Final SEIB Search for a Star qualifiers chosen for HOYS

By Amanda Stevenson

Event diary

28 August 2008 15:00

The final competitors for the 2008 South Essex Insurance Brokers (SEIB) Search For A Star and Racehorse to Riding Horse Championships at Horse of the Year Show were selected recently at the Badgworth Equestrian Centre qualifier. Over 100 entries took part.

Richard Ramsay judged conformation and David Bartram, judged the ride for Riding Horse/Hack, Cob, Ponies, Riding Club Show Horse, Show and Working Hunter classes as well as the increasingly popular Racehorse to Riding Horse Class. 

“For our first visit to Badgworth, we were really impressed with the general attitude of the competitors and had some really nice horses to judge. The winners and qualified horses are all very worthy of going to HOYS,” commented Richard.

SEIB instigated the Racehorse to Riding Horse Show Championship, supported by the charity Retraining of Racehorses, to provide an alternative career option for the immense number of horses that come out of training each year. To be eligible, horses must have been in training with a recognised trainer, although they need not have raced.

The Search for a Star Championship was designed to give amateur riders and owners an opportunity to compete at the prestigious Horse of the Year Show and to identify top class horses and ponies which may otherwise not be given the opportunity to compete at such a level. It is run by professionals and the standards imposed are identical to those applied to professionals. However, at HOYS the judges use radio microphones to give their thoughts and explain their decisions and at the qualifiers the competitors have a chance to talk to the judges to find out where they went right and wrong. In addition, the horses and riders that qualify for Horse of the Year Show are invited to attend a training workshop to help prepare for the big occasion.

The South Essex Insurance Brokers Search For A Star Championship finals will be held at the Horse Of The Year Show, October 8-12, at the NEC, Birmingham. 

For more information visit: www.search4astar.org.uk and www.racehorse2ridinghorse.co.uk

For a full report and results of the Badgworth Equestrian Centre qualifiers for the above classes, see page 2...