FORTY FIVE AGRICULTURAL AND COUNTY SHOWS SIGN UP TO RUN LONDON INTERNATIONAL HORSE SHOW QUALIFIERS
Organisers of The London International Horse Show announced today that 45 different Agricultural and County Shows have been assigned 494 qualifiers between them for the new series of Showing classes that will have finals held at the famous London event.
Working with the British Show Pony Society (BSPS), the British Show Horse Association (BSHA) and the Association of Show and Agricultural Organisations (ASAO), the series consists of 20 different classes which cover everything from Hacks and Riding Horses to Coloured Ponies and Cobs.
The Shows that are holding qualifiers include those from England, Scotland and Wales and range from Perthshire in the North to Stithians in the South and Cardigan in the West to Lawford Park in the East. A full list of participating Shows is shown below.
Paul Hooper from the ASAO commented: “We are delighted that so many Shows have come forward to apply to be a part of this new series and are particularly pleased with the wide geographical spread of the participating shows. This demonstrates that there is a strong demand from show organisers and therefore the public to see equestrian Showing classes in their local events.”
Paul Cook of BSPS said: “One of the reasons for launching this new series was to bring Showing to a wider audience and increase the number of Agricultural and County Shows that hold equestrian classes which has sadly been diminishing in the last few years. These Shows between them have an audience of over half a million which definitely helps us to achieve our aim of finding a route to present equestrian Showing to new audiences.”
Nigel Hollings of BSHA said: “We are determined to make these classes an enjoyable experience for competitors and the watching public alike by requiring the commentators to explain to the audience what the judges are looking for and why one horse or pony may win points over others. This will present Showing in a new light and make it much more accessible and entertaining.”
Many of the Shows that have come forward are long established events – some over 200 years old – and are prized by their local communities. Christine Knipe of Westmorland County Show, which is 224 years old in 2023 said: “We are delighted to be holding qualifiers for all the 20 classes on offer. The traditional agricultural shows are where equestrian Showing originally started. We know our audience will participate in and enjoy this new range of classes. We are very grateful to The London International Horse Show as without the support of such important international horse shows, equestrian Showing at a local level could not be sustained.”
Both the BSPS and the BSHA will help those who qualify for the London finals to prepare for the event by giving them advice and guidance along every step of the way. Karen Ward of BSPS said: “We know it can be daunting for a competitor to come to a large show like London and compete in the final but we are determined to make the whole experience enjoyable for them, we will look after them every step of the way and give them a fantastic day out.”
See the full list of classes planned for the series:
Showing Classes LIHS 2023 - BSHA & BSPS:
BSHA Classes
Rising Star of Small & Lightweight Hunter Type
Rising Star of Middlewight & Heavyweight Hunter Type
Rising Star of Lightweight Cob Type
Rising Star of Heavyweight Cob Type
Rising Star of Maxi Cob Type
Rising Star of Small Riding Horse Type
Rising Star of Large Riding Horse Type
Rising Star of Hack Type
Rising Star Racehorse to Show Horse
Rising Star Ladies Show Horse
Rising Star Working Show Horse
Rising Star of Working Hunter Type
BSPS Classes
BSPS Junior Performance Pony
BSPS Performance Pony not exc 148cm
BSPS Performance Pony not exc 158cm
BSPS Performance Coloured Native/Cob/Traditional Horse/Pony Class
BSPS Performance Coloured Non Native Horse/Pony Class
BSPS Heritage Lead Rein Working Sports Pony
Open Cradle Stakes Class
Open Nursery Stakes Class
Participating Shows:
Alresford Agricultural Show
Ashby de la Zouch Agricultural Society
Blakesley & District Agricultural Show Ltd.
Bridgend Country Show
BSPS Scottish Branch
Burwarton & District Agricultural Society
Cardigan County Agricultural Show
CHAPS UK South East Regional Show
Cumberland Agricultural Society
Dorset County Show
Dumfries and Galloway Horse Show
Dunster Show Society
Durham County Show
Garstang & District agricultural & horticultural society
Gransden and District Agricultural Society Show
Great Eccleston Agricultural Show
Hanbury Countryside Show Society
Heathfield Agricultural Show
Hertfordshire Agricultural Society
Lawford Park Show @The Tendring Hundred FC Show
Liskeard & District Agricultural Association
Llanedi Agricultural Show
Malton Agricultural Society
Newark & Nottinghamshire Agricultural Society
Norfolk Show Jumping Club
North Tyne & Redesdale Agricultural Society
Orsett Horticultural & Agricultural Society
Penistone Agricultural Society Show
Perthshire Agricultural Society
Prospect Farm Show
Puddledub Spring Shows
Romsey Agricultural and Horse Show Society
Royal Welsh Agricultural Society - Smallholding & Countryside Festival
Rutland County Show
Ryedale Show
South of England Agricultural Society
Suffolk Show
Stithians Agricultural Association Limited
Stokesley Show
The North Devon Agricultural Society
The Cheshire Horse Show
The South Suffolk Agricultural Association
Tynedale Agricultural Society
UK Ponies & Horses Limited
Westmorland County Show
