Nominations are now open for the Horse & Hound Awards 2023 in partnership with NAF.

Last year’s awards enjoyed fabulous participation, with over 86,000 votes cast. This year, they are planning a glittering ceremony at Dallas Burston Polo Club in Warwickshire. Some 300 people, including Olympic and Paralympic superstars, will gather to enjoy a glamorous evening of champagne, winner reveals, Oscar-style speeches and dancing.

As previously, the H&H Awards winners will be nominated and voted for by their readers. They seek to recognise both the big names who have made 2023 special and the unsung heroes who make it possible for all of us to enjoy equestrian sport and our horses, at whatever level.

Winners at last year’s H&H Awards included Nicola Wilson – who brought the audience to their feet as she walked up on stage to take the inspiration award, seven months after she was seriously injured in a fall at Badminton – and The late Queen’s Fell pony, Carltonlima Emma.

H&H editor-in-chief Sarah Jenkins says: “We are excited to launch the eighth Horse & Hound Awards today and to welcome back NAF, our longstanding headline partner, as well as all the sponsors of the individual awards.

“This year we look forward to taking the awards to a new venue and we have given the awards categories a refresh. Rather than one horse of the year, we will be looking for an equine hero in each Olympic discipline and showing, which gives us a brilliant opportunity to celebrate more of the horses who our readers love so much.

“We’ll also, of course, laud the human stars of the year – both those winning the big trophies in equestrian sport and those toiling behind the scenes to support others’ dreams, big or small.”

Isla Boxall-Loomes, UK Marketing Manager at NAF, adds: “Our partnership with Horse & Hound is extremely important to us and we are delighted to be involved with the awards once again.

“We are enjoying a summer of thrilling sport as we build towards the Paris 2024 Olympic Games and we look forward to celebrating the achievements of a number of talented horses and riders on the night itself.

“The awards also offer the opportunity to acknowledge those unsung heroes who are pivotal to the industry that we love and we are excited to see who comes through via the nomination process and the differences that they have made.”

Nominations can be made at horseandhound.co.uk/awards until 5pm on 21 September. The shortlisted candidates will be announced in the 19 October issue, with voting closing on 26 October. The winners will be revealed at the awards on 22 November.

The Horse & Hound Awards 2023 categories are:

●  Stretch & Flex by Equilibrium Dressage Horse of the Year

●  Black Nova Designs Event Horse of the Year

●  Whickr Showjumping Horse of the Year

●  EQUO Show Horse of the Year

●  HorseDialog Professional Rider of the Year

●  Spillers Horse Feeds Amateur Rider of the Year

●  Tommy Hilfiger Young Rider of the Year

●  NAF Five Star PROFEET Farrier of the Year

●  Absorbine Groom of the Year

●  NAF Natural VetCare Unsung Hero of the Year

●  Baileys Horse Feeds Vet of the Year

●  Agria Horse of a Lifetime

●  The Horse & Hound Podcast Inspiration of the Year

●  The Horse & Hound Lifetime Achievement award (no voting)