NATHAN ARNOLD AND KATIE DUXBURY

Our International Showing Judges

HQ was fortunate enough to have a quick chat with the International Judges for Horse of the Year 2023, Nathan Arnold and Katie Duxbury.

HQ: How was your experience with our South African Horse of the Year?

Nathan: This was our first time visiting South Africa, so being invited to judge was quite an honour. We found the people to be incredibly friendly and welcoming. They were asking questions about how they could improve, which is always a good sign. The one thing that stood out above all was that all the competitors cheered on their fellow competitors which doesn't really happen back in the UK.

Katie: I was really impressed with the organisation of the show. It was a very well-run show. The stewards helping us in the ring were out of this world. They had the ring running ship-shape. That was quite refreshing. I agree with Nathan – the competitors were a pleasure to judge. They took on every bit of advice that we gave them. They were kind to each other and really supportive. So overall, our experience of the South African Horse of the Year show was a VERY good one.

HQ: Were there any real highlights of the show for you?

Katie: The highlight for me was the standard of the Supremes. The standard of the performances that the competitors pulled out was fantastic. It was great to see how some of them took on what we had said to them earlier in the week and came out and performed with that in mind during the Supremes. This was really, really nice for us to see. It was a tough Supreme. I think all competitors deserved to be there and we really enjoyed judging that. Obviously, we got a fantastic Supreme Champion, but for us to then find out that both our ridden and in-hand Supreme winners were SA Boerperds, a local South African breed, was a real shock but also a highlight for us.

HQ: How do you find the standard of showing here compared to the UK?

Katie: The standard of the competitors was really good. Some of those horses would have held their own at home in the UK, and some of the combinations we looked at could well have been from the UK with the way they were turned out! The standard of turn-out and attire could really have come from back home. There were six or seven horses from the show that we would take home to the UK and know that we could compete with at the top level.

Nathan: Riding-wise, the competitors know exactly what to do. The riding skills are fantastic. To be totally honest, the one thing they lack is how to stand the horse up properly and present it in the best way in front of a judge for conformation. This would easily be remedied with a couple of clinics!

HQ: You obviously enjoyed the SA Boerperds. What was it about the breed that particularly caught your eye?

Katie: The SA Boerperds were so much better than we expected them to be from the descriptions we had heard earlier in the week. People told us the name meant 'farm horse', and we were a bit worried about what we might see, but the quality of the breed is unbelievable. The two Supreme Champions (in-hand and ridden) are absolute quality animals and would have held their own in the UK.

The stallion was out of this world, and the Ridden Supreme winner would have been a Horse of the Year Winner back home in the UK. We would love to take him home!

We also really loved the temperament. Of course, the grey stallion became a little upset during the prize giving, but in the actual class, he was so quiet and so well-behaved. It was all kicking off around him, and he just remained totally calm.

Nathan: The stallion was really our winner as he walked into the ring. He caught our eye as he entered!

I'm really impressed that that is your local breed. I think if SA can keep breeding them to that standard, and we were to return in five years' time, we'd be ready to take some back!

HQ: Which class was your favourite to judge?

Nathan: Without a doubt, the groom handler class by an absolute country mile. It wasn't just that the groom handlers were keen to win; it was that the owners were 100% behind them and wanted them to win.

Katie: They were an absolute pleasure to judge. I've never seen so many people smiling. We didn't know what to expect, and when we saw that the number of spectators had almost quadrupled for that class, we realised it was a big thing. We really, really, really enjoyed that. Giving out the rosettes and prizes and seeing how grateful all the competitors were was incredible.

Nathan: And the standard of the turn-out – I've never seen such beautifully turned-out horses and plaited tails in all my life! We don't really see so many plaited tails in the UK – they are usually pulled, but these were stunning. To see some of the efforts the grooms had put into their own attire was also amazing.

Also – the grooms had a bit of swagger and a bit of banter about them. They were good fun!

Katie: That's definitely our best class.