LeMieux Nationals 26: KBIS Young Horse Championships
Written By:British Dressage | Maddie Hinchliff
Published:Tue, 15 Sep 2026 10:53
The 2026 KBIS Young Horse Championships delivered a memorable showcase of the exceptional talent emerging through the British dressage system. With exciting young prospects making their mark on the national stage, the Championships celebrated the very best of the sport’s future stars. Making the occasion even more significant, all four championship titles were claimed by horses bred in the UK for the first time in British Dressage history, highlighting the remarkable progress and growing strength of British breeding. With quality, talent and potential on display throughout the competition, the future of British dressage looks brighter than ever.
KBIS Four-Year-Old Championship
Winner: Fiona Bigwood and BPS Supreme Bella, 8.16
Following an unbeaten campaign season across the Four-Year-Old classes, Fiona Bigwood and her homebred BPS Supreme Bella (Sechuan x Don Juan de Hus) claimed their crown as KBIS British Dressage Four-Year-Old Champions. BPS Supreme Bella comes from a truly incredible dam line, as the daughter of Fiona’s 2026 FEI World Championships ride, Donna Bella (Don Juan de Hus x Gribaldi), who is the daughter of Fiona’s 2016 Rio Olympic ride, Atterupgaards Orthilia (Gribaldi x Donnerschlag).
Fiona and BPS Supreme Bella made their debut at the Chart Stables Dressage Premier League at Hickstead, where they won on an incredible score of 9.56. The pair then went on to compete at the Wellington Premier League, where they also won on 9.06. In the semi-finals, Fiona made the long journey to Northallerton, where they added to the impressive streak of victories with 8.76. Yesterday, however, Fiona and Bella went on to claim their final crown of the year, impressing judges Spencer Wilton (GBR) and guest foreign judge Øivind Instefjord Oedemotland (NOR). The pair scored a huge 9.0 for the trot, 8.5 for General Impression, 8.0 for way of going, 7.9 for her canter, and finally 7.4 for the walk.
For the four-year-olds, they only complete in one final test, and do not have a ridden judge sit on them. This is then broken down in to marks for their walk, trot, canter, way of going according to the scales of training, and general impression and future potential. In the walk, judges are looking at the pace's rhythm, activity, their ability to lenghten of the frame, the degree of freedom in their movement, and the ability to cover ground. In their trot and canter, again the judges are looking at the natural rhythm, activity within the pace, impulsion and adjustability of the paces and frame. Their way of going is judged based off the scales of training, and ensuring that a four-year-old is showing a correct, basic way of going. This puts a much larger emphasis on rhythm, regularlity of the paces, and the start of them being able to show the ability to adjust those paces by showing some lengthened strides.
Finishing just behind Fiona, Jezz Palmer claimed both second and third place aboard Spotify Anmore (Las Vegas x Daily Diamond) and Maverick Caledonia Anmore (My Vitality x Floriscount), scoring 80.000% and 78.000% respectively.
KBIS Five-Year-Old Championship
Winner: Sarah Millis and Toddington Reet Petite
Sarah Millis took the 2026 KBIS Six-Year-Old Young Horse Championship title with her own and Scarlett Denny’s Toddington Reet Petite (Valverde x Lord Leatherdale). Having finished third in the pre-test the day before, Sarah and Toddington Reet Petite, who is known as Lola to her friends, impressed the judges to come away victorious. The five- and six-year-old tests are judged differently from the four-year-olds, where they take part in a 'pre-test' the day before. From there, the top three qualify for the final round where guest rider, Phoebe Peters, rides them as well. The aim of this role is to evaluate three key areas: their rideability and temperment, throughness and contact, and their paces. Speaking after the results, guest judge Sven Rothenberger described the young mare as a “wonderful horse who showed us an ability to get more suspension and a beautiful uphill canter… a super light-footed trot” and “super adjustable topline”, before commenting that the mare’s superb canter was her highlight, and that “he would have loved to have a sit on your [Sarah’s] horse, because it really must be a great feeling!”.
Speaking to Sarah after the class, she reflected that “She felt really super. I have to say, in this atmosphere as well, she's never seen anything, as with a lot of them, have never seen this before. But she's a horse that is so focused with the rider, and that's really shone through today as well. She might take a look and be unsure, and then she comes back as if to go ‘oh no, you're holding my hand. That's fine’, and is very confident and willing.” And speaking in comparison to her way of going on Saturday, Sarah explained how the mare’s confidence grew overnight: “You come into this arena, and it has more to see, and with the grandstand and everything around… when you're warming up here, they hear people moving in the grandstand and that can set them off. But she went around and went ‘oh what's this?’ and rises to the occasion, but she was really breathing today, and I felt she actually showed her walk better today than she did yesterday.”
Toddington Reet Petite was also selected to go to Verden, Germany, for the FEI WBFSH World Breeding Championships this year, but ultimately decided the timing wasn’t quite right as Sarah’s rider, Lilah Gibbs, has not long been out at the U25 European Championships: “it would have been very nice to take her to the worlds. But we just we had had a lot of on… the mare hadn't had that much consistent work at that time as well, closer to the time, and I just felt that we didn't necessarily need to. It's a shame not to. Yes, but I think it is also still quite a lot for a five-year-old, and you know. But I think for sure next year it'd be lovely to work towards.”
Lola was bred by Camilla Alexandra Brogaard in the UK and purchased by Sarah as a foal. When asked what drew Sarah to Lola as a foal, she explained that “For me, I think, it is difficult to know how much you can see as a foal. But already you could see that she had an uphill tendency, and a well set neck. What you can see when a foal is in the field with its mum… I could see even when they were a little bit excited I never saw her break a rhythm in the walk. Always had a fantastic four beat. And the hind leg stepped very well underneath the body. You could see already there was a nice natural balance and an uphill tendency, and she seemed quite a bold character, so I think they were the key things really.”
Furthermore, Lola’s fantastic parentage shone through, with Sarah explaining to us that “her father is Valverde and I like Valverde as a stallion. I've worked the dam line, as she is by Lord Leatherdale, and I've worked with a couple with Lord Leatherdale lines, and I like their qualities. So, I think it was a combination of combination of things.”
Rowan Collins, a pupil of Sarah’s, was placed in second with Eduardo Bundyra’s Melody HC (Morricone x Danciano) and Tom Goode place third with Melissa Roos’ Dynamic Prince (Dynamic Dream x Foundation).
KBIS Six-Year-Old Championship
Winner: Lily Laughton and Viva Valentine
Lily Laughton and Dr Amanda Crouch’s Viva Valentine (Viva Gold x Ampere) were crowned six-year-old champions for the 2026 KBIS Young Horse Championships. Having finished second in the pre-test, Lily and Viva Valentine blew judges Sven Rothenberger, Isobel Wessels and guest rider Phoebe Peters. Isobel Wessels described what she loved in the young stallion as “such activity, the hindleg coming off the ground, his willingness to go forward… it’s a horse that is on side. Really with the rider, and the rider can ride in a nice way because the horse wants to work.”
When Lily described what he felt like in the arena yesterday with Viva Valentine, who is known as Vinnie at home, she simply said “that horse feels amazing every day. People ask me how was your ride today, or how was this, and he comes out the same every single day. Always gives me 110%, and in there he lit up even more. And he kind of knew that it was a big occasion. He just tried so hard for me, and I couldn't ask any more of him.”
Lily and Vinnie were partnered together at the beginning of the year, and have had a fantastic first season together, having won both the Novice and Elementary Gold at the Aintree Summer Regionals, and finishing third in the Northallerton Young Horse Semi Finals, their journey has been one filled with excellence: “At the beginning when I first got him, he had literally done nothing. At first Premier League, it was, it wasn't his best test. It was quite average, like nothing special. You know, you wouldn't have looked at him and gone ‘that is going to be the six-year-old winner’, and then he's just come out to every show and just got better and better and rose to the occasion. And in his training, he's getting so much stronger. And for him to become national six-year-old champion is just… yeah. He's still very inexperienced for his age. He's really done nothing in his life, really. And this is first like proper year of competing, so it’s really special.”
When speaking about her preparations with Vinnie in the run up to the Championships. Lily described that “I train with Carl [Hester] and Peter [Storr], so we solidified what's in like six-year-old test. But with him, it's getting him stronger, and you know that he knows how to do everything, so it’s just keeping him happy and fresh.” At home, Lily explained to us that Vinnie has a varied work life, including lots of hacking and a bit of jumping into his routine: “the more different things I do, the better he is when I ride him at home. I don't like to do the same thing over and over again.”
Vinnie is bred and owned by Dr Amanda Crouch, who explained to us that “it's very hard breeding horses. So much has gone into them, and to see them actually out competing and doing well… I mean, I knew that little horse when he was born. He's amazing, and to hear all the lovely comments about his self-carriage and things like that… that's what means the most to me. He just phenomenal and I'm just blessed that I’ve got him, and very lucky to have found Lily.
“I bred him and the other mare, Angelica V. They’re both out of lovely dam called Amachella, who actually came from Reesink Horses, where Phoebe [Peters] works now. She’s absolutely amazing, and she has just given me some just incredible youngsters… it’s the perfect team with Lily riding – it’s just been absolutely amazing. They've both really blossomed, and there's more in the pipeline.”
Looking forward to next year, Lily revealed that “our aim for next year would be the seven year old World Breeding Championships for sure. His changes with that canter are amazing. So that's really exciting. I think over the winter we'll just consolidate that at home and go out next year… hopefully we can get our scores to do that. His welfare is our top priority, and keeping him sound and happy is, so we will keep moving at a pace he is happy with.”
Finishing just behind Lily was the winner from the pre-test: Bryony Goodwin and Antonia Brown’s Simply Secret (Secret x Waikiki), and Jezz Palmer finished in third place with Adrienne Ward’s MS Broadway M (Bon Courage x Royal Classic).
KBIS Seven-Year-Old Championship
Winner: Sadie Smith and River Rise Onassis, 81.167%
Sadie Smith took the win in the seven-year-old finals with Sue Gerrard’s striking grey mare, River Rise Onassis (Glamourdale x Amsterdam). Sadie and ‘Sassy’ finished second in the six-year-old finals last year, and came back this year with fighting form to take the win by a five percent lead on 81.167%. “I was really pleased with my test today. It's the first time I've come out of a test and actually been really happy with how it's gone for a while. Not just with her, but you always come out and pick bits that could have been better. Actually, I came out today and thought she couldn't have done any better than that.”
In the seven-year-old test, horses only compete in one final test, as opposed to the pre-test and final-three format that is followed for the five and six year olds. As a combination, they are awarded two separate marks: their overall assessment of their walk, trot, canter, submission and perspective, and then a technical mark from the test itself. These two scores are then combined to give an average final mark. From judges Sven Rothenberger (E), Spencer Wilton (E) and Andrea Smith (C), Sassy was awarded an 8.8 for her trot, 7.6 for the walk and a huge 9.3 for her canter. For her submission she scored 8.3, and a further 9.0 for her perspective, 0.5 above the other horses in the class. This left her on 86.000% for her quality score and was awarded 76.333% for her technical mark. In the technical marks, Sassy had a truly incredible scoresheet filled with 8.0s throughout her canter work, including an 8.5 for her one flying change. In the collectives, the duo was further awarded with two 8.5s for submission and rider position.
Reflecting on the highlights of her test, Sadie explained that, “She was just lovely to ride. She felt really responsive, and everything I've been working on at home really came off. She was much more balanced. I could probably have had a bit more length in the frame in the trot, if I was really critical, but she hasn't really done a lot this year. We were all just chuffed to be here and being out and about with her again.”
On the way home from the Nationals last year, Sassy was very sadly involved in an accident when she was on the way home from Somerford with her owner, Sue. The horsebox was struck from behind and ultimately overturned on to its side. Fortunately, both Sue and Sassy came away from the incident relatively unscathed, with Sassy just sustaining a cut on her fetlock: “She took a long time to rehab her from the accident because she basically had a deep cut on her fetlock. It took a long time to heal, where the joint is always moving, so it was hard. But it's just a testament to her temperament; because she's such a good girl, and we've taken our time to bring her back and get her stronger… she's never even looked at going in the lorry, it’s like nothing had happened to her. She's so good, and she trusts us, and it just means the world to us.”
Sassy was bred by Sarah Tyler-Evans at the River Rise Farm in Fareham, with multiple of the stud’s progeny winning at these Championships over the years. At the 2026 Championships, Sadie piloted River Rise Roulette (Dynamic Dream x Negro) to finish in seventh place in the Five-Year-Old Finals, and Dannie Morgan won the HorseQuest Elementary Gold Championships with River Rise Pizzazz (Valverde x Lord Leatherdale).
Sadie and Sassy will now go home to continue training up the levels: “I'd like to do some small tour with her probably next year through the winter, so really we will just work on that. She's progressing really well… so we will keep training her on towards Grand Prix.”
Jayne Turney finished in second place with Lindsey Roberts’ Vienna WD (Vitalis x Elegante) on a score of 76.584%, and Ruth Hole completed the top three lineup with Louisa Prebble-Hill’s 00 Heaven (Imposantos x Charmeur), who scored 74.900%.
The KBIS Young Horse Championships are about more than titles and trophies; they provide a glimpse of the horses that could go on to represent Britain on the biggest stages in the sport. This year's championships showcased an exciting generation of talent, while the success of British breeding underlined the progress being made across the industry. If this year's finalists are anything to go by, the future of British dressage is in very capable hands.
