Honouring the greatest rider of the year, who is a hero and an inspiration to others, and whose ability is a blessing for both their horses and our sport.
Nominations for this award open on Thursday 21 August, close at 5pm (UK time) on Tuesday 23 September, and can be submitted via the link below.
Nominate an individual for the Zoetis Professional Rider of the Year award
Previous Professional Rider of the Year award winners
Previous winners of this award include:
- 2024: Ros Canter, Olympic team gold medallist and Burghley winner
- 2023: Ros Canter, Badminton winner, European champion and world number two
- 2022: Laura Collett, Badminton winner, adding a second five-star title to her win at Pau in 2020, plus Tokyo Olympic eventing team gold
- 2021: Tom McEwen, winner of Tokyo Olympic eventing team gold and individual silver medallist
- 2020: Charlotte Dujardin, who was selected as professional rider of the decade (2011-2020)
- 2019: Piggy French, who won Badminton for the first time among a record 14 internationals, including Blenheim CCI4*-L, was second at Burghley on Vanir Kamira and took European team silver with Quarrycrest Echo
- 2018: Ros Canter, who became eventing individual world champion at the World Equestrian Games in Tryon
- 2017: Nicola Wilson, who took team gold and individual bronze at the European Eventing Championships
- 2016: Charlotte Dujardin, who added a second individual Olympic gold at Rio 2016 and helped the Brits to team silver
About the Horse & Hound Awards 2025
The Horse & Hound Awards are celebrating their 10th year, being held in partnership with NAF and Agria.
As ever, the Horse & Hound Awards winners will be nominated and voted for by you, with the exception of the Horse & Hound Lifetime Achievement award, which is decided by a Horse & Hound panel. We will recognise both the big names who have made 2025 special and the unsung heroes who make it possible for all of us to enjoy equestrian sport and our horses, at every level.
The ceremony will take place at Dallas Burston Polo Club in Warwickshire, where some 300 people, including stars of this summer’s European Championships, will enjoy a glamorous evening of champagne, winner reveals, Oscar-style speeches and dancing on Wednesday 26 November.
