An elite showjumper’s sheer talent to clear the highest fences is sublime – which horse deserves top honours in 2025?
For the third year in a row, we will crown the best horses in their individual sports based on your votes as part of the annual Horse & Hound Awards. See who’s made the shortlist and place your votes below…
Showjumping Horse of the Year 2025 shortlist
Hello Folie
10yo Selle Français mare, Luidam x Diamant De Semilly
Rider: Scott Brash
Owners: Lady Harris and Lady Kirkham
Breeder: Claire Gouin
This spirited mare captured our hearts with her enthusiastic and faultless dual silver medal-winning performance at the European Championships. We won’t forget that heart-stopping moment when Scott lost a rein mid-round, yet Folie casually popped through a full-height treble combination without batting an eyelid.
Groomed by David Honnet, this rising star’s breakthrough came months earlier with a debut five-star grand prix success in Qatar, makingheadlines again when winning the recent Barcelona grand prix.
“She loves the job and wants to win,” says Scott. “I’ve always felt she was going to be a top horse and she feels like she’s getting more comfortable at that height now. She’s shown the world how talented she is.”
Vermento
12yo stallion, Argento x Skippy II
Rider: Robert Whitaker
Owners: Stephen and Caroline Blatchford
Breeder: John Whitaker
The Whitaker family home-bred “Blackie” made Hickstead history this year when reclaiming the King George V Gold Cup that he and Robert won for the first time amid epic celebrations in 2023.
The versatile 17hh stallion – whose grooms are Harriet Keenleyside and Tabitha Goodwin – was also placed in the grands prix of Paris, HOYS and Royal Windsor in 2025, and represented Great Britain in Nations Cup squads.
Crediting Vermento after his second winning King George jump-off performance, Rob revealed: “Every turn, every stride I got was at the right moment.
“Vermento is a big horse, but somehow he’s quite fast,” says Robert. “He’s been amazing over the past two years, taking me back up to the big shows, winning five-star grands prix and being placed in many more.”
Chacco Volo
12yo Oldenburg stallion, Chacco-Blue x Carthago Z
Rider: Adrian Whiteway
Owner: Deborah Cox
Breeder: Gestüt Lewitz
This hugely consistent stallion is the team selector’s dream, delivering clear round after clear round, although Adrian admits, “Time-faults are still our forte!”
But having been instrumental to Nations Cup successes in recent years, the pair took the huge step up to five-star level this year, helping Great Britain score the country’s first-ever victory in the Longines League of Nations (LLN).
“He’s always delivered. He always gives me 100% every time he goes in the ring, and never lets me down,” says Adrian.
Millfield Colette
12yo British-bred mare, Cornet Obolensky x Clearway
Rider: Donald Whitaker
Owner: Donald Whitaker and Reitsportanlage Dagobertshausen GMBH
Breeder: Sue Jaggar
Since winning last year’s King George V Gold Cup, Donald has been on a whirlwind journey with the hugely popular “Ellie”, achieving the pinnacle of team silver at the European Championships this summer where they also finished 10th individually.
They crowned the season by helping Great Britain to two momentous victories in the BMO Nations Cup at Spruce Meadows and the LLN Final in Barcelona.
Donald says Ellie – whose groom is Brigita Unciute – “wouldn’t be everyone’s ideal horse” because “she’s so sharp”, but his patience has been richly rewarded.
“Now, we know each other back to front and I can really enjoy riding her,” he says. “She’s brilliant.”
Voting closes at 5pm on Thursday 30 October and the winners will be revealed at a star-studded ceremony on 26 November, and featured online, on social media and in the following week’s magazine (4 December). Read the H&H Awards 2025 terms and conditions
Previous Showjumping Horse of the Year Award winners
The previous winners of the Showjumping Horse of the Year Award are:
- 2024: the late Mr Blue Sky UK, one of the greatest and most popular puissance horses of all time, partnered by Guy Williams
- 2023: Flying Tinker II, Mark Edwards’ home-bred and one of the most consistent horses on the national circuit
Prior to 2023, the Horse of the Year Award ran across all equestrian disciplines, and the winners include:
- 2022: Vanir Kamira, the much-loved veteran mare, who added Burghley to her previous Badminton win
- 2021: the world’s best showjumper and Olympic champion Explosion W, ride of Ben Maher
- 2020: the legendary Valegro was crowned the horse of the decade (2011-2020) by H&H readers
- 2019: Piggy French’s ride Vanir Kamira may be “a pain in the arse 352 days a year”, but this true five-star horse “comes into her own at Badminton and Burghley”
- 2018: Arctic Soul, the former racehorse turned elite eventer, ridden by Gemma Tattersall
- 2017: Nip Tuck, Carl Hester’s outstanding equine partner
- 2016: Valegro, the elite dressage star and world record breaker, ridden by Charlotte Dujardin
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.
