British rider Jodie Hall McAteer and Hardessa claimed the Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) leading showjumper of the year grand prix for the second time in four years on Sunday (11 October 2026).
The 26-year-old delivered an inspired round that streaked clear of what had been a knife-edge battle for supremacy.
“She loves it here,” Jodie said of her mother Mandy’s 14-year-old mare. “I also love riding here, and I have quite a good track record here, I was fourth in the grand prix last year as well. I think for British riders it’s such a buzz — I like the horses to be in good shape that I’m bringing here, and to build them up and aim the week at getting a good result tonight.”
HOYS grand prix provides edge-of-your-seat thriller
Alan Wade and Ben Townley’s 1.55m first-round course was fair; a third of the 30 starters jumped clear and 12 registered just the four faults — most of whom lowered a vertical with silver 10ft poles at the penultimate fence.
But if the first round was low on drama, the jump-off was edge-of-your-seat stuff, as the lead changed five times in the first seven riders.
Guy Williams opened with a clear on his promising eight-year-old stallion Kazandor Hero Z, then last year’s winner Trevor Breen, this time riding Konrad Obolensky, took the lead.
Olli Fletcher then went a full 1sec ahead with the great Hello William, before John Whitaker – to the crowd’s delight – snatched 0.01sec on the evergreen 18-year-old Equine America Unick Du Francport.
Jodie Hall McAteer takes a flier
This close match made it seem there was little more to eke out of the track, but Jodie and the exuberant Hardessa sprang round to audible gasps from the audience at the mare’s scope, stopping the clock a further second ahead.
“I’d watched Guy and then I saw that John was faster. I knew there weren’t too many options in the course but the others were all a little slow over the first three or four jumps, so I knew if I got them out of the way and got the last line jumped without losing my head, we would be there or thereabouts,” Jodie said. “She is so careful it doesn’t really matter what speed you’re going. She just tries to leave them up.”
Olivia Sponer, the youngest rider in the class at 20, lodged a final clear on Bingo Du Chateau, slotting into fourth place on her debut in the international classes at HOYS.
Read the full report from HOYS in this week's Horse & Hound magazine, in the shops Thursday 15 October.