A THRILLED amateur rider from Binley Woods has overcome heartbreak to qualify for the prestigious Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) in Birmingham this October.
Helen Forster and her horse, HS Queen Bea, won their class at the SEIB Insurance Brokers Search for a Star qualifier at the Wiltshire Horse Show.
They will now go on to compete under the bright lights of the HOYS Arena at the NEC in Birmingham in early October.
The pair competed in and won the competitive Working Horse class to earn their HOYS qualification.
Helen said: “I qualified for Search for a Star in the Riding Horse class three years ago with my horse Greannanstown Jackpot, who sadly had a field accident and died before the finals.
“I’m so lucky to have Bea and to have now qualified again.
“I bought Bea from her breeder when she was just six months old and we’ve competed in plenty of different things together.
“We went to the London Horse Show in 2024 and 2025 when we came second and took the Reserve Champion Working Show Horse.
“We also do some showjumping together and have qualified for the Blue Chip Showjumping Championships.”
SEIB Search for a Star has provided thousands of opportunities for amateur riders to compete at HOYS since it first took place in 1996.
Each of the qualifying shows offers opportunities for a full range of show horses to earn a place at the series championships at Horse of the Year Show and Your Horse Live.
Visit www.seib.co.uk/competitions for updates.
