Chris McGrann - United Kingdom

Chris has lived in Yorkshire all his life. As a competitor and coach, he focuses mainly
on Horse Trials up to International and Olympic level. He works with horses and ponies across all disciplines from Racing to Mountain and Moorland.
Judging equine shows and competitions has formed a large part of his professional and social time officiating at many national and international shows. Royal Windsor, the National Hunter Show and the Royal Show at Stoneleigh stand out by name on the national front, but many interesting and rewarding days have been enjoyed at the county, breed society and one day shows. He has also judged at the Royal Dublin and Balmoral Shows and the unique hunter championship in the palace grounds in the Netherlands. A successful role as chef d'equip for the UK International Show Riders Team in Johannesburg and seminars in Toronto, Canada are memorable.

Phillippa (Pip) Stacy - United Kingdom

Pip has ridden for many top show pony producers including Colin Rose, Davina Whiteman and Gilbert Scotts.
She commenced judging at 21 and has been on the BSHA, BSH (GB), AHS, CHAPS, BSPA, SSH, ROR UK judging panels since her early 20s.
She has judged at many of the leading shows in the UK, Ireland, South Africa and Kenya. She has also judged numerous times at the Dublin, the Royal International and the Royal Windsor Horse Show.
She has shown horses both side-saddle and astride at HOYS.

Jennifer (Jinks) Bryer - United Kingdom

Jinks has judged at the National Pony Society Show since the age of 15. She is currently on the BSH (GB), BSHA, CHAPS, BS&PA, BAS, BSPS, NPS, ROR, SSA UK judging panels.
She has judged in the USA, France, Ireland, South Africa and Zambia. The main judging in the UK over the last ten years has included HOYS, RIHS (Hickstead), the Royal, the Royal Highland, Royal Cornwall, Royal Windsor, Olympia, Final of Mountain and Moorland Championships.
She breeds competition horses, event/sport horses including several advanced and international event horses and has produced and shown many kinds of horses/ponies to top level.
Her teaching has included many top level event riders as well as showing and side-saddle.

Bev Richards - Australia

Bev is a current member of the EFA Show Horse committee and a founding member of the Riding Pony Foal Show.
Having over 30 years experience in the showing world, she is a current judge for both the EFA and Riding Pony judging panels and has tutored at Pony Club through to National level.
Currently showing one of Australia's national Galloway champions, she has bred, ridden and shown horses at Royal Show and National level to numerous championships.
For the last 13 years has offered her horses to interstate and international riders to compete at the EFA and Hack Council National Championships to various wins and placings.

Fiona Clark - Australia

Fiona lives in Tasmania on a rural property with her partner Chris, two Jack Russells, and a team of show hacks and riding ponies which are currently competing successfully at Royal show level.
She started riding at a young age and quickly progressed through the pony club ranks of eventing and dressage. Her passion for showing began when a family friend who was a successful riding pony breeder had employed her. She has produced and successfully competed hacks, Galloways and ponies at numerous Royal shows, including Melbourne, Hobart and Launceston, the Equestrian Federation of Australia National Titles in Werribee, Victoria and the Show Horse Council Grand National Championships in Sydney.
Throughout her riding career she has judged at the Royal Launceston Show, the Tasmanian Riding Pony Show Championships and numerous other State and country shows throughout Tasmania and also holds positions as a committee member on multiple horse show organizations including Show Horse Council of Tasmania and the Equestrian Federation of Australia.
She is delighted and honoured to have been invited to judge at the 2008 Kelt Capital Horse of The Year Show and is looking forward to the high standard of riding, production and schooling of show horses in New Zealand.

Tania Hay - Australia

Tania established 'Alinda Park Show Horses' in 1992 with the aim of breeding good quality trainable Galloways and small hacks for both children and adults.
A number of horses bred by her have won at Royal Shows and Horse of the Year events throughout Australia.
She has produced ponies, Galloways and hacks for many championships at Royal Show level and Horse of the Year and has represented Tasmania at National level with horses she has produced or bred.
Her judging appointments include Horse of the Year events within Australian States and Royal Shows including Melbourne Summer Royal 2007 and VASA championships 2007. She has judged at Barastoc Horse of the Year in Victoria and has owned and ridden hacks and Galloways that have won at this prestigious show.
Her current show horse is a hack that won Horse of the Year in Tasmania 2007 and the Royal Hobart Show.
She is excited to have been invited to judge at the 2008 Kelt Capital Horse of the Year Show and looks forward to judging the competition.

Alan Windle - New Zealand

Alan has judged numerous competitions and many Royal shows throughout NZ.
He has also judged at many major Australian shows including Barastoc, Queensland Horse of the Year and the Victorian Riding Pony shows.
He is an international RAS Grade one judge as well as a multi listed breed society judge.
He runs the very successful Nala Stud in Shannon, which has bred and produced countless Horse of the Year, National and Royal show supreme champions.

Jackie Hill - New Zealand

Jackie has competed in numerous equestrian disciplines and has been Show judging for the last 30 years, currently as a RAS Grade one judge.
She has travelled throughout the South Island to judge at numerous shows including two Royals.
She has been a tutor judge since the conception of the training and examining of potential new show judges' programme also a committee member of the Canterbury
A & P Association assisting with the organization of the horse section of the Canterbury and New Zealand Royal shows.

Competitors should now be qualifying their animals in shows throughout New Zealand where the cream of the top show horses and ponies will compete for the prestigious 2008 Kelt Capital Horse of the Year titles. Months of work and conditioning has gone into producing these quality show hacks, saddle show hunters and ponies, show ponies, leading rein and first ridden ponies, to be at their peak for the 2008 Horse of the year Show. Such is the quality of presentation of these top show animals, that most have that "look at me, I am really the best" aura about them.

We can confirm that invitations have been accepted from three English judges, three Australian judges and one judge each from the North and South islands. Competitors appreciate having a variety of judges, especially judges from overseas, bringing fresh blood into the judging.

The show hack is an elegant horse that stands over the ground. It should be well schooled, going softly into the bridle, with even and flowing paces showing good rhythm. The hacks are divided into two categories - park hack up to 158cm, and the hack, over 158cm.

The Rising Star championships are always keenly sought after with many future champions emerging from this section.

The programme for the Adult Rider classes has changed. These classes have been divided into three age groups, 17 to 21 years, 22 to 35 years and 36 years and over.

On Wednesday, the feature classes of interest will be the working hunter pony, working hunter horse titles, the in-hand and welsh titles.