‘It must be those Cumbrian hills’: incredible horse wins second title of HOYS 2024 with owner

The incredible show horse Briarhill Buddy Bolden cemented his name in the history books as he won the Hamilton Tarmac HOYS 2024 small show hunter of the year tricolour after winning the intermediate show hunter title just 24 hours later.

Meg Edmondson of Team Helliwell was in the saddle of her own and her mother Bridget’s Kings Cornet eight-year-old, who was achieving his third Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) victory of his career.

On Friday, teammate Harriet Dennison took the reins, as she did in 2022 when Buddy won the intermediate show hunter title on his debut in Birmingham.

Buddy is out of Durida and was bred by Anne Coyne. Meg bought him from Russell Skelton and James Murno in 2021. Meg last won HOYS in 2016 riding her own Blairfield Silicon.

“What a horse,” said an elated Meg, who was posting her show team’s third HOYS win of the week. “I am in shock, this will take a while to sink in.”

The pair were pulled in top in their class.

“He went so well in the class; he’s a true showman in every sense of the word,” Meg added. “He makes our job as riders easy. He’s just so so special to us.”

Buddy is also a dual Royal International Horse Show champion, having won in both small hunter and intermediate ranks.

When asked what the secret to his success is, Meg said: “He likes his Cumbrian hills. He hacks up them every single day. And he likes his field time; he needs it. He only schools once a week. He likes to keep things chilled.

“I never dared dream I could come back and do it again,” Meg added.

The Rosamund Lane-owned Lenhalls Legacy finished runner-up in the HOYS 2024 small show hunter of the year final with Will Morton.

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