Following the success of this year’s The Howden Way Young Horse Academy, we are thrilled to announce the talented combinations who have accepted their invitation to be part of the 2025 cohort.
Justine Parker, programme director for The Howden Way said “The 2024 Young Horse Academy has seen a fantastic group of riders and young horses who have all relished the opportunities that the academy has provided them with since its inception. We have seen real progression of the combinations throughout the season with seven of the 7-year-old combinations going double clear or in the Top 20 at the 7 Year-Old Championships at Cornbury Young Horse Championships to secure their place on the academy for 2025. Two of these combinations were also selected for the World Young Horse Championships at Le Lion; namely Danni Evans with Kinda Corvette and Jack Pinkney and Monbeg Stonetown as reserve.
It has been terrific to work with such a great group of riders who are so grateful for what the programme has been able to offer them. The results at the Young Horse Championships stands testament to the investment that David Howden is making into the Young Horse sector of British Eventing, combined with the Young Horse Classes, Young Horse Leagues and the Championships themselves.
The new intake are a tremendous group and we look forward to being able to extend the offering of the programme to them and continue building on the successes it has seen to date. It will be exciting to bring them all together for the training camps at the start of the year to help in their preparations for the 2025 season.”
The seven combinations retaining their place on the programme for a second consecutive year are as follows:
- Ardnacashel Tornado R a 7 year-old owned and ridden by Holly Needham
- Murray VDLZ a 7 year-old owned by The D.Murray VDL Z syndicate and ridden by Tyler Cassells
- Greannanstown Monbeg Joe a 7 year old owned and ridden by Finn Healy
- Kinda Corvette a 7 year-old owned by Luana Edge and ridden by Dani Evans
- Madame Revolution TCE a 7 year-old owned by Tony Ross and ridden by Holly Richardson
- Monbeg Stone Town a 7 year-old owned by Lady Catherine Carleton-Smith and ridden by Jack Pinkney
- Wolk a 7 year-old chestnut gelding owned and ridden by Amelia Winter
For the new intake of horses and riders, eligible combinations were extended invitations to the Young Horse Development Days following their results achieved at the Young Horse Championships at Cornbury. The standard of the combinations that came forward to these days was unprecedented and we are thrilled to be congratulating those who have been selected and accepted their position for the new intake. This year, for the first time, we are also delighted to include three 5 year-old horses onto the programme. The new intake for 2025 are as follows:
- Poynstown Venture a 5 year-old owned by Arabella Henderson and ridden by Imogen Murray
- La Belle Au Bois a 5 year-old owned by Laura Davis and ridden by Sam Gillespie
- Theordore Mail a 5 year-old owned by Heather and Andrew Headley and ridden by Lucy Robinson
- Aquila II a 6 year-old owned by Albertine Barker and ridden by Amelia Walker
- Britannias Olive a 6 year-old owned by Sally Johnson and ridden by Ellie Fredricks
- HH Isla de la Chapelle a 6 year-old owned by Hambro Sport Horses and ridden by Alicia Hawker
- Peace of Orange a 6 year-old owned by Julie and Michael Hall and ridden by Rio Hall
- FJK Over and Out a 7 year-old owned by Sue Helliwell and ridden by Alicia Wilkinson
- Ilexa a 7 year-old owned and ridden by Milly Assheton
- Riverstown Royal a 7 year-old owned and ridden by Georgie Frow
Darrell Scaife for British Eventing said “We are extremely fortunate to have The Howden Way support and collaborate with us in this way. There are some tremendous young horses being produced across our competition structure and being able to further support them with the first-
+class training that The Howden Way brings us ensures we are giving them the very best experience into top level sport that we can during their formative years.”
The Young Horse Academy sits alongside the other Young Horse investments; The Young Horse 6- and 7-year-old classes and the Young Horse Leagues. Young Horse classes enable riders and owners to run their 6-year-old and 7-year-old horses in specific sections for horses in these age groups, offering the opportunity to benchmark horses against others of the same age and offer recognition for the highest performing young horses in these classes. They will also provide increased prize money. Find out more here
The Howden Way Young Horse Leagues are for 5-, 6-, 7- and 8 & 9-year-old horses. The leagues, powered by Equiratings take the average of the three best finishing scores at their respective level. Find out more here
Image: Tyler Cassells and D.Murray VDLZ
(credit Peter Nixon)
