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William Fox-Pitt to judge at Horse of the Year Show

Becky Murray Becky Murray

    • Eventing legend William Fox-Pitt has been announced as a judge at the Horse of the Year Show (9-13 October).

    William, who retired from top-level eventing this year, is one of the latest additions to the HOYS judging panel, along with Ann Overton-Ablitt and Tissie Reason. They join 15 other judges on the panel, which includes Colin Tibbey, Simon Reynolds, and Caroline Dale-Leech.

    It has not been confirmed which class will be judged by whom, and a HOYS spokesperson said “participants will be notified the evening before each final who their nominated judge will be”.

    William told H&H “some new horizons had been popping up” since he stepped the eventing down.

    “It’s nice to look at different worlds and horses,” he said.

    “I’ve got my own beliefs and preferences, and it’s nice to know what people are interested to hear what I might have to say.”

    William had his first taste of judging last weekend at the British Show Horse Association national championships (12-14 September). He and his wife Alice judged the supreme hunter championship, won by Sam Walker with Jill Day’s Flash Point.

    “I enjoyed it. It’s amazing to have a chance to judge that calibre of horses and riders at a top show. I was looking for a good, athletic, exciting horse that had been well produced and looked to be an exciting ride,” he said.

    “I’m off to Seville at the end of the month to judge some young Anglo Arab competition horses for the Anglo Arab Association, with my Tamarillo hat on, as he was an Anglo Arab.”

    William Fox-Pitt was honoured in a retirement ceremony at Burghley Horse Trials, an event he has won six times. William borrowed Ros Canter’s ride Izilot DHI for a lap of honour in front of the stands, before speaking of his “many special memories” of the event.

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    Becky Murray
    Becky Murray

    H&H senior news writer
    Since joining H&H in 2018, Becky has covered a broad range of equestrian news including welfare matters, veterinary studies, FEI Tribunal hearings and road safety campaigns. She has also interviewed top riders including Scott Brash, John Whitaker and Ian Stark, to name just a few. Becky’s reporting has taken her to Canada for Spruce Meadows and France for Pau five-star, as well as the Royal Highland and Blair Castle International Horse Trials closer to home. She was also a key part of the remote reporting team for the Tokyo Olympics and the Europeans.
    Becky Murray

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