THE British-produced Irish Sport Horse gelding Tidy Town was crowned the Supreme Products supreme horse of the year by Olympic event rider Laura Collett and Edwin Priosser of the Mintfield Stud, as the 2026 Horse of the Year Show drew to a close last Sunday evening in Birmingham.
The 10-year-old Superior Premium bay was bred in Co Wicklow by Michael Byrne out of the Ricardo Z mare Ricardos Trump, who is dam also of, among others, the OBOS Quality 004 gelding Wicklow Into Orbit (CCI4*-L). He was purchased privately as a foal by David Tatlow in partnership with his good friend Ian McKie.
The latter’s daughter Jessica initially evented Tidy Town but, as he failed to grow, he made his way to Tatlow’s daughter Lorraine Homer for her daughter Alice to show on the flat and over jumps, which she has done with great success.
At HOYS, where he also qualified for the Intermediate show hunter class and the Intermediate workers, he got through to Sunday’s finale when winning the Hamilton Tarmac small show hunter championship on Thursday. Here, Co Kildare’s Nicola Perrin finished third with her Dublin small hunter champion, the ISH mare Ballarin Beaufort, a five-year-old daughter of Chelis HC Z.
“I cannot believe it,” a stunned Alice said afterwards. “You watch Jayne Ross, Rob Walker and all these idols and you can’t imagine you can be in the same Supreme as them, let alone be on a horse good enough to go and beat them. I went in with no expectations at all. I just wanted to have a nice time. He’s incredible to do a show on.
“My grandad bought him as a foal for some good friends of ours. He was supposed to be an eventer - which is maybe what Laura Collett liked - and he did a bit of eventing until he was six, but he didn’t grow big enough, so he came back to us and over the last four years he’s done everything.
“I can’t imagine he has anything left to prove here in the flats [flat showing at HOYS]. He’s jumped here lots of times, but I’ve never clocked a clear round, so maybe that’s on the agenda for next time!”
No senior Irish rider topped the final line-ups during the week, but others did pick up placings especially on Friday when Irish-bred horses dominated the Catplant Group of Companies’ show hunter section.
Flying the flag
The evening’s championship was won by Robert Walker on Jill Day’s middleweight class winner, the seven-year-old ISH gelding Full Cry III (Balou du Rouet - Greenacres Quality, by OBOS Quality 004). Bred in Co Meath by Michael Callery and purchased as a two-year-old from the late Dessie Gibson, the bay was adding this title to that won at the Royal International Horse Show in July.
In the morning’s heavyweight class, Walker and the RIHS reserve, IJ Countryman, a seven-year-old grey ISH gelding by Lionwood Kinsales Lad, had to settle for fourth, as Jayne Ross claimed the honours with Helena Hogath’s Greenhall Will I Ever (Shenandoah Prince Holly - Walnut Chase, by Huntingfield Proud Tim). The grey Irish Draught gelding was bred in Co Wicklow by Mary Rothwell.
Leon King finished second on the seven-year-old Forinth gelding Waterfall, who was bred in Britain by his owner Sue Tennant out of an ID mare. Co Kilkenny’s Brian Murphy finished third with Debbie Harrod’s Dublin supreme champion, the seven-year-old ISH gelding BBK Flynn (by Arkan).
Leading British rider/producer Will Morton recorded a number of championship successes during the week, including on Thursday evening when he landed the Andrews Family Hack of the Year title on the morning’s ‘large’ class winner, Copybush So Fashion.
The five-year-old Small-Land Maytino mare, who was bred in Wales by Sarah Baker out of the Pik Polo mare Pik Solo, was purchased as a three-year-old by Co Kildare-based IPS and BSPS judge Nicola Miller. The latter sent the chesnut to Nicola Perrin to be broken last October, shortly after which the mare joined the Morton yard in Essex.
Copybush So Fashion was first shown in March. She won the large hack class at Hickstead’s Derby meeting in June and, at the same venue the following month, was reserve supreme hack at the RIHS in Hickstead. She qualified for HOYS on her first attempt at the BSPS summer championships show, where she won the large hack class and went champion.
On the Wednesday, the 15-year-old ISH gelding Carnsdale Graceful Affair (Wivollet Vanbeek - Eileens Pride, by Porter Rhodes) topped the final line-up in the afternoon’s SEIB Search For A Star riding horse/hack final under his owner, Sarah Clucas.
Morton also won Friday’s Leeman Family maxi cob of the year championship on Rosamund Lane’s 10-year-old ID gelding Monarch In The Mist (Fintan Himself - Maries Dancer, by Crosstown Dancer).
Among the judges at HOYS were Rachel Moore Rooney (side-saddle, small hunters, heavy horses and maxi cobs) and Johnathan Carnduff (harness horse and pony of the year championship).