SEIB Search for a Star and Racehorse to Riding Horse 2026 at the Rutland County Show
SEIB Insurance Brokers’ Search for a Star headed to The Rutland County Show on Sunday 31st May. With the full 18 classes running on the day there were plenty of qualifying opportunities for the Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) and the Your Horse Live SEIB Search for a Star championships this autumn.
HOYS Qualifying Classes
The SEIB Search for a Star Working Horse class went to Rebecca Linford and her own Morningstar Misty Lady. Rebecca has owned Lou Lou, as this Irish Draught mare is known, since she was a yearling and has backed, broken and produced her herself. Rebecca said: “She felt absolutely fantastic on the day, but I never in million years thought we’d win, I feel incredibly lucky that we have and it’s a dream come true for us.
“I was actually looking for a 3-year-old when I got Lou Lou, but getting a yearling worked out so much better for us in the end. Lou Lou gives anything a go, she is a great representation of the Irish draught breed and is so versatile; she loves her jumping, she’s brave on the hunt field, she’s been swimming in the sea and galloped on the beach with me. My dad who used to ride as a teenager has even got back in the saddle on her and ridden for the first time in 50 years. She’s turned into a really lovely horse, I’m very proud of her. I work full time in Commercial Team Support at National Grid Telecoms and where I keep my horses is around a half an hour drive away, some days it’s really hard to fit everything in.”
In a competitive Working Pony class, top spot went to Lauren Alsop and her Fell pony, Murthwaite Lucky Lad II, known as Sooty at home. A delighted Lauren said: “It hasn’t quite sunk in! I had a go at Search for a Star with a Show Hunter Pony around 10-years-ago and then we decided to see how Sooty would get on this year. We came 2nd in the Working Pony class at a show earlier in the season so came out on a jolly to Rutland and now we’ve won! I bought Sooty as a two-year-old direct from the Murthwaite stud – with his breeding he was an opportunity we jumped at. I work in housing for the Local Authority but previously was Head Girl for Jason McGuire in his Rehab and Pre-Training Yard. Sooty and I will spend the Summer doing some varied activities including dressage and workers.”
Robyn Carr and her homebred, Admiral Augustus, aka Angus, won the SEIB Search for a Star Show Hunter class. Robyn and Angus were lucky to make it to the show and winning was the absolute icing on the cake. She explained: “We have two two-year-old children and a four-year old so it can be tricky for me to get out to a show. My husband David had gone to the Isle-of-Man TT last week with his friends, he managed to break his leg and it was touch and go whether he’d be back in time to watch the children. He made it back at 2am before Rutland so we swapped places and off Angus and I went. There would have been big trouble if he hadn’t made it back!
“I bred Angus myself and haven’t showed for 11 or 12 years. We thought he was a nice sort and so have given it a go, he’s still only a five-year-old. Search for a Star is a fantastic thing to aim for and I’m thrilled to have qualified at our first go!”
In the Riding Horse Hack class the win went to Chloe Hazell and GSA Russ. Chloe said: “HOYS is definitely a dream come true! It’s our final ‘big championship’ show to tick off our list. He’s also qualified for Royal International this year and we competed at London last year, so it feels like we’re really seeing the results of our hard work and training. This is our third season showing together, we’ve competed at RI in Intermediates and have done working hunter and working show horse too. Outside of showing we do a variety of dressage and jumping for North Mymms Riding Club.” Chloe works as Head of Logistics for a food import/export company. She added: “We are very fortunate and have six of our own horses on our yard. I go to the yard before work and straight after work. 95% of my annual leave is used on training or show days.”
A competitive SEIB Racehorse to Riding Horse qualifier was won by a rider that has had unparalleled success on different horses in this class over the years. Rebecca Court piloted Diana Taylor’s gelding, Second Time Around into first place. Known as Ferdy at home, Second Time Around is the third horse Rebecca has got through to the SEIB finals at Hoys. She previously rode Beware Chalk Pit to take the championship in 2017 and last year took 3rd place with Festive Fare – also belonging to Diana. Rebecca combines her success in the show ring along with working full-time as a Senior Academic Leader and Associate Dean at the University for Creative Arts.
Diana said: “I am absolutely over the moon for Ferdy to qualify for HOYS – he and Rebecca have already qualified for the RIHS amateur Lightweight Hunters in July and the prestigious ROR finals in June. I am very lucky to have two wonderful horses, a talented rider and fabulous team.”
Ferdy and Rebecca have enjoyed all this success in a very short space of time. Ferdy originally was in training with Alan King, having been bred by Bob and Pauline Scott. He won his National Hunt Flat race and was placed over both hurdles and fences. Ferdy then went to Jennifer Hardridge and Joan Johnston to go pointing with. He was leased to their long-term owners Denys and Pauline Moylan and ran in their yellow and orange colours while in training. Sadly, Denys passed away earlier this year at the age of 94. Throughout Ferdy’s point-to-point career, Joan was the trainer, while Jennifer combined the roles of work rider, vet and occasional jockey.
Rebecca said: “Jennifer and Joan are firm believers in preparing their horses for life after racing before they leave the yard. Alongside his normal training regime, Ferdy enjoyed plenty of hacking and sponsored rides, all of which undoubtedly helped his transition into his second career. Jennifer gifted Ferdy to Diana because she wanted him to have the very best home and the opportunity to fulfil his potential. She believed he could compete at the highest level in showing classes and knew Diana would cherish him. Diana is an exceptional owner and her horses want for nothing.
When Ferdy arrived with us at producer Justine Armstrong-Small’s yard in Essex, he was still green and very much a novice. To have already qualified for the Tattersalls RoR Final at Hickstead, the Royal International Horse Show and the Horse of the Year Show is remarkable. Ferdy thrives on confidence and positivity, so much of the past six weeks has been about building our partnership and helping him believe in himself and in me! He is highly intelligent, quick to learn and has come on enormously in a very short space of time.”
In the Traditional Gypsy Cob HOYS Search for a Star qualifier at Rutland Show the win went to Meadford Lass, aka Odie and Paula Terry Gautrey. Odie is owned by Paula and Mitzi Steven. Paula said: “It’s taken me my entire life to realise this ambition to get to HOYS and I still cannot quite believe that this 50-year-old former little farm kid has done it! My biggest wish right now is that my dad was still here to have seen me and Odie do it. It’s his love of horses that I inherited and his determination to keep going no matter what life throws at you, he was my hero.
“We did nearly all the Search for a Star qualifiers last year and really started on the bottom rung of the ladder – our first few outings were eye openers to the really high standard that you have to be at to get placed in the series. But, with training, lessons, clinics and judge feedback we started to get placed and finished last season with a 4th place at Search for a Star at Equifest. We then started the season this year with a 3rd place at Addington. My friend and Odie’s co-owner Mitzi always does the in hand showing and I do the ridden classes, it’s always been a team effort with the showing and the preparation and all Odie’s care.”
Your Horse Live Qualifying Classes
In the Search for a Star Lead Rein class, the win went to 6-year-old Autumn Pearshouse and her pony, Lingardswood Saridis, known as Bertie at home. This Welsh Section A has been with the Pearshouse family for just six-weeks. Autumn’s mum, Harriet Pearshouse said: “Bertie is a lovely child’s pony. The owners that had him before the family we bought him from have just sent us hundreds of photos! No one has had anything other than really positive things to say about him. Autumn is riding Bertie off the lead rein a lot, their plan is to do the Lead Rein Search for a Star this year and then First Ridden next year. Autumn is so excited about Your Horse Live!” Autumn and Bertie are members of the Atherstone Pony Club.
The First Ridden SEIB Search for a Star Your Horse Live qualifier at Rutland went to 9-year-old Saffron Johnson and her Welsh Section A Rhydgwillim Bridget. Saffron has owned this lovely 17-year-old pony for the past 9-months. Her mum, Emma Watson said: “They’ve been on a roll with winning since the first show they went to! They both love going out showing and get on so well together, Bridget is very gentle. We bought Bridget from some friends and she has turned out to be the loveliest pony. Saffron sets herself goals and they have a weekly lesson with Remy Barnes. We all can’t wait for Your Horse Live!
Alice Taylor and her coloured pony, Rising Phoenix, known as Artie at home, won the Open Pony Club Search for a Star Your Horse Live qualifier. Alice and Artie are seasoned competitors in Search for a Star, they qualified for and won this final in 2025. Alice is a member of the South Oxfordshire Hunt Central Pony Club and attends Ibstone Church of England Primary School.
The only SEIB Search for a Star class open to any rider, including professionals, the Still a Star Open Veteran class at Rutland went to Kerilee Wilson Betts and her homebred 18-year-old, Ferrari Star. This grey Irish Sports Horse mare, known at home as Twinkle, was hand reared by Kerilee after she was born 6 weeks prematurely. Kerilee said: “We’ve done everything together over the years we’ve shown at Royal International, the London Horse Show. I’m delighted Search for a Star are running this class as it’s given Twinkle and I something to aim for. I did Search for a Star back in 2010 with my other homebred, Silver Maddigen, we came 4th in the Working Hunter final. I’m now a judge for several panels including the Irish Draught Horse Society (for which I’m also a trustee), Veteran Horse Society, The Showing Register and SSADL. We’ve had a great couple of weeks as my three-year-old daughter, Star Betts and her pony Annie won the Open Mountain and Moorland and went Reserve Ridden Champion at the Golden Valley show! I fit all this in around being a Science Teacher in a Secondary School.
Connemara pony Barrowby Virtue, known as Glen, and Saffie Nelson won the Ridden Your Horse Live qualifying Mountain and Moorland class at Rutland. Saffie said: “I bought Glen when he was eight-months-old, we’ve done everything together. This was our first qualifier in anything and he absolutely smashed it! We said we’d give it a go and to win was unexpected. Glen is 8 now but we lost my dad two years ago and have taken a break. So it’s taken a while but I think Connemara’s mature later as a breed and his confidence has definitely improved over time. We will aim for a few London Horse Show qualifiers over the summer but Your Horse Live was our goal for the year. I’m about to go into my final year of vet school at Harper and Keele Vet School and I commute there too so it’s all very busy!”
Shareen Harris and her homebred, Rhyfel Purple Rain, known as Rainie, had a day to remember at Rutland County. The pair won both the ridden Riding Club Horse class and the In-Hand Part-Bred TGCA Your Horse Live qualifiers. Rainie is a Welsh Section C x Traditional Gypsy Cob. Shareen said: “I can’t believe we qualified at our first show this year! We’ve only really competed in local shows previously. I was thinking about finding some TOYS (Traditional of the Year Show) classes to compete in and saw Search for a Star so we came and gave it a go! I bred Rainie myself, we’ve still got her dad, he’s 19 now. Up until I was pregnant with my daughter three-years-ago Rainie and I competed in Working Hunter and Showjumping classes but she’s not so keen anymore so she hasn’t jumped since Isla was born.” Shareen is aiming at qualifying for TOYS this season as well with Rainie.
Winning the In-Hand Traditional Gypsy Cob Pure-Bred class were Lisa Kerwood and RSPCA Miley, Lisa said: “I entered the wrong class at Rutland by mistake and then realised we could do the Search for a Star class. I quickly read all the rules, realised this was the class for us and changed the entry over! I’m very glad I did. I’ve had Miley since she was a weanling, she’s now nine. She came from Hull and had been left in a field with three other horses. She was so ugly until she was about four and then she’s been beautiful ever since! We won at the Norfolk Show and she went on to win the Rescue Championship. We’ve also been up to the Highland Show where she came 4th. Miley loves her In-Hand showing and we know each other so well she really trusts me.” Lisa works part-time in a garden centre and runs a DIY livery yard.
Zoe Nicholls and her own gelding, Non Essential, known as Tony, won the In-Hand Plaited Horse Your Horse Live qualifier. Tony was at just his third show of the season having recently undergone four months of treatment for gastric ulcers. Zoe said: “It feels amazing to have qualified for Your Horse Live and makes all the time, patience and vet bills to get Tony well worth it. I will admit there were tears in the ring. This is the first time I’ve qualified for a winter championship. I’m excited to have something to look forward to post summer and hope it’ll keep the motivation going when the days get shorter and the weather is rubbish!
“I bought Tony back in November 2022 as a rising 5-year-old and he had been out of racing for 6 months. We have done quite a lot of showing. I really value in hand showing as a chance to show Tony the world without the pressure of having to ride. We have competed at some bigger shows like Equifest and ESUK as well as The ROR National Championships at Aintree. We have done some ridden classes and enjoy doing some dressage, more so over the winter.” Zoe works as an Occupational Therapist in cancer services.
The In-Hand Plaited Pony SEIB Search for a Star class at Rutland went to Lauren Milroy and Kimberley Clarke’s Riding Pony, Brideswood Royal Occasion. Known at home as Louis this three-year-old Welsh x Arab pony has been with Lauren since he was a foal. Lauren explained: “Louis is the same age as my son. I bought him direct from the Brideswood Stud in Cheshire for my son’s first birthday but I’m not sure if he’s all that interested in riding! We took Louis out to shows when he was a yearling, but I had my daughter Callie last year so he missed most of the season. Now Louis is three we’re trying to get to as many shows as possible. It’s a great day out for me, my mum and my daughter – we go together and are entered for Cheshire, Great Yorkshire and Royal Lancs next! We went to Rutland with the aim of this class and I was absolutely made up when we won! I can’t wait for Your Horse Live!”
The In-Hand Mountain and Moorland Your Horse Live Search for a Star class at Rutland was won by Liliana Pockett and Kathy Hancox’s Welsh Section A pony, Thistledown Kingbee. Kathy explained: “We purchased him in October 2023 as a three-year-old from the Royal Welsh sale unbroken and after I took him in some in-hand shows, Lily broke him in the following January.
“Kingbee and Lily always perform well in the ring, he has such a good temperament and Lily is a perfectionist when it comes to in-hand showing! Lily is thrilled to have qualified for Your Horse Live, they mainly do showing but also do pony club, showjumping, dressage and have just started doing some cross country. Lily she won the national Welsh young handler championship for her age group last year as well.” Lily is a pupil at South Marston C of E school.
James Mole and his striking grey gelding Egano Van’t Kiezelhof won the SEIB Search for a Star Your Horse Live qualifying In-Hand Veteran class. Egano Van’t Kiezelhof is twenty-two-years-old.
SEIB Search for a Star organiser, Nicolina MacKenzie said: “It was fabulous for Search for a Star to run at Rutland County. Competitors had the option to take part in a huge range of different classes and we welcomed plenty of riders and their horses and ponies that had never done Search for a Star before. Thanks go to Vincent Seddon and the Rutland team for hosting our classes and ensuring all ran smoothly.”
Leading equine Insurance brokers, SEIB Insurance Brokers set up Search for a Star nearly 30 years ago and the company is renowned for ‘putting something back’ by supporting many equestrian events and activities in addition to Search for a Star.
Please see www.seib.co.uk/competitions or the SEIB Search for a Star facebook page for updates. To enter please use links from the SEIB Search for a Star Facebook page. Each qualifying show has a specific Search for a Star Facebook Event set up to include all information for that event.
Credits to 1st Class Images for all the pictures captured at Rutland County.
Results SEIB Search for a Star and Racehorse to Riding Horse Rutland County Show 31st May 2026:
HOYS Qualifying classes:
Show Hunter – Admiral Augustus owned and ridden by Robyn Carr from Doncaster
Riding Horse Hack – GSA Russ owned and ridden by Chloe Hazell from Hertfordshire
Racehorse to Riding Horse – Second Time Around owned by Diana Taylor and ridden by Rebecca Court from London
Traditional Gypsy Cob – Meadford Lass owned and ridden by Paula Terry Gautrey from Nottinghamshire
Working Horse – Morningstar Misty Lady owned and ridden by Rebecca Linford from Derbyshire
Working Pony – Murthwaite Lucky Lad II owned and ridden by Lauren Alsop from Gloucestershire
Your Horse Live Qualifying Classes:
Mountain and Moorland Ridden – Barrowby Virtue owned and ridden by Saffie Nelson from Lancashire
Mountain and Moorland In-Hand – Thistledown Kingbee owned by Kathy Hancox and handled by Liliana Pockett from Swindon
Open Ridden Veteran Horse and Pony – Ferrari Star owned and ridden by Kerilee Wilson Betts from Derbyshire
Lead Rein Pony – Lingardswood Saridis owned by Autumn Pearshouse and ridden by Harriet Pearshouse
First Ridden Type – Rhydgwillim Bridget owned by Emma Watson and ridden by Saffron Johnson
Pony Club Pony under 148cm – Rising Phoenix owned and ridden by Alice Taylor from Oxfordshire
Amateur In-Hand Plaited Pony – Brideswood Royal Occasion owned and handled by Lauren Milroy from Lancashire
Amateur In-Hand Plaited Horse including Hogged Show Cob – Non Essential owned and handled by Zoe Nicholls from Cambridgeshire
Amateur In-Hand Part-Bred Traditional – Rhyfel Purple Rain owned and handled by Shareen Harris
Amateur In-Hand Pure-Bred Traditional – RSPCA Miley owned and handled by Lisa Kerwood
Amateur In-Hand Veteran – Egano Vant Kiezelhof owned and handled by James Mole
Riding Club Show Horse or Pony – Rhyfel Purple Rain owned and handled by Shareen Harris
Further SEIB Search for a Star and SEIB Racehorse to Riding Horse qualifiers 2026:
North of England Summer Show, Saturday 27th and Sunday 28th June, Warren Farm EC, L37 0AP. Classes: HOYS – all except Working Horse and Working Pony. YHL – Still a Star, ridden M and M and Lead Rein and First Ridden Only.
Royal Lancashire Show, Friday 3rd July to Sunday 5th July, Salesbury Hall, PR3 3XR. Classes: All HOYS except Working Horse and Working Pony. YHL only Still a Star and Ridden M and M.
TOYS, Thursday 30th July to Sunday 1st August, Onley Grounds EC, CV23 8AJ. Classes: All HOYS except Working Horse and Working Pony. All YHL.
Equifest, Tuesday 4th August to Sunday 9th August, Arena UK, NG32 2EF. Classes: All HOYS except Working Horse and Working Pony. All YHL.
National Hunter Supreme Championship, Tuesday 11th to Wednesday 12th August, Addington EC, MK18 2JR. R2R ONLY.
Pony Club Championships, Sunday 22nd August, Offchurch Bury, CV33 9AW. Classes: Pony Club Members Only.
Greenlands Arena, Sunday 30th August, Carlisle, CA4 0RR. Classes: All HOYS and YHL SFAS and R2R classes.
The Showing Register, Saturday 5th September, NAEC Stoneleigh, CV8 2LA. Classes: All HOYS SFAS and R2R classes only. No YHL classes.
Defender Burghley, Sunday 6th September, Stamford, PE9 3JY. Classes: R2R Only.
BSHA National Championship, Thursday 10th to Saturday 12th September, Addington EC, MK18 2JR. Classes: R2R Only.
LIHS BSHA Rising Stars Show, Sunday 13th September, Addington EC, MK18 2JR. Classes: YHL Still a Star and Ridden M and M Only.
HOYS SEIB Search for a Star Championship, Wednesday 7th to Sunday 11th October, Birmingham NEC.
YHL SEIB Search for a Star Championship, Friday 6th to Saturday 7th November, NAEC Stoneleigh.
