Celebrating the dressage horse who is at the top of his or her game and is a pure joy to watch
For the second 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.
Swaine Dressage Horse of the Year shortlist
Glamourdale
13yo stallion, Lord Leatherdale x Negro
Rider: Lottie Fry
Owners: Van Olst Horses
Breeder: Joop Rodenburg
Groom: Richard Hauwaerts
It’s been another stellar year for the charismatic stallion Lottie describes as “the perfect dressage horse”, following his individual and team bronze medals in Paris. With an undeniable presence in the arena, he continues to captivate audiences worldwide, cementing his status as one of the most exciting and successful dressage horses of his generation. “He’s so powerful when you canter it’s like flying, but he’s also elastic and supple at the same time, and it’s rare to be so powerful and elegant,” Lottie says. “I was so proud of him in Paris; I 100% knew he was capable of it, but to be able to pull it off and get the bronze was just incredible.”
Jagerbomb
10yo gelding, Dante Weltino x Jazz
Rider: Becky Moody
Owners: rider and Jo Cooper
Breeder: rider
Groom: Kim Masson
What a year it’s been for Becky and her home-bred gelding, who scored a personal best in the grand prix special in Paris as the team’s pathfinders – which went a long way to guaranteeing the team bronze medal. Becky had previously said she’d never expected Jagerbomb to get this far but in Paris, the pair looked made for the biggest stages the sport has to offer. “We’ve worked so hard for this,” Becky says. “This horse is so special to me and he’s just been so incredible in what he’s done over the last few years. And it’s really amazing that he got to have the chance to show that off in Paris – I’m just so proud of him.”
Diego V
16yo gelding, Spielberg x Welt Hit II
Rider: Lewis Robertson-Carrier
Owners: rider and his parents Andrew and Helen Carrier
Breeder: E Janssen
Groom: Olivia Robertson-Carrier
If you could turn back the clock 12 years and tell 15-year-old Lewis that the talented yet challenging four-year-old he had just acquired would one day be crowned national champion, he wouldn’t have believed you. “Back then, my goal was just to move from novice to elementary – I wasn’t even thinking about grand prix,” Lewis recalls. But together, he and Diego have climbed through the ranks, experiencing both the highs and lows of top-level sport. “It proves that with time, effort and a little bit of luck, anything is possible,” Lewis says. “I’ve been incredibly fortunate with Diego – he’s given me everything. It’s been an unbelievable journey. He’s one in a million.”
Sakura
10yo mare, Supertramp x Woodlander Rockstar
Rider: Georgia Wilson
Owners: rider and her parents Geoff and Julie Wilson, and Alex Thomas
Breeder: G Eilberg
Grooms: Liz Geldard and Beth Revill
After being thrust into the spotlight at the last minute at the Tokyo Paralympics for their Games debut, Georgia and laid-back Sakura finished as Britain’s most successful pairing in Paris. The pair won individual silver, breaking a streak of consecutive bronze medals. “I can’t describe that feeling,” Georgia says. “It was a dream come true – to break out of the bronzes and to bring a silver back home to Wales was incredible. She tried her heart out and I can’t thank ‘Suki’ enough. Mum and Dad sold their motorhome – which was their retirement present – for Suki, but I don’t think they’ll miss the motorhome too much now!”
Previous Dressage Horse of the Year Award winners
The previous winner of the Dressage Horse of the Year Award was:
- 2023: Glamourdale, 2022 world champions and individual silver medallist at the 2023 Europeans
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 2024
The Horse & Hound Awards are back for a ninth year in a row, in partnership with NAF and Agria.
As ever, the H&H Awards winners will be nominated and voted for by you, with the exception of the Horse & Hound Lifetime Achievement award, which will be decided by a Horse & Hound panel. We will recognise both the big names who have made 2024 special and the unsung heroes who make it possible for all of us to enjoy equestrian sport and our horses, at whatever level.
This year we will be returning to Dallas Burston Polo Club in Warwickshire, where some 300 people, including Olympic and Paralympic superstars, can look forward to a glamorous evening of champagne, winner reveals, Oscar-style speeches and dancing on Wednesday 27 November. If you’d like to join us, you can book an individual ticket or a platinum table for 10 people at www.hhawardsuk.com
