Rillington rider Amii Hardie qualifies for the Horse of the Year Show
An amateur rider from Rillington, Amii Hardie, has qualified for the prestigious Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) in Birmingham this October.
Amii and her bay gelding, Marselan attended the SEIB Insurance Brokers Search for a Star qualifier on August 6 at Arena UK in Lincolnshire.
They will now go on to compete under the bright lights of the HOYS Arena at the NEC in Birmingham in early October.
The pair competed in and took runner up spot in the Riding Horse Hack class under top judges Richard Ramsay and Jordan Cook to earn their HOYS qualification.
Amii said: “This is the third time we’ve done Search for a Star – in 2024 we came third and fifth. Artie, as Marselan is known at home, is known, has had time off this year.
"He had to have surgery back in February for a septic tract in his foot.
"It’s taken a while to get back out again, we had to spend 12 weeks long-reining. Artie always give the judge a great ride in these classes and we are working on improving the go-round. Artie won three races out of about 15 starts as a racehorse and I’ve owned him since September 2022. He spent a year in the field before we got him going for the show ring.
SEIB Search for a Star organiser, Nicolina MacKenzie said: “Search for a Star is all about the journey and learning and improving over time. Our team of judges and stewards are all invested in providing support and encouragement to help competitors and their horses and ponies perform to the best level they can.”
SEIB Search for a Star first took place back in 1996 and has provided thousands of opportunities for amateur riders to compete at HOYS.