HOYS 2016, New Showing Championship announced for Horse of the Year Show 2016
An exciting new Championship has been given the green light to run at Horse of the Year Show ( HOYS ) 2016, which will take place at Birmingham’s NEC from 5th – 9th October. The Junior Mountain and Moorland Ridden Pony of the Year Championship opens up another chance for young riders to compete at “The World’s Most Famous Horse Show”.
After a detailed review of this and previous years’ finals it is clear that many of the small breed M&M classes are dominated by senior adult competitors which is potentially stifling young riders from progressing. With this in mind and conscious of providing new opportunities to young future stars, HOYS will be introducing this Championship in addition to the current M&M classes.
The Junior Mountain and Moorland Ridden Pony of the Year Championship, will provide an exciting platform for junior riders, fresh out of the Mountain & Moorland First Ridden class, to compete on Small Breed Mountain & Moorland ponies, whose breeding is either Welsh Section A, Welsh Section B, Dartmoor, Exmoor or Shetland.
All eyes will be on the qualifiers during the 2016 season, as hundreds of combinations begin to benefit from this new opportunity and previously unseen talent starts to emerge. The exciting addition not only supports quality Mountain and Moorland breeds, but also successful young riders of the future.
Richard Todd Show Director at Grandstand Media, organiser of HOYS, commented:
“I have approached this Championship with a fresh set of eyes but mindful of the Shows heritage and the unfailing commitment that competitors, producers and owners put into gaining the coveted ‘purple ticket’. With the youth of today being tomorrow’s future and with a keen eye to ensure the ongoing success of HOYS, it is a significant moment for us to present a new opportunity for our future Young Riders to aspire and achieve their dreams of competing at HOYS. This opportunity opens up another clear avenue of progression from lead rein to adult competitor, we are positive that this new class has legs for growth and will make for an excellent season of qualifying competitions and a tremendous final for the very first winner of the Junior Mountain and Moorland Ridden Pony of the Year 2016.”
Under the class guidelines, eligible ponies cannot be part bred or exceed the height limits as stipulated by the relevant breed societies. Riders must have attained their 10th birthday by the day of the competition, but must not have attained their 14th birthday before the 1st January in the current year. To preserve the M&M First Ridden Pony of the Year pony/rider combinations may compete in both the M&M First Ridden and the Junior M&M Ridden qualifiers, however should qualification be achieved in both classes the rider must nominate which class they wish to enter at Horse of the Year Show. In this event, the qualification place of the pony will remain and an alternative rider for Horse of the Year Show may be nominated at the point of entering the pony.
Class rules and guidelines will be posted on the HOYS website in January 2016 with the announcement of where competitors can look to qualify for this new Championship.
Tickets for Horse of the Year Show 2016 will go on sale next year for what promises to be another exceptional event.
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.