Celebrating the event horse who has thrilled the crowds with his or her skill and bravery across the three phases.
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.
Black Nova Designs Event Horse of the Year shortlist
Lordships Graffalo
12yo British-bred gelding, Birkhof’s Grafenstolz x Rock King
Rider: Ros Canter
Owners: Michele and Archie Saul
Breeder: Lordships Stud and Pennie Wallace
Grooms: Sarah Charnley and Travis Leigh
After a successful 2023, Ros Canter kept Lordships Graffalo quiet this spring, doing just enough to secure Olympic selection. In Paris, the pair were victims of a controversial flag decision, without which they’d have been fifth individually, but helped Britain to team gold. They then headed to Burghley, where Ros has so much history, from Pony Club showjumping right through to her first five-star. With 11th her previous best here, she upped her game spectacularly and cruised to victory. “I wasn’t sure I’d ever tick the Burghley box,” she says. “It just turns out you just need a horse like ‘Walter’, don’t you? He’s absolutely unreal. What a machine.”
London 52
15yo Holsteiner gelding, Landos x Quinar Z
Rider: Laura Collett
Owners: Keith Scott, Karen Bartlett and rider
Breeder: Ocke Riewerts
Groom: Tilly Hughes
The three-time five-star winner who led Britain to Olympic team gold and snaffled his own individual bronze in Paris, following team gold in Tokyo. Laura Collett admits she left Japan with unfinished business: “It was never going to be put to bed unless I came away from Paris with an individual medal – I went to Tokyo knowing I should win one and I messed up two phases. I just felt the horse has always deserved an individual medal and I’ve stopped him from getting one.” Laura acted on learnings from Tokyo to break the Olympic record in the dressage, and with strong jumping performances too the pair took their individual bronze.
JL Dublin
13yo Holsteiner gelding, Diarado x Canto 16
Rider: Tom McEwen
Owners: James and Jo Lambert and Deirdre Johnston
Breeder: Volker Göttsche-Götze
Groom: Adam Short
JL Dublin joined the elite group of horses who are championship gold medallists for two different riders this year. The Diarado son was European champion under Nicola Wilson in 2021, then went to Tom McEwen late in 2022 after Nicola’s serious accident. The pair had ups and downs as they built their relationship, but emerged ready to fight for a Paris place, racking up a win at Kronenberg CCI4*-S, second at Kentucky five-star and second in the hot CCI4*-S at Luhmühlen. At the Olympics, “Dubs” and Tom put in an impeccable performance as pathfinders for the gold medal-winning British team and finished fourth individually on their dressage score.
Shadow Man
14yo Belgian warmblood gelding, Fidjy Of Colours x Winningmood Van De Arenberg
Rider for 2024: Chris Burton
Owners for 2024: rider and Guy Bloodstock Ltd
Breeder: Atoon Loos
Groom: Madelaine Taylor
Shadow Man and Chris Burton won individual silver in Paris, a remarkable achievement for a partnership that came together only at the start of this year. Australian rider Chris has focused on showjumping since 2021, but acquired the ride on Ben Hobday’s usual mount temporarily for an Olympic campaign. They were superb in Paris, adding just 0.4 of a time-fault in the first showjumping round to their dressage. “I said when we went up to Ben’s to ride him and vet him in the same day, I felt like I knew him already – we’re made for each other. But anyone would feel that sitting on him, he’d break your heart,” says Chris.
Previous Event Horse of the Year Award winners
The previous winner of the Event Horse of the Year Award was:
- 2023: Lordships Graffalo, Ros Canter’s brilliant partner who won Badminton and the 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
