News
The stage is set at HOYS for the Bret Willson Dressage Future Elite Championship
- Written By: British Dressage
- Published: Mon, 03 Oct 2022 11:53
Thursday evening's performance at the Horse of the Year Show, taking place this week at the NEC in Birmingham (05 - 09 October 2022), features the ninth running of the annual Dressage Future Elite Championship, this year sponsored by Bret Willson Dressage International.
Taking place during the evening performance on Thursday 6 October, this prestigious competition provides a platform for the UK's up-and-coming dressage horses to gain invaluable experience under the spotlight at a world famous international event. In conjunction with British Dressage, the popular championship is designed for horses between the ages of eight and ten years old at the time of qualifying. The class will feature a total of seven horse and rider combinations that will each showcase an Intermediate I Freestyle to music.
For four years prior to 2020, when HOYS couldn’t take place due to Covid, Charlotte Dujardin took the title; 2016 riding Hawtins Delicato, 2017 with Mount St John Freestyle, 2018 riding Florentina VI and in 2019 aboard Mount St John Valencia. Charlotte is also the most recent winner having taken the 2021 Dressage Future Elite title with her recent World Championship team silver medal partner, Imhotep (pictured).
The success of these horses since is testament to the worth of the Dressage Future Elite Championship at HOYS for giving the stars of the future essential exposure to the big occasion, and we look forward to seeing the promising young horses forward for this year’s competition take centre stage at HOYS.
The seven horse and rider combinations competing this year are:
- Angus Corrie-Deane from Salisbury, Wiltshire with his own Jack Johnson (bay gelding, 2013, Johnson x Scandic, HANN).
- Hannah Esberger-Hancock from Sheffield, South Yorkshire with her own and Robert Esberger’s Iggy Pop BEK (Black gelding, 2013, Dream Boy x Gabor, KWPN).
- Sarah Higgins from Knutsford, Cheshire with Sarah Rao’s Samuel (bay gelding, 2013, OLDBG).
- Ellie McCarthy from New Milton, Hampshire with her own and Spencer and Bridget McCarthy's Brave Heart (bay gelding, 2014, Bordeaux x Tuschinski, OLDBG).
- Becky Moody from Sheffield, South Yorkshire with her own Jagerbomb (bay gelding, 2014, Dante Weltino x Jazz, KWPN).
- Olivia Oakeley from Southampton, Hampshire with her own Rock Diva (dark bay mare, 2013, Rock Forever, HANN).
- Alice Oppenheimer with Amanda Radford’s Headmore Dionysus (liver chestnut gelding, 2011, Dimaggio x Rubinstein, BHHS).
Visitors to HOYS can watch the young talent in the Bret Willson Dressage Future Elite Championship, which will commence at 18:19, in the Andrews Bowen International Arena. The class will also be available, by subscription, on ClipMyHorse.TV to watch and enjoy from the comfort of home.
Photo © Horse of the Year Show/1st Class Images
