Nailing a supreme

Winning a supreme, whether at local level or a major championship, is no mean feat. Alex Robinson learns the secrets to bringing the heat in a showdown

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A SUPREME championship is a unique beast. No rider, even the best with decades of experience, heads into a show assuming that they’re guaranteed a spot in the supreme, and the final results are all to play for.

The season’s four most prestigious supremes are held at the Royal International (RIHS) and the Horse of the Year Show (HOYS), with horse and pony champions competing for separate titles.

Innovative fixtures such as the evergrowing Show Teams And Rising (STARS) Championships, a show offering “the HOYS experience” to Pony Club and riding club competitors, provide an opportunity for amateurs and home-producers to taste the spotlight and ride under pressured conditions too.

There are various other supremes held throughout the season, some offering lucrative prizes, and many county shows also hold supreme championships at the end of the day’s schedule.

QUEEN of the show ring Jayne Ross has one of the most impressive supreme CVs.

Currently, she holds five RIHS titles, achieved with two-time winners The Philanderer and Time 2 Reflect, and also with Comberton Clancy. Surprisingly, Jayne isn’t a great lover of a supreme.

“They’re very special to win, but you can leave a show feeling deflated if you don’t take the supreme, even if you’ve had a great run,” says Jayne, who has been HOYS horse supreme seven times on the three horses above as well as Twinshock Warrior, Soldier Brave, and Broadshard Simplicity.