HORSE OF THE YEAR SHOW 2024

THE OTTBS ARE OUR FEATURE FAVOURITES THIS YEAR!

TEXT: Amelia Campbell-Horne

PHOTOGRAPHY: Merlynn Trichardt Photography

It’s that time of year again when all our showing stars descend on Kyalami Park Club for the annual Horse of the Year Competition.

For horse lovers, it’s an event not to be missed as a vast array of breeds and types congregate for all to see. With special displays, Championship Classes and a range of activities for the whole family, if you can be there – you should!

Last year, we gave you an inside look and a how-to guide to the Warmblood classes. This year we will be looking into the classes offered to a breed that produced some of the most well-known sporthorses of all time, the Thoroughbred!

The classes on offer for the Thoroughbreds are similar to those of most other breeds and include Breed Classes (which are performed in-hand and categorised by age and gender), Working Hunter, Working Riding Horse, and the Riding Horse classes (Show Hack, Show Hunter and Show Riding Horse). An additional special class is hosted for Thoroughbreds that have raced within the last four years, and that is the Racehorse to Show Horse Class.

So… for those of you who may not have tried their hand in the show ring, what are the different classes, and how do you decide which to enter your OTTB in?

FAST FACT

KPC and SA Showing organise the Thoroughbred classes, but you do NOT have to be a member of SA Showing to enter the classes, and KPC offers a special reduced temporary membership of R150.00 per competitor!

1. BREED CLASSES (IN-HAND)

These classes are allocated by age, sex and with horses over three years old by height (those up to and including 1.63m in height and those over 1.63m in height).

HOW THE CLASSES WORK:

• The judges stand in the middle of the arena, and all handlers enter the arena together, leading their horses.

• Competitors walk in a large circle/oval, following each other around the arena while the judges observe.

• The judges will then hold up the queue or ask the handlers to line up and allow one handler to trot half the arena or the whole arena at a time.

• The horses will then be lined up in order of preference and pulled forward individually for a conformational assessment.

• The judges then take a moment to choose their prize winners and then call the horses forward to award prizes.

• The winners of each of the Youngstock Classes proceed to a Championship Class (which runs in the same format) in which the Champion and Reserve Champion Thoroughbred Youngstock of the Year will be announced.

• First and second place in the mare, stallion and gelding height classes proceed to the Champion Thoroughbred Mare, Stallion and Gelding of the Year Classes, respectively.

• The Champion Gelding goes forward to the Supreme Champion Gelding of the Year, while the Champion Mare and Stallion go forward to the Supreme Champion Breed Horse of the Year.

• These classes are pre-judged on the Sunday morning, and top qualifiers are to present themselves for the Supreme Champion Awards in the afternoon.

2. RIDING HORSE CLASSES

There are three classes in this category, and all run in a similar format, but each of the classes looks for slightly different things.

HOW THE CLASSES WORK:

1. All competitors enter the arena at the same time and form a line following one another.

2. The judges will indicate that the competitors need to trot, canter, change rein and trot and canter on the other rein.

3. The judges will then line the horses up in order of preference.

4. Riders will be called forward to perform an individual test.

5. The top five or six horses will be pulled forward for a ride by the judge.

6. Riders will also be required to dismount and remove the saddle so that a conformation examination of each horse can be performed.

7. The winners are then called forward for the presentation of prizes.

HOW DO YOU DECIDE WHAT CLASS TO ENTER YOUR HORSE IN?

Show Hack: If your horse is very beautiful, elegant and well-behaved, this is the class for you!

Show Riding: If your horse is goodlooking and the kind of horse that you would love to take out for a ride in the country, this is the class for you!

Show Hunter: Would you like to go hunting on your horse? Does he have a good gallop, and is he sturdy and strong? Then this is the class you should enter!

3. WORKING RIDING AND WORKING HUNTER

For those of you who have an affinity with events that include obstacles and jumps, then these are the ones for you!

Working Riding Classes are suited to horses that are not easily frightened and willing to give most things a go. The working riding class is most like what some might think of as a ‘utility’ class. Generally, all competitors enter the arena at the same time and walk around. They are then lined up and called forward to complete a course of obstacles one at a time. This course can include trotting poles, bending poles, a jump, a lane, and a rein back and can require the rider to pick up an item such as a basket and carry it before returning it to its original position. The horse and rider combinations are given a score out of ten for each obstacle as well as a mark out of ten for general style and manners.

Working Hunter Classes are likely the classes that would appeal most to riders with a passion for showjumping. Before the class begins, the riders will walk a course of rustic jumps. The riders then jump the course individually and, after completing the course, have a gallop. Once all riders have completed the course, the top few combinations will be called in for a ride by the judge and a conformational assessment before prizes are awarded.

The type of horse suited to this class is one that is brave and canters freely and rhythmically from one jump to another.

FAST FACT

The Working Riding and Working Hunter Classes can include a ride by the judge, but this is usually limited to the top fiv to six contenders due to time constraints.

4. RACEHORSE TO SHOW HORSE

This class was incorporated to encourage riders to give racehorses second careers, with the hope that more people would realise that there is another life for racehorses who come off the track.

It is a Show Riding Class (that is run in the same manner as the other show riding classes, but without a ride by the judge). It is open to all ex-racehorses who have been retired from racing for four years or less. Horses must be shown under their registered racing names, and the class is judged based on schooling, manners, and conformation.

With South Africa’s rich history of Thoroughbreds competing at the top levels of the Olympic disciplines, it is wonderful to see that Thoroughbreds are given an opportunity to excel in a second career.

THE COSTS TO ENTER:

• SA Showing Membership: Not required.

• KPC Temporary Membership: R150 per competitor

• In-hand classes: R300 per class (*No additional charge for championship classes)

• Riding classes: R350 per class (*No additional charge for championship classes)

• Racehorse to Show Horse: R300 Entries are to be submitted through the KPC website.

HOYS 2024 TIMETABLE FOR THOROUGHBREDS:

TUESDAY 27th FEBRUARY 2024

BOB CHARTER

• 8am - Thoroughbred In Hand

• 1pm - Thoroughbred Riding Horse, followed by Racehorse to Show Horse

MAY FOXCROFT

• 8am - Thoroughbred Working Hunter

• PETER MINNIE

• 8am - Thoroughbred Working Riding

SUNDAY 3rd MARCH 2024

BERNARD MCHARDY

• 7.30-9.30am - Pre-Judging Breed Supreme Geldings, Stallions and Mares

BOB CHARTER

• 10am – Supreme Working Hunter

• 11.30am - Supreme Working Riding

• 2.15pm - Gelding Supreme

• 2.30pm - Breed Supreme

• 3.15pm - Ridden Supreme

GET YOUR ENTRIES IN!

With such a wide variety of classes available, we hope to see all you Thoroughbred owners out in action this year at HOYS!