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SEIB Search for a Star Showing Championships

The SEIB Search for a Star Showing Championships will take place in the SEIB Main Arena on Friday 7 November 2025.

This exciting series is exclusively for amateur riders and owners, and is designed to give enthusiastic people a chance to compete at championship shows like Your Horse Live.

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Search For a Star Finalists 2025

In-Hand Plaited Horse and Show Cob

Ballyroad Cloudy Sky owned by Ann Cullwick and handled by Jessica Davenport from Worcestershire

Moyglen Gold owned and handled by Lilian Vaughan-Thomas from Pembrokeshire

Monivea The Dark Secret owned and handled by Thomas Peet from Cumbria

We Ride At Dawn owned and handled by Hannah Brown from Lancashire

Singing Habari owned and handled by Charlotte Mills from Warwickshire

 

In-Hand Veteran>

Moss Town Marz owned and handled by Victoria Littlewood from Essex

Rhoshill Showman owned by Dave Carr and handled by Arabella Carr from Cumbria

Woodcroft Skyfall owned by Amanda Corr and handled by Bria Corr from Surrey

Charlwood Not The Norm owned by Liz Filler and handled by Maisie Filler from Hertfordshire

Newoak Allspice owned by Sarah Trott and handled by Emma Knight from Devon

In-Hand Plaited Pony

Lunar Eclipse owned and handled by Bethany Clark from Cumbria

Firecracker Charlie / owned Sharon Barth and handled by Lilly Stewart from Yorkshire

Ryehall Petit Ami / owned and handled by Lisa Hayyez from Buckinghamshire

Broadtown Make A Wish owned by Kathryn Masters and handled by Emily Masters from Lincolnshire

Charlwood Not The Norm owned by Liz Filler and handled by Maisie Filler from Hertfordshire

In-Hand Mountain & Moorland

Kalmara Felicity owned by Alexandra and Karen Whitell and handled by Alexandra Whitell from Devon

Chilham Night Sky owned and handled by Andrew Elsworth from North Yorkshire

Acresdale Major owned and handled by Claire Crerand from Nottinghamshire

Brackenbank Flicka owned and handled by Jessica Everill from Worcestershire

Rackwood Sophie owned by Raychel Liddle and handled by Marsha Holtham from Derbyshire

In-Hand Rescue Horse or Pony

Storm Cloud owned by Kerry Carruthers and handled by Lucia Carruthers from Cornwall

Minnie owned and handled by Clare Castle from Kent

Coedbach Ivan owned and handled by Kerry Whiteman from Lincolnshire

Hillrow Harvest owned and handled by Alice Griffiths from Suffolk

In-Hand Traditional, Native Type and Rare Breeds

Brackenbank Flicka owned and handled by Jessica Everill from Worcestershire

Braithewaite Countryman owned and handled by Kimberley Morton from Lincolnshire

Luneside Mario owned and handled by Chelcea Brough from Cumbria

Rackwood Sophie owned by Raychel Liddle and handled by Marsha Holtham from Derbyshire

Ardencroft Alfred owned and handled by Rebecca Deakin from West Midlands

 

British Riding Clubs Search for a Star Show Horse or Pony

Castle Warrior owned and ridden by Charlotte Clorley from Shropshir

Delamere Kaleidoscope owned by Helen White and ridden by Hannah White from Worcestershire

Ancaladh Wilf owned and ridden by Stacey Mitchell from Cumbria

Valeroyal Dankango owned and ridden by Susan Mitchell from East Ayrshire

Rhydypandy Tom Jones owned by Rebecca Carter and ridden by Jessica Carter from South Yorkshire

Pony Club SEIB Search for a Star Open Championship

Rhydypandy Tom Jones owned by Rebecca Carter and ridden by Jessica Carter from South Yorkshire

Bill owned by Emma Makin and ridden by Poppy Makin from Bedfordshire

Coral Colour owned by Sarah Dance and ridden by Francesca Dance from Hampshire

Wayfaring Airs and Graces owned by Claire Simpson and ridden by Emma Simpson from Lancashire

Master Pocket Rocket owned and ridden by Mia Jarrett from Warwickshire

Rising Phoenix owned by Mrs K Taylor and ridden by Alice Taylor from Oxfordshire

Pony Club SEIB Search for a Star Lead Rein Championship

 

Waitwith Windfall owned by Amanda Nevin and ridden by Mollie Warner from Herefordshire

Blackertor Denman owned by Stephanie Chaplin and ridden by Sonnett Jenkins from Hampshire

Nantfforchog Blue Rococo owned by Heather Rothwell-Gillows-Hall and ridden by Ada Stephenson of the Dumfriesshire Pony Club, from Dumfries

Melland Summer Primrose owned by Fiona Wilson and ridden by Chloe Wilson from Leicestershire Dumfries

Thistledown Alice owned by Laura Moore and ridden by Efa Moore from Pontyclu

Cefnhendre Caradog owned by Jeanette Middleton and ridden by Rupert Long from Worcestershire

 

Pony Club SEIB Search for a Star First Ridden Championship

Kinoulton General owned by Rachel Birch and ridden by Georgie Birch from Lancashire

Weston Candy Girl owned by Lucy Drummond and ridden by Sofia Drummond from Wiltshire

Twyford Gyro owned by Sue Cubbitt-Smith and ridden by Imogen Key from Warwickshire

Littlemoorend Rosetta owned by Gaenor Cresswell and ridden by Bethany Cresswell from Derbyshire

Telaid Peter Pan owned by Ali Oliver and ridden by Lucy Oliver of the Morpeth Pony Club, from Northumberland

Gurnos Welsh Curious George owned by Lauren Thould and ridden by Molly Thould from Monmouthshire

British Riding Clubs Search for a Star Show Horse or Pony

Rhydypandy Tom Jones owned by Rebecca Carter and ridden by Jessica Carter from South Yorkshire

Valeroyal Dankango owned and ridden by Susan Mitchell from East Ayrshir

Ancaladh Wilf owned and ridden by Stacey Mitchell from Cumbria

Delamere Kaleidoscope owned by Helen White and ridden by Hannah White from Worcestershire

Castle Warrior owned and ridden by Charlotte Clorley from Shropshire

SEIB Search for a Star Ridden Mountain and Moorland Championship

Rhydypandy Modonna owned by Pat Kaye and ridden by Chelsey Furze from West Sussex

Tirygelli Tomos owned and ridden by Lindsey Holmes from Derbyshire

Rhydypandy Tom Jones owned by Rebecca Carter and ridden by Jessica Carter from South Yorkshire

Valerock Maverick owned by Louise Kohl and ridden by Olivia Kohl from Leicestershire

Clawddcoch Royal Emperor owned by Becky Rigby and ridden by Harper-Kay Hodkinson from Lancashire

Rising Phoenix owned by Mrs K Taylor and ridden by Alice Taylor from Oxfordshire

Wishaw Ellie May owned and ridden by Sarah Hobbs from Staffordshire

My Girl Shannon owned by Danielle Walker and ridden by Jaydn-Ema Durham from Cumbria

Brackenbank Flicka owned and ridden by Jessica Everill from Worcestershire

 

Search for a Star Still a Star Open Ridden Veteran Championship

Coral Colour owned by Sarah Dance and ridden by Francesca Dance from Hampshire

Kildromin Star owned and ridden by Charlotte Cooper from Norfolk Cumbria

Murthwaite Looks Promising owned and ridden by Jane Rawden from Nottinghamshire

Paris Party Girl owned and ridden by Lisa Counsell from Somerset

 

Moelgarnedd Arthur owned and ridden by Georgia Reynolds from Monmouthshire

Moss Town Marz owned and ridden by Victoria Littlewood from Essex

Landin owned by Jennifer Whittaker and ridden by Amber Flynn from Greater Manchester

Colour Coded owned and ridden by Jill Wormall from Leicestershire

Gallifrey owned by Carole West and ridden by Lynn Russell from Surrey

Role of Honour

Supreme Champion 2024

Spinway Colm was crowned the overall SEIB Search for a Star Supreme Champion of 2024.

The 12-year-old Connemara Spinway is owned and ridden by Hartpury University student Daisy Beards and came via the British Riding Club’s final.

Supreme Champion 2023

Suffolk Punch mare Holbeache Scarlet took the supreme spoils at Your Horse Live in 2023. The mare won the heavy horse final and then took the in-hand title before standing supreme. She is owned by Andrea Hoskins and was handled in the ring by Andrea’s stud manager Brak Auker.

Supreme Champion 2022

Thistledown Elpaso was crowned the inaugural supreme champion at Your Horse Live in 2022. Ridden by seven-year-old Emily Hiscox and led by the rider’s mother Heather, the grey pony won the Pony Club lead rein final en route to the supreme.

Emily wowed the crowd when she stood up on top of the saddle at the end of her individual show, having performed a round-the-world during her show the previous day. When asked if she’d practised for the big moment, Emily revealed she’d only done stood up in the pony’s saddle once before!

View the individual champions of 2024

View the individual champions of 2023

View the individual champions of 2022

About Search for a Star

Now well into its third decade, Search for a Star was the brainchild of SEIB Insurance Brokers. The running of the series has now been leased from SEIB to the Absolutely Genuine Company.

Search for a Star has long been renowned for using top judges both at the qualifying shows and finals.

SEIB Search for a Star, along with SEIB Racehorse to Riding Horse, was set up with the intention of creating a job, and therefore an increased value, for certain groups of horses.

The team has worked closely with the Traditional Gypsy Cob Association to help facilitate Search for a Star opportunities for traditional cobs, as seen at Your Horse Live in the native and traditional in-hand championship.

Many riders subsequently become hooked on showing, having first “had a go” in Search for a Star.  Many well-known horses also started out in this competition, where their talent was first recognised.

The first ever champion was the four-year-old Shelford Rupert in 1996, who went on to win many heavyweight, working and ladies’ hunter classes and championships at top level all over the country.

In recent years, the series has grown and there are now championships at both HOYS and Your Horse Live.

The Your Horse Live Search for a Star finals include championships for mountain and moorlands, open veterans and in-hand horses and ponies, including the brand new in-hand heavy horse championship.

The inaugural Pony Club Search for a Star championship with classes for lead rein, first ridden and open Pony Club members ran in 2022 and is back even bigger and better this year!

One of the things that makes Search for a Star particularly popular with audiences is that the judges use radio microphones to describe what they are looking for and, most importantly, explain their decisions.

About SEIB Insurance Brokers

SEIB Insurance Brokers was founded in 1963 and is proudly part of the Benefact Group. It is a national company, specialising in various markets such as equestrian, funeral and private hire.

Giving is embedded in the culture of SEIB and the company has always been committed to supporting good causes. It has granted over £300,000 to charity since 2018 through their SEIB Giving initiative.

Benefact Group is the third-largest corporate donor to charity in the UK, according to the UK Guide to Company Giving 2023/24. It has donated over £200m to charity since 2014 and is aiming to reach its target of giving £250m by 2025.

Please support SEIB by using its insurance services to enable the company to continue to provide valuable sponsorship which keeps our equestrian sports going.

Images © SMR Photos