Chance for young riders to appear at Shrewsbury Flower Show

Young riders are being invited to sign up for a Pony Club showjumping competition that could see them appearing in the main arena at this year’s Shrewsbury Flower Show.

Entries are now open for the Shropshire Horticultural Society Pony Club Showjumping Competition to be held at Radfords Equestrian in Llanymynech, on Saturday July 29th.

And the winners - plus the first and second runners-up in classes two to five - will qualify to jump in the Mini Major competition at Shrewsbury Flower Show on Saturday, August 12th.

To be eligible for the Mini Major competition, ponies must not exceed 148cm, and riders must be aged 16 or younger.

Arena chairperson for the Shrewsbury Flower Show, Leanne Kirkham-Garvey, said: “For years, we have welcomed teams from Pony Club branches to the show, to give them the opportunity to ride in a unique grass amphitheatre with a large enthusiastic audience so they can experience the real thrill of such a great live event.

“Three years ago, we decided to open up the competition to more youngsters by holding an off-site preliminary competition that includes children at a range of heights to encourage as many Pony Club members of all ages to take part.

The closing date for entries for the preliminary event is Monday, July 17th. To register, entries should visit: https://www.myridinglife.com/eventdetails.aspx?id=418022

Leanne said: “We’re very excited that the event will once again be a qualifier for the Mini Major showcase at the Shrewsbury Flower Show, and riders from classes two to five who are placed first and second will be invited to join our ‘A-lister’ show jumpers in the main competition.”

The Pony Club event links closely to the showjumping attractions at Shrewsbury Flower Show which have always been an important date in the British Showjumping calendar.

Graham Hudson, who leads the showjumping team at the Shrewsbury show, said there would be two extra classes this year, and interest was already growing in the events for 2023.

“The Flower Show competition is always a key date for British riders as it’s a great opportunity for riders to earn points towards qualifying for the next Horse of the Year Show.

“All our competitors are likely to have young horses eligible for the Foxhunter class at the national event which is one of the most prestigious young horse championships in the country, and it’s widely seen as ‘the one everyone wants to win’.

“It’s a true showcase for breeders and young horse producers and the Foxhunter roll of honour includes horses and riders that have gone to the very top of the sport including the Olympics, and World and European Championships.

“So it’s clear that visitors to the Shrewsbury Flower Show will get to see some of the most exciting and very best riders and horses in action in our arena, and we can’t wait to welcome some high profile names in the sport to the county event.”

The ticketing structure has also been revolutionised for this year’s show, with incentives for early booking. Discounted ticket prices at £20 each are available until the end of May.

Amanda Jones, for the organisers, said: “Visitors will be able to stay all day and effectively experience three shows in one – the showground during the daytime, the evening entertainment, and front row seats for the famous firework display – all at a discounted rate.

“From June 1st onwards – and on the show days themselves – the entry cost will be £25, so the sooner visitors snap up their tickets, the greater the savings they’ll be able to make.”