LATEST NEWS
JANUARY 2026
Young Judges Training Registration for 2026
Young Judges training sessions are now underway for 2026. This training which is on offer as part of Junior/Intermediate annual membership, is both fun and informative for our young members taking part and parents also.
Full details are included in the document link below.
Sponsorship Opportunities for 2026
We are pleased to open our Sponsorship opportunities for the 2026 Show Season. This is a chance for sponsors to gain wide coverage both locally and nationally whilst supporting Area 15 at the same time. Without sponsorship it is unlikely we could continue to put on these and other events.
Sponsorship Packages Available:-
Ring Sponsorship - £150 Section Championship - £50 Individual Classes - £25
We welcome sponsorships from Companies, Private Individuals, Families as well as Memorial Sponsorships to remember a much loved but no longer here, family member or pony of the past.
Although Show Sponsorship opportunities are now closed for our 2026 Shows, we are always grateful to accept donataions to support additional events and activities that the Area host throughout the year for its members.
FEBRUARY 2026
We held our Flat Showing Clinic with Area 15 Judge Carolyn Whiteley at the Beechwood Eq Centre in February Half Term. The Clinic sold out in just a few weeks, and proved to be very popular. Further Clinics will be planned for later in the year. Please do keep an eye on the Clinics page. Area 15 Members will be offered priority booking at a reduced rate 7 days prior to them going public with any remaining availability being offered to non-members also.
MARCH 2026
Our Show Committee Members; Sue, Sophie, Barbara & Michelle, have been working hard the last few months to compile our Show Schedules, Timetables & On-line Show Entry System. We are delighted to announce the schedules are now available.
APRIL 2026
Young Judges Training
We held our first Young Judges Training Session of 2026 on Monday, 30th March at the Spurr Family’s Yard, with 11 Young Judges present. We ran this session in a slightly different format with an introduction for our members, a confirmation theory and practical session and finished off with a quiz and hot & cold supper.
The second part of our introductory training was held on the afternoon of Tuesday, 7th April at Justine Armstrong-Small’s Yard and focused on the ridden element and again recapped with a quiz and light refreshments and concluded our 2 part introductory sessions to the 2026 Season. We look forward to continuing our training sessions with our 2026 team throughout the coming months.
Thank you to Freestep for the generous donation of goodies for our Young Judges, which were gratefully received.
Our next Young Judges training session is being held at the Team Hillyard Yard in Suffolk on Wednesday, 6th May 2026. This will follow our typical session format and cover both the ridden and confirmation elements. Participants should have received details including the full address from Chris Yates, however, if you have not yet received this, please do let him know (chrisyates@jacksonfinehomes.co.uk).
2026 Spring Flat Show
We held our first show of the season at Brook Farm on Sunday, 6th April 2026 and were blessed with good weather. With an extensive range of RIHS 2026 flat qualifier classes for both ponies and horses, entries were up on last year, and coupled with the generosity of our show sponsors this made for a successful show.
Thank you to our hard working Committee Members, Judges, Stewards, Helpers both prior, during and after the show for helping to make the show run so smoothly. It was lovely to see some of our new sponsors presenting their stunning sashes lovingly made by one of new Area member’s; Milly Price of Shimmering Sashes. Thank you to Jordan Brooking Photography for capturing the memories for our competitors and also supplying images for our website and social media.
Our Area 15 Supreme Champion was Elyza Hillyard and her 14.2 Show Pony KBF Bulgaria who won the RI Pretty Polly Show Pony Class. Reserve Supreme was India Fisher and her 15hh SHP Carnsdale Toy Boy.
2026 Spring WHP Show
We held our second show of the season the following weekend at Frenches Farm on Saturday, 11th April 2026 and again had good entries. With plaited RIHS 2026 WHP qualifier classes, training stakes and BSPS Heritage worker classes on offer and a fabulous Lisa Kelly course in the main arena, we attracted some superb combinations.
Thank you to our hard working Committee Members, Judges, Stewards, Helpers both prior, during and after the show for helping to make the show run so smoothly. Thank you again to Jordan Brooking Photography who also captured the memories at this show too, and of course, our valued Sponsors.
The RI WHP Champion came from the winner of the 143 class, Oh For Olive and Imogen Philp from neighbouring Area 16. Reserve Champion was Poppy Baxter-Davies and the winner of the 153 class; Kiltartan Moonlight. Thank you to Sally Ward for her ongoing support/sponsorship and also presenting rosettes and trophy to our Champion and Reserve.
After an extremely busy start to the year for our Committee Members with our Presentation Awards in January, followed swiftly by our Showing Clinic in February and then Young Judges Training Sessions and our two RI Shows, we shall be focusing our next efforts towards our Summer Show in June (on-line entries will be opening shortly).
Thank you to everyone who supports our shows and in the meantime, we look forward to following our members results out on the circuit.
Link below to Jordan Brooking Photography; official Event Photographer for both our April Shows:-
Spring Young Judges Training
2026 training of our Young Judges is well and truly under way with a further two sessions this month at The Hillyards Yard in Suffolk and The Spurr Family’s Yard in Essex, all under the watchful eye of our Chairman, Chris Yates. We are extremely pleased with the girls progress to date. Thank you to everyone that makes this possible from our hosts; The Hillyards & The Spurrs, to our guinea pigs; Emily, Amelie & Amelia, and also the parents for chaperoning them to the various yards amongst their own busy lives as well as juggling the teenagers school life, home and their own ponies.
2026 Summer Show
Wow! Where do we start ... Well, a great big thank you to all of our competitors, Area 15 Committee Members, on the day helpers, our Judges, Stewards and also our Sponsors, we are so very grateful to you all for helping make our Mid Essex Summer Show the success it was and with record entries.
After an excrutiating hot lead up to the show, we were blessed with cooler weather; sun cloud and even the wind! It was lovely to see so any of our established Area 15 Members plus some new combinations to our Area as well as some non-members. The standard was high, with several ponies already having attained their golden HOYS tickets early in the season, a testament to the extremely successful families we have in our Area.
The Fairfield's Farm Crisps Area 15 Supreme of Show was Izzy Stanley & Moorland Whiteriver (WHP Champion) and Reserve went to the PP & Open Show Pony Champion KBF Bulgari ridden by Elyza Hillyard, both ponies were Home Produced.
Sincere thanks to our onsite official Photographer, Melody Fisher Photography and for providing images for use on our website and social media.
JULY 2026
2026 is proving to be a fabulous year for many of our Area 15 Members. RIHS 2026 has proved to be a lucky show for so many of our Area 15 Members this year.
Congratulations to India Fisher who kickstarted the run of good luck by coming 2nd in the 153 SHPs on the Tuesday with Carnsdale Toy Boy. On the Wednesday, Izzy Stanley & Moorland Whiteriver jumped a lovely clear to win the 153 WHP & went Reserve Champion.
Over in the Native Ring, Beau Belle Crossley & Thistledown Runaway came 4th in the M&M Intermediates, Jessica Norris & Purewell Poppy repeated their 2022 success by winning the M&M Amateurs.
The weekend classes bought yet more success for our members with Sophie Okeefee going Intermediate Champion in the International Arena with her horse of a lifetime, Rosemarie Midnight Rendezvous. More plaited placings followed with Matilda McKay & Highropps Sophistication coming 5th in the 128 Open Show Pony class and Elyza Hillyard & KBF Bulgaria coming 3rd in the Pretty Polly Mixed Heights Show Pony class.
The final day, Sunday, saw more success for first timers to the RI, Tilly Goodwin-Whiter & Battlestown Jenny taking 5th place in the Young Dragonara Riders class.
You can also follow our news via our socials.
Find us on Facebook & Instagram.