Showing is coming home …

New showing series with emphasis on inclusivity continues to gather momentum

County and Agricultural Show organisers have responded extremely positively to the November 2022 announcement of a new Showing Series with finals at The London International Horse Show. There have been a significant number of organisers requesting permission to run classes from the series at their shows in 2023.

Organisers of the Christmas London Show worked with the British Show Pony Society (BSPS), the British Show Horse Association (BSHA) and the Association of Show and Agricultural Organisations (ASAO), to create a series that consists of 20 different classes, which cover everything from Hacks and Cobs, to Cradle Stakes and Coloured Ponies.

The aim of the new showing series is to bring discipline to a wider audience. Its emphasis is to be inclusive, with a focus on the amateur home-produced 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.

Entrants for the showing series 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.

All the BSHA show series classes are aimed at amateurs, whilst the BSPS classes are all performance classes and are not restricted to amateurs. These classes offer an ideal opportunity for ponies and horses competing in other disciplines to gain experience from the excellent educational competitive platform that showing provides.

Showing Classes LIHS 2023 – BSHA & BSPS planned classes

Day One (BSHA)

• Rising Star of Small & Lightweight Hunter Type
• Rising Star of Middlewight & Heavyweight Hunter Type
• Rising Star of Hunter Type Championship
• Rising Star of Lightweight Cob Type
• Rising Star of Heavyweight Cob Type
• Rising Star of Maxi Cob Type
• Rising Star of Cob Type Championship

Day Two (BSHA)

• Rising Star of Small Riding Horse Type
• Rising Star of Large Riding Horse Type
• Rising Star of Riding Horses Type Championship
• Rising Star of Hack Type
• Rising Star of Hack Type Championship

Day Three (BSHA)

• Rising Star Racehorse to Show Horse 
• Rising Star Ladies Show Horse
• Rising Star Working Show Horse
• Rising Star of Working Hunter Type
• Rising Star Workers Championship

Day Four (BSPS)

• BSPS Junior Performance Pony
• BSPS Performance Pony not exc 148cm
• BSPS Performance Pony not exc 158cm
• BSPS Performance Pony Championship

Day Five (BSPS)

• BSPS Performance Coloured Native/Cob/Traditional Horse/Pony Class
• 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  

The final list of Showing Series events, that will host classes for the series, will be released mid-February.