Premier Amateur HOYS Qualification

Introduction

More information

Premier Amateur Information

The Premier Amateur Horse of the Year Show Qualification looks to continue the support of Amateurs wanting to fulfil their ambition of competing at the prestigious finals.

The Premier Amateur Ticket will be awarded at the TSR Premier Amateur Show taking place at Stoneleigh Park, Coventry on Saturday 25th and Sunday 26th May 2024, which will once again be dedicated to Amateur and Home Produced competitors only.

The Show will host the full range of ridden Horse of the Year show qualifiers, with the elusive golden ticket on offer in each class, taking combinations to the Arena of Dreams at the NEC Birmingham in October.

With 39 Amateur combinations featuring in the top 9 placings at Horse of the Year Show 2023 – 26 of which came from the TSR Show – this is surely to be a hotly contested competition once again in 2024.

The Premier Amateur Show is open to those combinations eligible under the TSR Amateur definition scheme as set out in the  TSR Handbook HERE.

The show will be open to both members and non-members of TSR, with members benefitting from discounted entry fees across all classes at the show along with a host of other exclusive benefits.

Combinations entered in Horse of the Year Show qualifiers at the Show for the following sections/classes will be eligible:

    • Lightweight Show Hunter of the Year
    • Middleweight Show Hunter of the Year
    • Heavyweight Show Hunter of the Year
    • Mountain & Moorland Ridden New Forest
    • Mountain & Moorland Ridden Connemara
    • Mountain & Moorland Ridden Fell
    • Mountain & Moorland Dales
    • Mountain & Moorland Ridden Highland
    • Mountain & Moorland Ridden Dartmoor
    • Mountain & Moorland Ridden Exmoor/Shetland
    • Mountain & Moorland Ridden Welsh A
    • Mountain & Moorland Ridden Welsh B
    • Mountain & Moorland Ridden Welsh C
    • Mountain & Moorland Ridden Welsh D
    • Mountain & Moorland First Ridden Pony of the Year
    • Mountain & Moorland Lead Rein Pony of the Year
    • Ladies Side Saddle Horse of the Year
    • Small Hack of the Year
    • Large Hack of the Year
    • Junior Mountain & Moorland 122cm Working Hunter Pony of the Year
    • Mountain & Moorland 122cm Working Hunter Pony of the Year
    • Mountain & Moorland 133cm Working Hunter Pony of the Year
    • Mountain & Moorland 143cm Working Hunter Pony of the Year
    • Mountain & Moorland Exc. 143cm Working Hunter Pony of the Year
    • Intermediate Show Hunter of the Year
    • Working Hunter of the Year
    • Coloured Ridden Junior Non-Native and Native/Cob/Traditional Pony of the Year
    • Coloured Ridden Non-Native Horse of the Year
    • Coloured Ridden Native/Cob/Traditional Pony of the Year
    • Coloured Ridden Native/Cob/Traditional Horse of the Year
    • Ridden Purebred Arab of the Year
    • 128cm Children’s Riding Pony of the Year
    • 138cm Children’s Riding Pony of the Year
    • 148cm Children’s Riding Pony of the Year
    • Lightweight Cob of the Year
    • Heavyweight Cob of the Year
    • Intermediate Show Riding Type of the Year
    • Small Show Hunter of the Year
    • 122cm Show Hunter Pony of the Year
    • 133cm Show Hunter Pony of the Year
    • 143cm Show Hunter Pony of the Year
    • 153cm Show Hunter Pony of the Year
    • Lead Rein Pony of Hunter Type of the Year
    • Small Riding Horse of the Year
    • Large Riding Horse of the Year
    • 133cm Working Hunter Pony of the Year
    • 143cm Working Hunter Pony of the Year
    • 153cm Working Hunter Pony of the Year
    • Intermediate Working Hunter Pony of the Year
    • First Ridden Pony of the Year
    • Lead Rein Pony of the Year
    • Maxi Cob of the Year
    • Ridden Partbred Pony of the Year
    • Small Breeds Junior Mountain & Moorland Pony of the Year
    • Large Breeds Junior Mountain & Moorland Pony of the Year
    • British Ridden Heavy Horse

More information

Eligibility and terms

TSR Amateur Definition

You are eligible for TSR Amateur/Home Produced classes and the Premier Amateur League/HOYS Wildcard unless you are a Professional. You are a Professional in relation to Showing if you derive ANY income (main or part time) from working with horses/ponies in connection with Showing OR if you fall into one of the following Professional definitions as detailed below:

  • Professional Producer – A person who keeps horses/ponies, including training, livery, schooling, rides or handles equines for the show ring for more than one exhibitor/owner paid or unpaid since 1st January 2020.
  • Professional Rider – A person of any age who rides horses/ponies in the show ring for more than one owner paid or unpaid since 1st January of the preceding year.
  • Professional Handler – A person of any age who leads horses/ponies in the show ring for more than one owner paid or unpaid, including Lead Reins since 1st January of the preceding year.
  • Professional Breeder – A person who breeds from 10 or more brood mares in a commercial capacity since 1st January of the preceding year.
  • Professional Show Groom – A person who receives remuneration or otherwise for employment full, part-time, or self-employed in connection with Showing in the current year or since 1st January of the preceding year.
  • Professional Trainer/Instructor – A person who teaches and trains in any discipline paid or unpaid. Please see TSR Handbook for further definition.
  • Professional Owner – A person who exhibits an animal in their name which is professionally produced for the show ring in the current year. Any other animals in their name/care or ownership or in the name of an immediate family member/spouse/partner even if they are kept at home will NOT be eligible for the Amateur Classes in that year.

For clarity, where the definition states ‘for more than one exhibitor/owner’ this is exclusive of yourself.  Therefore, as an example X can ride their own horse/pony and that of Y only.

All children/juniors not to have attained their 18th birthday before 1st January in the current year will fall under their parents/guardian’s status.

Immediate family (as defined in section 4a of the TSR Handbook)/Spouses or Partners of a Professional who work or are howsoever otherwise
engaged or involved in any capacity with the Professional’s business whether or not for remuneration will be treated as being a Professional.

 

For the avoidance of doubt:

You are eligible for the TSR Amateur/Home Produced classes and/or the Premier Amateur HOYS Qualification if you:

  1. Keep your horse/pony on livery on a non-showing yard
  2. Work in racing, riding school, non-showing yard or other non-showing discipline (except teaching or training)
  3. Are a brand ambassador up to a limit of benefits worth £500
  4. Receive remuneration for ancillary services for example as a farrier, vet, physio
  5. Have lessons/training one to one and at clinics
  6. Loan/lease a horse/pony as long as there is a formal agreement, and it is shown and/or exhibited in your name
  7. Send a horse/pony to be broken to be ridden during the period of November 2023 to February 2024 with a professional as defined above. This horse/pony is not eligible to compete in the Premier Amateur HOYS Ridden qualification classes in the current year but this does not affect any other animals already in the ownership, lease or loan in the current season by those who meet the amateur definition.
  8. Sell a horse/pony through a professional as defined above, which is sold and does not return to or remain in your ownership whether that be part, full or through a lease or loan agreement.

 

Horse/Pony Eligibility

A horse or pony is NOT eligible for TSR Amateur/Home Produced classes and/or the Premier Amateur HOYS Qualification if it is:

  1. Stabled, schooled or competed with/by a Professional as defined above in the current year
  2. Ridden/lead by a Professional in the current year
  3. Shown in the name/owned or sponsored by a company or commercial firm
  4. Attended in the ring or outside the ring by a Professional in the current year
  5. If the owner and/or rider and/or handler has another horse/pony stabled with a Professional as defined above in the current year
  6. If either the owner, rider or handler is a professional
  7. Shown by a person for which that person’s immediate family is a Professional
  8. Ridden by a professional in training sessions or clinics in the current year
  9. Animals which have been produced in the current season that have been purchased, leased or loaned from a professional are not eligible to compete under the amateur definition in the current year. This does not affect other animals already in the ownership, lease or loan in the current season by those who meet the amateur definition.
  10. Broken to be ridden by a professional and during this period are competed in showing classes of any kind.
  11. Placed on Sales Livery with a professional at any time in the calendar year, which returns to the owner or rider having not been sold, will not be eligible under the amateur definition in the current year. This does not affect any other animals in your ownership, lease or loan.

 

TSR takes very seriously the spirit of these amateur/home-produced conditions any member found to be contravening them may be subject to exclusion from the society with immediate effect.

Any member or competitor wishing to compete under the TSR amateur definition in relation to any qualification gained for Horse of the Year Show ridden classes, must ensure they maintain their amateur status from 1st January 2024, up to and including the last day of Horse of the Year Show Sunday 13th October 2024.

TSR reserve the right to refuse entry to Horse of the Year Show should it become aware through eligibility checks or concerns that this ruling has not been adhered to. This applies to owner, rider and animal.

If you are in any doubt about your amateur status please ask the office for guidance, the decision of The Showing Register on eligibility will be final.