The single moment in equestrian sport that has best captured our imaginations and which will go down in history as defining 2022.
The 2022 winner
Burghley bullseye: Piggy March lands Burghley on veteran mare
Piggy and the 17-year-old Vanir Kamira started as favourites at Burghley, but to pull off victory was some feat.
“To have a horse that’s come second twice and fifth once and only has 4.8 time-faults in four cross-country rounds, she’s a true Burghley horse and deserves to have her name on a plaque on Winners’ Avenue,” said Piggy after their win. “I can’t think anyone here doesn’t think she deserves it.”
The pair started with a personal best dressage for fourth on 22.6, they finished just one second over the time across-country and secured the win with one showjump down and a fence in hand. But the fact the mare “hit every fence” – as Piggy herself said – meant fans had their hearts in their mouths to the end.
Also shortlisted were:
Dressage delight: Lottie Fry and Glamourdale win individual world dressage freestyle gold
They had already done it once, bagging the gold in the grand prix special to add to their team silver, but could Lottie and Glamourdale recreate the magic a third time? The answer? A resounding yes.
To their spine-tingling yet joyful “Best of Britain” soundtrack, expertly created by Joost Peters, this brilliant pair won the hearts of both the enormous Danish crowd and the judges once again. The performance was nothing short of magical. They danced their way to a huge plus-90% score, riding their last centre line to the sound of rapturous applause, and finishing with a perfect square halt as Lottie punched the air in sheer delight. The crowd went wild.
“I have never ridden a test like that. I was listening to the crowd singing along and, on the last centre line, Glamourdale was doing it all himself. The crowd was joining in and he just loved it,” said Lottie. “I thought, ‘Wow, this is the most amazing feeling in the world.’”
Magnolia magic: Ashleigh Wicheard wins Goodwood’s Magnolia Cup
Ashleigh made headlines when leading her fellow amateur jockeys in taking the knee in the paddock before going on to win the Markel Magnolia Cup charity race at Goodwood.
“I have been trying hard to promote diversity within the sport, just really by being a face in the paddock,” said Ashleigh, who is a work rider for Neil Mulholland and won convincingly on the Scott Dixon-trained Dark Shot. “It’s probably the most impactful thing I could have done. You can talk a lot and you can read a lot, but actually, when you see things – actions speak louder than words.
“I’ve put everything into winning this. The fact that it has all come out the way it has is unbelievable.”
World winners: Yasmin Ingham is crowned eventing world champion
As Michael Jung approached the final fence in Pratoni, everyone assumed he was about to secure his second World Championship title. Yes, FischerChipmunk FRH had hit one fence, but he would surely clear the final upright. But, astoundingly, the plank came tumbling down – and Britain’s Yasmin Ingham was world champion.
“I didn’t think Michael would make any mistakes, but he’s obviously not a robot,” said Yasmin, who was watching from the sidelines after piloting Banzai Du Loir to the clear, which had already secured them silver. “I’m just speechless and I dropped to the floor when it happened.”
The showjumping was extraordinarily exciting, with only 12 pairs achieving clears.
“It was extremely nerve-racking, but I tried to treat it as a normal competition and blocked everything else out,” said Yasmin.
Previous winners of this award include:
- 2021:
- 2020: Nick Skelton and Big Star’s individual Rio Olympic victory was, by a landslide, voted the moment of the decade
- 2019: Pippa Funnell’s Burghley victory — there could have been no more popular winner than Pippa, 16 years after her only previous Burghley win
- 2018: Jonelle and Tim Price, do the double by winning Badminton and Burghley in the same year
- 2017: Jonty Evans’ securing his Rio ride Cooley Rorkes Drift thanks to a successful crowdfunding campaign
- 2016: Ben Hobday riding triumphantly through the finish at the Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials after recovering from cancer, complete with Willberry Wonder Pony on his back
About the Horse & Hound Awards 2022
The Horse & Hound Awards returned for the seventh year in a row, running again in partnership with NAF. Some 300 people, including Olympic and Paralympic superstars, gathered to enjoy a glamorous evening of champagne, winner reveals and dancing at Cheltenham Racecourse. As in previous years, the H&H Award winners were nominated and voted for by you, the readers. We seek to recognise both the big names who have made 2022 special and the unsung heroes who make it possible for all of us to enjoy equestrian sport and our horses, at whatever level.
