HOYS makes welcome return to five-day format

After two disrupted editions due to Covid, the island’s annual showjumping spectacle will take place in its full glory – almost.

The senior team match will be between Guernsey and England only, with no Jersey presence, and other focuses such as the Scope Festival in Winsford have taken the UK juniors elsewhere.

But otherwise it is a welcome return to normality, with the hard-working organisers striving to provide a quality competition across an array of classes at Chemin Le Roi.

‘There’s a lot of hard work to do,’ BS Guernsey committee member Sarah Jackson said.

‘There’s two committees – BS Guernsey and the HOYS – and they’ve all been working hard alongside their regular jobs.

‘We are just hoping for good weather and good competition, really.’

Jackson’s Follyfoot Arkadia features in the senior team, alongside Cobrino Cruise (Paullette King), Mistro I (Eleni Falla) and Lightning W (Alicia Falla).

Guernsey go into the team competition as reigning champions in both juniors and seniors, having beaten Jersey last year.

‘It’s exciting – it’s nice we have got an English team coming over and a few from Jersey,’ Jackson added.

‘A few of us went over to Jersey for their Liberation Show in May – we saw a few Jersey competitors then and they are coming back over to compete against us now.

‘England have not been here for a couple years and they will provide us with some good competition.’

Today’s events allow riders to get a feel for the arena, and the juniors to jump the first round of the team competition, while tomorrow consists exclusively of showing classes.

Friday includes the first round of senior team jumping, together with the ladies’ and gents’ championships.

The big grand prix classes headline Saturday’s programme, while Sunday features several big attractions, such as the showjumper of the year, the culmination of both team competitions and the puissance.

Spectators are welcome throughout the show.