The Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) begins today at Birmingham’s NEC, with six days of top-class equestrian action. 

All on show

As well as featuring the finals of the most prestigious national showing and show jumping championships, HOYS runs a programme of international show jumping classes in the run-up to the Leading Show Jumper of the Year Grand Prix, held during Sunday night’s Gala Evening performance.

Britain’s top ten riders - many of whom could be in the 2012 GB Olympic squad - are invited to take part, alongside a host of elite foreign riders from the top of the International Equestrian Federation (FEI) world ranking list. Watch these riders as they go head-to-head in a number of classes, including the world-famous Puissance.

Express eventing 

The Express Eventing Series Final is an exciting new addition to HOYS, and will be held on the opening day, Tuesday 4 October. Visitors will be treated to the thrill-a-minute version of eventing under one roof with dressage to music, show jumping and indoor cross country.  

Also new for 2011 is a showing tutorial master class with leading judge and producer Matthew Lawrence on Wednesday, whilst triple Olympian Richard Davison will be back to host his hugely popular dressage demonstration on Friday.

Great displays

Prestigious competition is at the core of Horse of the Year Show, but the displays are a huge part of the HOYS appeal. The Musical Ride of the Household Cavalry and the French performer Magali Delgado will thrill visitors every day of the show. Magali, wife of renowned equestrian performer Frédéric Pignon, is a master of classical dressage and artistic horsemanship and will be presenting her beautiful Lusitano, Mandarin, in the UK for the first time.

For those who enjoy watching top speed ponies in action, the Osborne Refrigerators Double Harness Scurryand the exhilarating Equimax Pony Club Mounted Games for the Prince Philip Cup will no doubt enthrall.

With two arenas, 1,500 horses, 1,400 competitors, a huge variety of shopping and 65,000 visitors, HOYS transforms the NEC into an equestrian extravaganza.