Grandstand Media Ltd announced today that a National Pony Society Supreme Mountain & Moorland (M&M) of the Year class will be added to the 2011 Horse of the Year Show timetable. The class will consist of the champion and reserve combinations from the Ridden M&M Pony of the Year, the M&M Working Hunter Pony of the Year and the Mini M&M Pony of the Year classes.
Further to the conversations with the NPS an additional change to the Ridden M&M class will also be implemented for the 2011 season. This will see two breed qualifiers taking place at the various breed shows throughout the qualifying season. This will ensure at least two of each M&M breed is represented at Horse of the Year Show.

Grandstand Media Ltd has also made one further change to a section of the Ridden M&M class. At the 2011 show the Highland Pony will have its own section in the Ridden M&M classes, splitting away from the Fell and Dales Ponies whom it currently competes against in the qualifying rounds and Ridden M&M final at HOYS. This change has resulted from research into entries for the ridden M&M qualifiers which show the number of Highland Ponies that compete in the qualifiers against the number of Highland Ponies who actually make it through to the finals at HOYS is not a true representation of the popularity of the breed. As a trial for the 2011 season, 10 qualifiers will take place for the Highland Pony (details of the 2011 HOYS qualifiers will be announced soon).
A change to the M&M Working Hunter Pony of the Year class has arisen following an extensive review of qualifiers for the class.
Grandstand Media Ltd will be imposing minimum and maximum fence heights as well as a minimum number of fences to be jumped in the qualifying classes. This move has been made after opinion echoed, at the focus groups held earlier this year, that there is no consistency between what a pony is expected to jump at the qualifying rounds and then at the final. This change is to ensure that the competition stays at its highest possible level and promotes consistency throughout the season.
The M&M classes have been a popular and important element of the HOYS timetable since 1999. These positive changes are being implemented to ensure that each M&M breed is truly represented so Britain’s finest native breeds can be celebrated at the world’s most famous horse show.