The London International Horse Show is a hugely complex event with hundreds of horses, competitors, audience members and staff arriving every day! The highlights this year are many:
Photos by The London International Horse Show
The Christmas Puissance is one of Olympia’s most iconic events! The Puissance record at Olympia is held by French rider Patric Caron on Gui Sanda who jumped 7ft 5 1/2 inches (2.26m) back in 1980. Recently the highest the wall has been is 7ft 4 inches (2.24m) when John Whitaker, Robert Whitaker and Markus Fuchs tied for first place in 2006. Let’s see who will win this year! And will anyone beat the standing record?
The retirement of Valegro
The FEI World CupTM Dressage Freestyle to Music is a popular highlight in the program. Not to mention Valegro’s retirement ceremony tomorrow.
Showjumping
Then you have the showjumping competitions with the funny names: The Santa Stakes, The Father Christmas Stakes, The Snowman Stakes, The Christmas Tree Stakes, The Christmas Masters, The Holly Speed Stakes, The H&M Mistletoe Mini Stakes, The Mince Pie Stakes, The H&M Ivy Stakes, The Christmas Cracker, The Christmas Pudding Stakes and The Cayenne Puissance: a showjumping competition sometimes referred to as the big red wall, the jump is put up higher each round, if a horse knocks the jump down or refuses then they are out, the highest jumping competitor wins.
The Extreme Driving – a class where a team of four horses and one driver drive a carriage around, through and over a set of obstacles against the clock, with two grooms also on the carriage. Faults are gained if an obstacle is knocked or the incorrect route is taken, the top score with least faults wins.
The FEI World CupTM Driving Leg – a class where a team of four horses and one driver drive a carriage around, through and over a set of obstacles against the clock, with two grooms also on the carriage. Faults are gained if an obstacle is knocked or the incorrect route is taken, the top score with least faults wins.
The Markel Champions Challenge in aid of the Injured Jockeys Fund – a showjumping competition where two teams of jockeys, flat vs jump, will go head to head over a course of jumps to raise awareness for the Injured Jockeys Fund.
The H&M Pony Club Mini-Major where the best Pony Club Jumpers pair with top International Riders in a fast and furious relay showjumping competition.
The Longines FEI World CupTM Jumping Leg Presented by H&M – one of the biggest showjumping competitions at Olympia, where riders with equal faults go forward to a jump-off against the clock. Riders can win points which go toward their World Longines Ranking.
The Six Bar -a showjumping competition where riders jump 6 straight fences in a straight line, then go forward to a jump-off where the fences increase in height every round.
And at last: The Olympia Grand Prix – one of the biggest showjumping competitions at Olympia, where the top competitors with equal faults go forward to a jump-off against the clock.
And not to forget a fantastic show programme….
