A fierce battle is set to take place at this year’s Horse of the Year Show (HOYS), following the announcement of confirmed horse and rider combinations for the Mount St John Dressage Future Elite Championship. The adrenaline-charged final, taking place in the Andrews Bowen International Arena on Friday 10th October at Birmingham’s NEC, will include a head-to-head between World Young Horse Champion Woodlander Farouche and American Young Horse Champion Selten HW, with World, Olympic and European Dressage Champion Charlotte Dujardin, spearheading the attack from the rest of the exceptionally strong field.
Following the well-received preliminary running of the Mount St John Dressage Future Elite Championship in 2013 with invited riders, this is the first year horse and rider combinations have had to qualify to compete. The qualified combinations, in alphabetical order, are:
1. Alfons and Spencer Wilton
2. AMD Don Rosso II and Matt Frost
3. Excalibur and Matt Hicks
4. Selten HW and Anders Dahl
5. Woodlander Farouche and Michael Eilberg
6. Zamboucca and Spencer Wilton
Two wild card combinations, who were determined by Horse of the Year Show and British Dressage’s senior selection committee, will also compete. These are Charlotte Dujardin, whose horse is yet to be confirmed, and Emile Faurie and Bohemo Tinto.
The participation of double gold medallist Charlotte Dujardin is a rare treat for visitors to the show, as she makes a welcome return to the ring. No stranger to Horse of the Year Show, Charlotte had won four times at the show by the age of 16, including claiming a Show Pony of the Year victory with Ardenhall Royal Secret in 1997.
The six finalists, and two wild card combinations, will perform the Intermediate I Freestyle Test to Music in front of a packed house and three international judges: FEI Dressage Judge General, Olympic Judge and internationally renowned trainer, Stephen Clarke (GBR), and top international judges Clive Halsall (GBR) and Henning Lehrmann (GER).
In 2013, the Mount St John Dressage Future Elite Championship title was won by Michael Eilberg and Half Moon Dynasty, who scored an impressive 74.6%.
Alongside the most prestigious National Showing and Show Jumping Championships, International Show Jumping classes, Virbac 3D Worming Pony Club Mounted Games and Osborne Refrigerators Double Harness Scurry Racing, HOYS 2014 is packed with even more exciting features. The popular and awe-inspiring Musical Ride of the Household Cavalry, supported by Home Farm Hothorpe and The Mulbrooke Stud, will headline the displays, as demanded by visitors. Meanwhile, the enchanting Doma en Libertad with Antonio Fernadez “El Paqueto” will makes its UK debut. Friday, 10th October will be the day of choice for dressage fans, with The Eilberg Dressage Master Class and Mount St John Dressage Future Elite Championship both timetabled.
Tickets for HOYS 2014 are now on sale. For show information, including the show timetable, and to book, visit www.hoys.co.uk or call 0844 581 8282.