History of the Foxhunter

The Senior Foxhunter Championship is the most prestigious young horse championship in Great Britain; widely known as “the one everyone wants to win”. A true showcase for breeders and young horse producers alike, the Foxhunter Roll of Honour includes horses and riders that have gone on to succeed at the very top of the sport, including the Olympics, European, and World Championships.

Who was ‘Foxhunter’?

Despite the name, the Foxhunter Championship has nothing to do with fox-hunting. ‘Foxhunter’ was a British Olympic gold-medal-winning horse ridden by Sir Harry Llewellyn. The pair captured the hearts of 70,000 spectators and the British public when jumping the final clear round to clinch the gold medal for the British team, cementing their place in history as one of showjumping’s most beloved pairings. The iconic class at HOYS isn’t the only memorial to Foxhunter; Sir Harry bred Welsh ponies under the ‘Foxhunter’ moniker, in addition to opening a series of Foxhunter restaurants and cafés.

The Foxhunter championship was founded by Harry to make use of some of the trophies the pair had won, with the fences set at 1.10m to encourage more hunting people to take up showjumping. From humble beginnings in South Wales to one of the most illustrious titles in British showjumping, the class has developed into a wonderful legacy for one of showjumping’s best-loved equine heroes.

When is the championship?

The Redpost Equestrian Senior Foxhunter Championship Final will be held at the Horse of the Year Show on Thursday 6th October 2022.

Did you know?

• Only five riders have won the Foxhunter final more than once, and of these, only two riders – Doug Iggulden and Nick Skelton – have achieved back-to-back wins. The other riders with multiple titles are William Funnell, Michael Whitaker, and Laura Renwick.
• William Funnell holds the record for the most wins – three – having won on Once More (1984), Mondriaan (2001), and Billy Balou (2012).
• The Foxhunter Championship was started in 1954 and has (so far) not missed a year since its inception – that’s 68 winners!
• As of 2021, 17 women have won the Foxhunter final, including 2021 winner Lucy Townley. Lucy is the grand-daughter of Hickstead founder Douglas Bunn, who won this class in 1962 on Beethoven.
• There are 10 Second Rounds in the 2022 calendar, for a total of 20 tickets, plus four to qualify from the Masters, meaning 24 combinations could compete for the title in October.
• Horses & riders who have qualified from the first rounds can compete in up to four Second Rounds.
• 1962 winners Beethoven and Douglas Bunn went on to win the World Championships in 1970 at La Baule for Great Britain.
• Pennywort, who won in 1970 under Paula Graham, was the grand-dam of the brilliant Milton, who would go on to be the first horse outside of racing win £1 million in prize money.
• Sultan V, the ride of 2009 winner Bruce Menzies, jumped at the London 2012 Olympics and won a team bronze for Saudi Arabia.
• The only Foxhunter winner to later win the Hickstead Derby is Mondriaan, who won the Foxhunter in 2001 and went on to win the Derby three times – in 2006, 2008, and 2009.
• 1999 winner Luidam was on three winning Nations Cup teams — Dublin 2004, Aachen 2003 and St Gallen 2003 – and competed at the 2003 Europeans and 2006 World Equestrian Games.

Who’s qualified for the 2022 final?

Qualification is well underway for the 2022 Redpost Equestrian Foxhunter Final, and we’ll be updating the list of qualified horses & riders here. We’re excited that Redpost Rider Alice Watson will head to the final on her exciting young horse, Cintrix du Ruisseau!

How big are the fences?

• In the First Rounds, the fences are 1.20m, with two fences at 1.25m, and a maximum spread of 1.40m, or 1.80m for a triple bar. All first rounds must include a water tray or water jump with a spread between 1.2-3.0m (2.75m if jumping indoors). This water jump must have at least two poles over it, plus a take off element.
• In the Second Rounds and at the Masters, the fences go up to 1.30m, with a maximum width of 1.45m (or 1.80m for a triple bar). Second Rounds must include a true water with a spread of 3.65m, with two poles over, that will be judged as a water fence. The Masters will include a water tray, rather than a water.
• At the Foxhunter Final, the jumps go up again! This time they reach a towering 1.45m (about the same height as Danny DeVito!) with maximum spread of 1.60m. There isn’t room for a full water jump in the HOYS arena, but there will be a water tray.

What are the rules & how do you qualify?

• The Foxhunter series is open to all seven-year-old horses (or younger) – for 2022, this means horses born in or after 2015 – plus any older horses registered in Grade C that have won fewer than 700 points.
• Horses older than seven must have fewer than 700 BS points to be eligible. Horses seven or younger can have any number of points.
• Riders can be adults or juniors. The youngest rider to win the Foxhunter Final is Redpost Rider Oliver Tuff, who won on Darino B in 2018 at the age of 15.
• Horses must jump four double clears at First Round Qualifiers during the qualifying period to qualify for ‘Second Rounds’. A ‘double clear’ means that the horse must jump clear in the first round and clear in the jump off, with no time penalties. The qualifying period is from 1 May in the previous year until 30 April in the year of the final.
• In the Second Round qualifiers, the top two horses will qualify for the Foxhunter Championship Final at HOYS in October. This qualification does pass down the line if one or more of the top-placed horses has already qualified.
• Also in the Second Round qualifiers, the top five horses will qualify for the Foxhunter Masters, which is held at the British Showjumping National Championships in August.
• A horse that jumps clear in all three rounds of a Second Round (but is not in the top five) will also qualify for the Masters.
• The top four horses in the Foxhunter Masters at the BS National Championships will qualify for the Foxhunter Final at HOYS. This is the last chance to secure a coveted ticket to the final, so is always a hotly contested class!

Correct as per the British Showjumping Rulebook in June 2022 – we advise that you confirm the rules and fence heights before entering!

Who are the past winners?

The past winners of the Foxhunter Senior Championship reads like a “who’s who?” of British Showjumping. Do you dream of adding your name to the list?

• 1954 – Frances Stanbury and Dreamboat
• 1955 – Miss B.P. Rose and Royal Lord
• 1956 – J. Weaver and Andrew Cobb Esq
• 1957 – Miss A. Barker and Lucky Sam
• 1958 – A. John and Rambler IV
• 1959 – Capt. P.T. Holland and Savernake
• 1960 – Doug Iggulden and Bawbee Of Edinbarnet
• 1961 – Doug Iggulden and The Barrhead Builder
• 1962 – Douglas Bunn and Beethoven
• 1963 – Miss A. Roger Smith and Rockwell
• 1964 – Miss J. Nash and Lights Out
• 1965 – Miss A. Ross and Topaz III
• 1966 – David Broome and Top Of The Morning
• 1967 – Mr G. Spiers and Miranda XIV
• 1968 – Steve Hadley and Flying Wild
• 1969 – Caroline Bradley and Walky Talky
• 1970 – Paula Graham and Pennywort
• 1971 – Harvey Smith and Mannering
• 1972 – Miss L. Clower and Miss Tina
• 1973 – Graham Fletcher and Hold Hard
• 1974 – Harvey Smith and Olympic Star
• 1975 – Willie Sheret MBE and St Corry
• 1976 – P. Richardson and Ryehill
• 1977 – Miss Mallory Spens and Port Paddy
• 1978 – Stuart Davidson and La Belle Femme
• 1979 – Malcolm Pyrah and Saucy Brown
• 1980 – Derek Ricketts and Corals Morning Glory
• 1981 – John Whitaker and Hopscotch
• 1982 – Geoff Goodwin and Café Noir
• 1983 – Mennel Watson and Charlie Brummel
• 1984 – William Funnell and Once More
• 1985 – Liz Edgar and Everest Asher
• 1986 – Geoff Billington and Edisford Bridge
• 1987 – Emma-Jane Mac and Everest Oyster
• 1988 – Nick Skelton and Don Kelly
• 1989 – Nick Skelton and Cut Loose
• 1990 – Nigel Coupe and Balou
• 1991 – Michael Whitaker and Henderson O’Flynn
• 1992 – Malcolm Pyrah and Itziweeni
• 1993 – John Popely and Fleurance
• 1994 – Peter Murphy and Valentino R
• 1995 – Michael Whitaker and Everest Ashley
• 1996 – Duncan Inglis and Honnie
• 1997 – John Renwick and Temple What A Flash
• 1998 – Damian Charles and Carnival Spirit II
• 1999 – John Popely and Luidam
• 2000 – Robert Smith and Senator Marius Claudius
• 2001 – William Funnell and Mondriaan
• 2002 – Joe Clee and Unbelievable Darco
• 2003 – Helen Tredwell and Opportunity B
• 2004 – David McPherson and Lowen Herz
• 2005 – Philip Spivey and Romanov II
• 2006 – Laura Renwick and Limelight De Breve
• 2007 – Simon Nicholson and Marcolas G
• 2008 – Scott Brash and Sauron ML
• 2009 – Bruce Menzies and Sultan V
• 2010 – Laura Renwick and Parvati De Breve
• 2011 – Guy Williams and Djakarta
• 2012 – William Funnell and Billy Balou
• 2013 – Simon Buckley and Wordsworth II
• 2014 – Jude Burgess and Carvelo Z
• 2015 – Robert Maguire and Anastasia Van Der Helle
• 2016 – Laura Pritchard and Horse Victorys Fayot
• 2017 – Matthew Sampson and Ebolensky
• 2018 – Oliver Tuff and Darino B
• 2019 – Simon Crippen and Premier Titanium
• 2020 – Tim Davies and Nielson
• 2021 – Lucy Townley and Billy Nikon