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The rise of the show coloured: why this type has become increasingly popular and how you can impress the judges *H&H Plus*

Alex Robinson Alex Robinson

    • Coloureds are one of the most hotly contested sections within showing, but this hasn’t always been the case. Alex Robinson looks at what’s led to this influx of fans and how you can impress in these classes

    ONCE arguably the underdog of the show ring, a quality coloured – horse or pony, hairy or not – is a force to be reckoned with. Today, if you strive to win with your own patchy partner, you need to be on the money in both performance and turnout, and also ensure that the animal you’re sitting on ticks all the necessary type and conformation boxes.

    It was back in 1988 when a group of 11 friends got together around a kitchen table and founded the British Skewbald and Piebald Association (BSPA) – one of the two main showing societies dedicated to coloureds – as a reaction to the growing number of enthusiasts.

    “We felt there was a need for an umbrella to promote the interests of the coloured horse,” explains BSPA chair Lynda Lodge, who has been with the association since day one. The BSPA was initially run by a general council and a series of volunteers, known as regional team leaders, who put on shows in their areas at both local and county level.

    This feature is also available to read in this Thursday’s H&H magazine (8 April, 2021)

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    Alex Robinson
    Alex Robinson

    Freelance equestrian journalist
    Born and raised in the Lake District, Alex has grown up on the showing scene. She has qualified and competed ponies at the Royal International, Horse of the Year Show and Olympia and has first-hand knowledge of the current issues in the showing world as well as the horses, ponies and riders who compete in the sport. Alex joined H&H in January 2018 as showing editor, cementing its place as the leading equestrian publication for both showing reports and current showing news in the UK. She moved on in October 2024 to pursue other opportunities, but continues to write for us on a freelance basis.
    Alex Robinson