It’s the ultimate in-hand showing title and this year, 22 stunning horses and ponies will strut their stuff under the famous Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) lights in the hope of clinching the coveted title of 2018 Cuddy in-hand supreme.
Meet the Cuddy in-hand supreme finalists 2018
1. Banks Timber
Joe Burke’s Connemara stallion won the supreme in-hand championship at the Northern Ireland Festival at Cavan EC. The prolific ridden pony will also take to the NEC in the open ridden ranks, under Sandra Burton.
2. Broadgrove Family Silver
Simon Charlesworth led Ann Fowler’s riding pony breeding champion to be crowned Cuddy champion at Nottinghamshire County Show.
3. Triple Crown II
It was a win for Martin Wood’s three-year-old gelding at Royal Bath & West.
4. Moortown Crusader
The Dartmoor stallion owned by the Jordan family and led out by David Jordan netted his ticket after taking his breed title on home turf at Devon County.
5. Ellister Islay Spruce
Ross Keys showed the Highland stallion — another native also NEC bound in the ridden ranks — to land his ticket at Midland Counties.
6. Comberton Cool Cat
Sally Hobbs’ impressive three-year-old kept his cool to qualify at Royal Cornwall. Later in the year, the Up With The Lark son won the Ottergayle in-hand final at the NPS summer championships.
7. Classictop Up & At It
Jane Townshend and her home-bred three-year-old, also by Up With The Lark, were victorious at South of England summer show.
8. Collstone Mastermind
Nineteen-year-old producer Tom Pearson handled Karen Lamont and Joyce Russell’s Dartmoor colt to the ticket at Derbyshire Festival.
9. Crafton Blithe Spirit
Qualifying at Three Counties was this former Royal International ridden champion, owned by Mark and Rosie Buckley, who was handled by James Crockford.
10. Aniar Cashal
Joe Burke returned at Royal Cheshire with this quality Connemara stallion — a son of Banks Timber — to gain his place in the final.
11. Revolution Brave
After standing riding pony breeding champion at the Royal Highland Show, James Crockford of the Stanley Grange show team was delighted to take another Cuddy ticket, this time with Suzannah Welby’s two-year-old homebred colt.
12. Rhos Exception
Jill Godden’s 10-year-old mare, another hugely successful ridden pony, will be making a return to HOYS after qualifying for the in-hand supreme at Royal Norfolk, with John Harvey.
13. Love Struck
The National Hunter Supreme Championship show saw the Rosemary Penn-owned mare — a previous Cuddy and HOYS riding horse winner — come full circle and take another in-hand qualification, led by Simon Charlesworth.
14. Llanarth Prince Of Wales
Simon Charlesworth took the Bigley family’s homebred Welsh section D stallion for a spin at Kent County, bagging themselves a ticket on the HOYS bus.
15. Popsters Megastar
Sandy Anderson’s big-moving Welsh section C mare took the crown at the Great Yorkshire Show, giving handler Will Perrins his first Cuddy ticket. She was shown with her filly foal at foot.
16. Moelview Moonstruck
The home-bred home-produced Welsh section B stallion stepped out for owner/breeder Richard Jones to clinch his place at TSR summer show.
17. Oaklands SD Warrior Princess
Kevin Lee led this eight-year-old chestnut mare, who is destined for a career under saddle, to win at the Scottish Horse Show.
18. Stougjeshoeve Escuado
The seven-year-old Welsh section B stallion will travel from his Holland base to compete at HOYS in October, after wining at the Royal Welsh with his owner Geert Verbaas.
19. Tyan Ma’Lady
Sue Deakin led Janine Sehne’s HOYS flat finalist and 2018 Horse & Hound cover star to land the qualification at the National Pony Society summer championships.
20. Manorlea Maisey Mae
The Colin Tibbey-produced Welsh section A mare picked up her ticket at Pembrokeshire County Show, for owners Clive and Beverley Abel.
21. MHS Morning Master
At Bucks County, Robert Walker led Gill Day’s new purchase to win on his first outing with the team and qualify.
22. Tamasutra Z
The BSHA national championships saw the final ticket of the term go to Regina Daly’s three-year-old sports horse champion, handled by Steve Pitt.
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