Equine extravaganza

If you have horse-mad kids, rochelle tubb discovers that there is no better place to take them than Britain’s Horse of the Year Show in Birmingham.

The spotlight lights up the gorgeous show horse, its champion sash sparkling as much as its well-groomed coat. As the crowd claps and cheers, horse and rider complete their lap of honour at a fast-paced gallop before disappearing through the huge, purple velvet curtains.

Crowd participation is a must after the championships are awarded at HOYS. For many competitors, this is a once-in-a-lifetime win, so relishing the crowd’s enthusiasm on their lap of honour is often a highlight of their equestrian careers.

HOYS, Britain’s Horse of the Year Show, is held in Birmingham annually and is the largest and most glamorous in the world, but it is so much more than a showcase of exquisite horses (and their riders).

The championship event – which is the culmination of the equestrian year in the UK – has been a highlight of the equestrian calendar since 1949 and now attracts more than 65,000 visitors a year.

As well as the gala night-time performances and exhaustive list of ring events, other highlights of the show include the 250-plus trade stands selling everything from high-end Italian tailored top boots to sophisticated equestrian fashion and gourmet food.

For young equestrian fans, the five-day program offers endless ring events to watch, signings from some of the world’s best riders and a meet-the-horses area where visitors can get up close and personal with some ponies and then hit the trade stands for a bit of retail therapy.

Watch for the daily specials. My 14-year-old daughter was lucky enough to go to HOYS for her birthday and managed to come back loaded with bags of European jodhpurs, colourful saddle pads and sparkling bell boots. The trade hall is large, so don’t feel like you have to see all the shops in one day. The best advice is to go to the event over several days if possible and break up watching the horse events with an hour or so of browsing. This will also help prevent you getting sore feet as the event takes up a massive area of the National Exhibition Centre.

When you’ve had your fill of the trade stands, there are a number of ring highlights that all kids will love. The Pony Club Mounted Games are a must. You can’t help but get carried away in the excitement as these teams

– who have worked hard to qualify and attend– come charging in with the spotlight following them and loud music booming around the arena.

The audience are on their feet and cheering on their favourite teams as these talented young riders and nippy little ponies speed around, vying to be the winners of exciting games like the mug race, the box stack, bursting balloons and the emu and egg race.

The double harness scurry event – a fast-paced equestrian sport where a pair of ponies pull a carriage around a course of cones in an attempt to get the fastest time – is also one the crowds love to participate in and it is an absolute favourite with the kids. As each new team enters the arena, the crowds get louder and louder as they cheer on the ponies and drivers. The ponies pick up a gear when they hear the crowd and they seem to love racing through the course at thrilling, breakneck speeds.

No matter what events you see, horse-mad kids will be over the moon that they got to tick the “World’s Greatest Horse Show” off their bucket list. hoys.co.uk