Northallerton delivers outstanding performances in KBIS Young Horse Semi-Finals

The Northallerton KBIS Young Horse Semi-Finals (23 July) saw some of the country’s most exciting upcoming combinations campaign for one of the coveted spaces for the KBIS Young Horse Championship Finals, held at the LeMieux National Championships, Somerford Park (10 - 13 September).

© Paul Dobson Photography

In the Four-Year-Old’s, Fiona Bigwood claimed victory aboard her home-bred mare BPS Supreme Bella (Sezuan x Don Juan de Hus) with a final score of 8.56. BPS Supreme Bella comes from a line of incredibly impressive mares, with her dam being none other than Fiona’s 2026 FEI World Championship’s ride Donna Bella, and her Grand Dam Fiona’s former London 2012 Olympic ride, Atterupgaards Orthelia. Speaking about the young mare’s success at Northallerton, Fiona commented that “I wasn’t planning on driving all the way up there, but I learnt the wrong test at Hartpury, so we decided to make the long journey to try and qualify her… I was delighted that she won. She is one of the easiest young horses that I have ever trained and is so like her mum, who I am taking to the World Games. 

“I was delighted with her concentration throughout the test. She is so focused on the rider and tries so hard. My plan is to take her to the Nationals, and then she can have some downtime and enjoy a month out in the field with her friends.”

In the Five-Year-Old’s, Amy Woodhead topped the class aboard Katie Bagot’s Zebedee V (Zackerey x Benvenuto), finishing on 8.56. The British Hanoverian gelding was bred by Nicola Keenan and impressed the judges, who awarded him with a 9.0 for his canter. Via Instagram, Amy commented that “Zeb is a real joy to take in the arena, he has fabulous balance for his age and a lot of potential for the future. He is a fantastic horse that is not to be missed”.

In second place, Lily Laughton completed aboard Dr Amanda Crouch’s homebred mare Angelica V (Dynamic Dream x Ampere) with 8.20 and Andrew Wright finished an extremely close third with Catharine Gill’s Rikardo D on 8.18.

In the Six-Year-Old’s, Bryony Goodwin claimed her golden ticket to the KBIS Young Horse Finals aboard Antonia Brown’s Simply Secret (Secret x Waikiki), who finished on 8.32. “The judges complimented Secret’s adjustability in trot and canter, and he showed a great walk too” Bryony explained, “Running up to nationals we will just be continuing his usual routine of hacking and schooling to continue developing his strength and fitness. Secret arrived with me in April last year as a well started but very green young horse, we are delighted with how well he is developing and starting to really show his potential now. He is owned by Antonia Brown, and we are regularly training with Serena Pincus”

Just behind Bryony, Jezz Palmer finished in second place aboard Amy and Adrienne Ward’s MS Broadway M (Bon Courage x Royal Classic) on 8.24 and Lily Laughton completed the lineup with another one of Dr Amanda Crouch’s homebred mares, Viva Valentine (Viva Gold x Ampere), who finished on 8.14.

For the Seven-Year-Old's, Jack Noble Morris (pictured) took the win aboard his own Quality Always Wins MFS (Quantensprung x Krack C) with 73.83%. Known as Pikachu at home, he was bred in the UK by the MFS Studfarm in Scotland and this young gelding has already seen a lot of life: “I’ve had him since he was a foal and our journey together has been amazing” Jack explained, “he’s been to Denmark with me for the past four or five years, starting at Helgstrand, then moving on to Blue Hors, and for the last two years when I was riding for Daniel Bachmann Andersen.”

“He is such a talented horse, and I have to pinch myself sometimes to realise he is mine. To me, the highlights of our test were how confident he felt and how connected we were throughout the whole test. He stayed with me the entire way, which made the ride feel really positive. After a bit of a break from competitions while focusing more on training over the past few years, what I really want to work on in the run-up to nationals is my ring craft and making sure everything is as accurate and smooth as possible.

“I’m so hopeful about his future; he finds everything really easy, so I just want to make sure he has the time he needs to develop properly.”

Following in second place was another British bred entry from Greg Sims. Aboard Stena Hoerner’s First Dance T (Dark Glamour W x For Romance), who was bred by Angela Walker, the duo finished on 72.28%. In third place, Lisa Marriott completed the podium aboard Peter Belshaw’s Times Orwell (Glock’s Toto JR x Negro) with 70.67%.

Congratulations to all placed riders, and those who collect their tickets to the KBIS final at the LeMieux National Championships. Thanks go to the organisers and team at Hartpury for delivering a superbly run event, and congratulations to all riders and connections for their hard work and excellent performances throughout.

Results – top five

Four-Year-Old

1. Fiona Bigwood and BPS Supreme Bella, 8.76

2. Amy Woodhead and MSJ QT, 8.58

3. Lucinda Elliot and SJL Sunshine M, 8.50

4. Lucy Palmer and Solist Anmore, 8.20

5. Amy Woodhead and MSJ Sominka, 8.00

Five-Year-Old

1. Amy Woodhead and Zebedee V, 8.56

2. Lily Laughton and Angelica V, 8.20

3. Andrew Wright and Rikardo D, 8.18

4. Lilah Gibbs and Toddington Reet Petite, 7.96

5. Greg Sims and Kilan Double07, 7.94

Six-Year-Old

1. Bryony Goodwin and Simply Secret, 8.32

2. Jezz Palmer and MS Broadway M, 8.24

3. Lily Laughton and Viva Valentine, 8.14

4. Sophie Bass and Invisible Touch, 7.86

5. Elspeth Day and Preston Melinahof SB, 7.06

Seven-Year-Old

1. Jack Noble Morris and Quality Always Wins MFS, 73.83%

2. Greg Sims and First Dance T, 72.28%

3. Lisa Marriott and Times Orwell and 70.67%

4. Katie Alexandra Scott and On Fire KS, 67.12%

FULL RESULTS