‘Twas the night before Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) and all through the house not a creature was sleeping, not even a mouse! They were far too busy watching the weather forecast, double checking passports and packing extra rugs… “Just in case!”

With the final practices and shows done and dusted, attention turns squarely to the insanity that is HOYS this week.

Whilst it really brings with it plenty of stress for a variety of reasons, most of the season we spend worrying about qualifying then once we qualify it’s the age old stress of coats, clipping, weight and working in.

It really is an unbelievably special show and there isn’t any other show quite like it in the world.

Car Park of Dreams…

With the final preparations mostly complete and the packing done the first of the competitors will be ready to roll in to the ‘Car Park of Dreams’ on Tuesday morning.

Some will be heading in for the week with ponies coming in and out on transporters, others just for the one night.

There is such a range of experience amongst the competitors from the first timers in the Search for a Star classes to those that have been attending year after year and it’s lovely to see everyone get that buzz as they pull in.

My best advice HOYS advice

For those heading to HOYS for the first time my best advice is to allow extra time for everything, whether that is walking to the arenas or getting passes.

It can all take longer than you anticipate and the last thing you want be doing is stressing and rushing.

Remember you need to be there in person to collect your wristband, one person can’t collect them for the group.

To an outsider, it must seem utterly ridiculous that we spend all season traipsing the length and breadth of the country, getting up at ungodly hours and spending a fortune to qualify for “another” show — and a show in a car park next to Birmingham Airport, for that matter.

But anyone that has been in that hallowed car park knows that it’s not just “another” show. It’s the show where dreams come true and lifelong goals are achieved.

For a lot of people that doesn’t mean winning or even placing, it’s getting to ride through those curtains into the Arena of Dreams and that’s what makes this show so magical.

There’s something in my eye…

I hope I’m not the only person that gets emotional when I hear the opening chords of Holyrood, even when I have absolutely no connection to the winner I can’t help but find that there is something in my eye.

It is such a powerful piece of music and feels perfect for that wonderful moment of leading off the lap of honour at HOYS.

I hope that I will be that lucky person one day — a girl can dream! But until then I’ll continue to enjoy watching the fortunate few have their moment in the spotlight.

The day starts at 3.30am

For show grooms, HOYS is a very long week. Most days start at around 3.30am to get horses fed and ready for the morning working in.

It’s then a day of running back and forth between the lorry, stables and the rings, whilst getting every horse worked enough in the limited time available and ready for their class.

Your day isn’t done when the classes finish as the next day’s horses all need to go down for their evening exercise slots. So it’s common to not be finished until 10.30pm.

Hopefully most employers provide plenty of food and drinks for their staff. I’ve been pretty lucky on that front with most people I have worked for.

Team Elenor were brilliant for having easy-to-grab bits on the lorry, something always appreciated as there isn’t always time to eat ‘real’ food. Having said that, we did eat our bodyweight in chips last year from Five Guys on the Saturday night!

Staple show groom diet

An absolute staple of the show groom diet for the week is a toastie from the infamous toastie van. It’s not HOYS if you haven’t had at least one toastie!

There have been some odd combinations witnessed over the years, but the toastie van queue is a strict no judgement zone and whatever you need to keep running goes.

A personal favourite of mine is the KitKat toastie. It’s the perfect post morning working in pick me up.

It’s safe to say the run up to HOYS has been a busy one for me this year, I have clipped six for HOYS this time from junior mountain and moorland workers to hunters and most sections in between.

To say it is stressful doing such important clips is an understatement, but it is worth it to see them walk in that ring absolutely gleaming with the perfect coat.

I will be glad to have a couple of days off next week!

I will sign off now by wishing everyone competing the very best of luck for HOYS week. Stop to take a breath and enjoy every moment.

It passes in the blink of an eye if you aren’t careful.

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Main image of Tabby plaiting a horse’s mane by Ems Ohren Photography