The Horse of the Year Show(HOYS)
The World's Most Famous Horse Show
The BMHS is the ONLY Miniature horse society to have classes at this most prestigious horse show. For anyone showing horses of any size in the UK it is the one they all aspire to compete at.
Qualifying shows are held throughout the country during the summer season and people travel many miles to try and win one of the peerless tickets. There are classes for young stock, mares/geldings and stallions with a championship comprising the 1st and 2nd prize winners of the three classes.
Usually it is the Champion who wins the HOYS ticket but at some shows the winners of the three classes are awarded a ticket each. At these shows the number of entries is usually very high.
The Horse of the Year Show is held in early October at the NEC, Birmingham. It is the grand finale of the showing season and takes over 50 acres of the site with approximately 700 temporary stables taking up a whole car park.
The show is held in the Resorts World Arena and its adjacent sister NEC halls and consists of two large competition arenas, a large shopping village, interactive areas and many restaurants and bars.
Horseboxes start arriving the day before the show opens with National and International showjumpers, Prince Phillip Cup Pony Club teams, display teams, elite dressage competitors and early showing class competitors, all settling in for the week ahead.
The atmosphere around the stable area is very exciting as you can be rubbing shoulders with Olympic gold medallists one minute and Pony Club children the next.
Who knows what famous face might have their horse stabled next to yours?
The tension mounts as you get yourself and your horse ready for the class. The long walk from the stables to the arena is some time to focus on the job in hand so when your class is called you are calm and ready.
The curtain is drawn back to reveal packed stands, your judge waiting and stewards ushering in the competitors. Soft music is playing and you can hear a quiet rumble of conversations from the crowd.
As each horse performs their show the tension rises again as the results are announced in reverse order. There is a drum roll, the winner is announced to come forward to receive their prize. Photographers click away and the crowd applauds. Military music plays as the placed horses do a lap of honour.
The winner is given a second lap on their own waving enthusiastically to the crowd. To compete at HOYS is a huge achievement and the ambition of many.
If you win; there is no feeling quite like it.
