Hello to all our showing competitors, and welcome to a special edition of the Hickstead newsletter. We are pleased to announce that the judges have been appointed for next year's Agria Royal International Horse Show, along with a number of updates and new classes for next season. Scroll down for all the latest updates, plus don't miss our prize draw to win a bundle of goodies from TopSpec. 

Richard Ramsay, John Chugg and Annette Harries are the three judges for next year's Barberstown Castle Supreme Horse and the Supreme Products Supreme Pony Championships, which take place on the final day of the Agria Royal International Horse Show. To see the whole list of judges for the show, head to the Entries and Results section of our website, and scroll down on the Royal International page. 

Fancy gathering together a group of owners, liveries or showing friends for a night of festive celebrations? Come to our mixed party night on 6 December to party the night away Hickstead style!

Watch some of the showing highlights from the final day of last year's Agria Royal International International Horse Show, featuring the cobs, show ponies and supremes.  

Following consultation with the British Show Pony Society, a number of updates have been made to the schedule for next summer’s Agria Royal International Horse Show.

In the working hunter pony classes, a new Cradle Stakes Final has been added which will be open to riders not to have attained their 12th birthday by the 1st January of the current year, while the Nursery Stakes will now be open to riders not to have attained their 13th birthday.  Both classes will take place on the Sunday, and the top two prizewinners in each class will go forward to a Mini WHP Championship.

Also being added to the schedule is an exciting new class, the First Ridden Pony of Hunter Type. No jumps will be included but instead the riders and ponies will complete a course of obstacles. This class will be held on the Saturday of the show, immediately after the Lead Rein Pony of Show Hunter Type, and will be followed by a Mini Championship. The Champion will proceed to compete in the Supreme Products Supreme Pony Championship on the Sunday.

The Intermediates have had a slight makeover, with class names and some heights of animals changed.  The idea is that young riders can buy a hack or riding horse type to compete in the intermediates and then go on to the horse classes.  The Intermediate Show Hunter remains unaltered.

- THE B.S.P.S. INTERMEDIATE SHOW RIDING HORSE - Mare or Gelding, 4 years old or over exceeding 148cm, not exceeding 158cms. Suitable to be ridden by a rider not to have attained their 25th birthday before 1st January in the current year.

- THE B.S.P.S. INTERMEDIATE SHOW HACK - Mare or Gelding, 4years old or over exceeding 146cm and not exceeding 160cms. Suitable to be ridden by a rider not to have attained their 25th birthday before 1st January in the current year.

- THE B.S.P.S. INTERMEDIATE SHOW HUNTER - Mare or Gelding, 4 years old or over, exceeding 148cms. and not exceeding 158cms. Suitable to be ridden by a rider not to have attained not to have attained their 25th birthday before 1st January in the current year.

Significant changes have been made in the plaited working hunter pony classes to increase entries and ensure greater consistency in both qualifying rounds and the final. Competitors will now have the opportunity to jump two ponies in each qualifier, supporting the development of novice ponies. The heights and spreads of fences have been reduced by 5cms in each section but 90% of the course must now be built at the designated height.  5cms additional height can be added at Championship shows.  The age of riders in the 153cms WHP has been increased to 25 years.   

Due to disappointing entries in the Large Anglo and Part Bred Arab qualifying classes, they will be combined into a single class for 2026.

For further details, please visit the BSPS website

In the British Show Horse Association amateur division, the two highest placed Home Produced exhibits in the BSHA Amateur Riding Horse Championship, the BSHA Amateur Cob Championship and the BSHA Amateur Hack Championship will go forward to a new BSHA Home Produced Amateur Championship.

Some major renovation work has taken place here at Hickstead, with a complete resurface for the International Arena. 

Pippa Funnell and Tristan Phipps from the Talk Horse podcast chat to social media star and show rider Harlow White. 

TopSpec, VetSpec, and Equerry are giving you the chance to win a fantastic feed bundle. Including TopSpec Balancers with blends, chops, and supplements for your horse, a 20kg bag of Equerry Minty Treats (low-sugar and cereal-grain-free), and a 12kg bag of VetSpec Super Premium Dog Food. Enter now for your chance to win! Entries close 31 January 2026.