ticket Voucher Rosette Box which secured her seat at this year’s Horse of the Year Show. “I was over the moon, it was the best Christmas present ever, I was finally going!” said Olivia. “I just want to say a big thank you to the organisers for running this iconic show that reaches people as far away as Australia. It has been a huge inspiration in my riding, and I feel truly privileged that I will be able to attend, feel the atmosphere and witness some of the best horse and riders there are today.”
Travelling from Saudi Arabia for their annual trip to HOYS is Carrie and Kezia Smith. They commented: “We come every year together and it is one of the special events we both look forward to,” explains Carrie.
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.