No more 128s to jump at HOYS or London

 The announcement that there will be no 128cm showjumping finals at HOYS or the London International Horse Show from 2029 has sent shockwaves through the equestrian community. The decision forms part of British Showjumping's wider response to an independent safeguarding review aimed at strengthening welfare and improving the experience of young competitors.

Let me be clear: I fully support efforts to improve welfare in youth sport. If there are genuine safeguarding concerns, they must be addressed. However, I struggle to see how removing top-level competition opportunities for 128cm riders actually tackles the root causes of those concerns.

To me, this feels less like solving a problem and more like applying a sticking plaster to a much deeper wound. It is a highly visible change that creates the appearance of action, but does it actually address the issues that led to the review? The pressures placed on young riders, parental behaviour, coaching standards, social media culture, and pony welfare do not suddenly disappear because a final is removed from the calendar.

In fact, this decision raises more questions than answers...

Children aged 12 and under will no longer be permitted to compete at shows with paying spectators from 2029. Yet many riders of that age are already successfully competing on 138cm ponies, 148cm ponies, and even horses. What happens to them? Will the same logic eventually apply across the wider sport, or will only 128cm competitors be affected?

The announcement also opens up a broader discussion about age restrictions and pony classes generally. I've written before about whether riders should really be forced to leave pony competition at 16 (click here to read this article). If the goal is to create a healthier and more sustainable sport, perhaps this is the perfect opportunity to rethink some of the traditional rules surrounding pony height divisions and rider age limits. Plenty of talented 14 year olds are still small enough to ride 128cm ponies competitively, while many adults are perfectly capable of riding 148cm ponies (For example I am 5'5, 58kg, so even at 23 years old I can comfortably ride 138s...) Should we be looking at more flexible eligibility rules, rather than fewer opportunities?

British Showjumping has stated that members from across the sport, including parents, officials, coaches and riders, were consulted as part of the review process. Yet judging by the response online and conversations across the industry, many people appear genuinely blindsided by this announcement. 

And once again, as is so often the case in equestrian sport, breeders appear to have been completely overlooked. With these finals being phased out in only two years, what happens to the breeders who already have mares in foal and youngstock specifically bred for this pathway? 

Some of my sport pony youngstock on our farm...

If a large proportion of competitors, parents and pony owners feel that the changes miss the mark, then perhaps it is time for the community to come together and have its voice heard. A petition may not change the decision overnight, but it could encourage further discussion and ensure that those directly affected are properly represented.

Riders and owners are ultimately the people who fund this sport. Therefore, decisions this significant should be discussed and revised with the community they affect, through democracy, not dictatorship.