Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) organisers have apologised for the “human error” that meant the wrong horse was put through to the hack of the year final last night (9 October) – and has now lost his place in Sunday’s Supreme Products supreme horse of the year championship.
Nicola Faulconbridge’s Boston Black Tie, ridden by Helen Baker, stood champion last night with a superb performance. The eight-year-old Kilvington Scoundrel gelding had qualified having supposedly come second in the Andrews family small hack class.
But it was later found out that there had been a mix-up after the second- and third-placed horses finished on equal marks; Littletons Tiger Lily and Rebekah Pring had come second and should have contested the championship. Boston Black Tie had come third. In this class when two horses finish on the same total marks, the conformation mark should take precedence in determining placings, which was not the case in the initial calculation of the result.
“Grandstand Media Limited regrets to advise that there was an error on the placings for the Andrews family small hack of the year which impacted the horses eligible for the hack of the year championship,” HOYS organisers Grandstand said in a statement today.
“The second place and third place result for Andrews family small hack of the year will be amended, therefore second will be Littletons Tiger Lily owned by Charlotte Coppard and third will be Boston Black Tie owned by Nicola Faulconbridge.”
Grandstand quoted HOYS rules that state: “if a mistake in the marks is discovered, even after dismissing a class, it MUST be corrected and the qualification/result amended”.
“Therefore champion hack Boston Black Tie was not eligible to enter the championship and therefore the result will be annulled,” the statement reads. “For the avoidance of doubt, the reserve champion Cranbornes Sirius owned by Karen Wood and ridden by Harrison Taylor will be deemed champion hack and therefore eligible for the supreme horse of the year.
“The rules for this class state that in the case of equality of marks, the conformation mark takes precedence. On this occasion the incorrect mark took precedence for the placings. Horse of the Year Show wishes to apologise to all competitors, owners and connections impacted by the human error made.”
“I feel heartbroken for everyone”
Rebekah, who should have contested the championship with her six-year-old mare, with whom she won the 2025 Royal International amateur supreme championship, told H&H she thought HOYS had handled the situation well.
“I feel heartbroken for everyone involved,” she said. “But, personally, I don’t want it to taint everything that happened before.
“I was so happy with where we were and Lily doesn’t know. She just knows that we had a lovely time and I was thrilled with her. We’ve had the most magical season and looking on the bright side, it means that she has been in the top two all season and could have been in the championships at all the major shows – Royal Windsor, Royal International and HOYS.
“It would have been lovely to have been in that championship, but hopefully she’ll have an opportunity in the future.”
Up-and-coming Cheshire-based producer Harrison Taylor had won the small hack class, his first victory on horses, with his own and Karen Wood’s seven-year-old Cranbornes Sirius, and had been delighted to stand reserve champion. He will now go forward to Sunday’s supreme as hack champion.
“I don’t know what to say,” he told H&H. “It’s terrible for everyone involved. It was a dream to be in that championship in the first place and I was ecstatic to be reserve.
“Helen and Boston Bow Tie gave a beautiful show and I was happy to be in reserve. I feel devastated for them. To have a dream come true only for it to be taken again must be bitterly disappointing.
“It’s also disappointing for Rebekah Pring, who didn’t have the chance to be a part of a magical evening performance.”
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