Following the popular introduction of the Junior Mountain and Moorland Small Breed Pony of the Year at the 2016 Horse of the Year Show, Grandstand Media (show organisers) are expanding this opportunity to more junior riders with a section for the large breed mountain and moorland ponies. The Junior Mountain and Moorland Large Breed Pony of the Year is set to run alongside the existing Junior Mountain & Moorland Small Breeds class at Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) 2017, which will take place at the Genting Arena, Birmingham’s NEC from 4th – 8th October.
The class aims to recognise and promote junior riders competing on large breed mountain and moorland ponies, whose breeding is either New Forest, Connemara, Fells, Dales, Highland, Welsh Section C or Welsh Section D. The qualifiers for large breeds will run alongside the small breed qualifiers throughout the showing season seeing hundreds of junior riders compete for a place in the final at HOYS in the TopSpec Arena. The final will replicate that of the qualifying season and see 16 small breeds come forwards for the Junior Small Breeds M&M Pony of the Year and 16 large breeds come forwards for the Junior Large Breeds M&M Pony of the Year culminating in the Junior M&M Ridden Championship. The exciting addition not only supports quality mountain and moorland breeds, but also successful young riders of the future.
To compete in the new Junior M&M Large Breed section, riders must have attained their 10th birthday before the 1st January in the current year, and not have attained their 18th birthday before the 1st January in the current year. The class is open to registered mares and geldings, four years old and over. Full class guidelines will be posted on the HOYS website soon www.hoys.co.uk
Grandstand Media, organiser of HOYS, commented: “We are delighted to be able to extend our Junior M&M Ridden Championship to incorporate these large breeds at HOYS 2017 in order to give more young riders the opportunity to compete at the most prestigious national showing Championships that is HOYS. The Junior M&M Small Breed Championship was very well received and we have listened and responded to the feedback in order to deliver this large breed section. It will be fascinating to see the Junior M&M Ridden Championship evolve throughout the season and I wish all of our junior riders the best of luck in qualifying.”
Tickets for Horse of the Year Show 2017 will go on sale next year for what promises to be another exceptional event. For show information, visit www.hoys.co.uk or call 02476 858 205
