‘I can’t bear overbent horses’: what HOYS hunter judge Lucy Killingbeck will be looking for

Ahead of the 2022 Horse of the Year Show (HOYS), we caught up with hunter ride judge Lucy Killingbeck who will be officiating in the International Arena, alongside conformation judge Wendy Phipps, to see exactly what she’ll be looking for in each weight category and how riders can impress her to score a top placing.

Who is Lucy Killingbeck?

Lucy Killingbeck is a leading show judge who will be riding judging at HOYS 2022 for the sixth time during her career. She sits on the following panels; Sports Horse Breeding of Great Britain (GB), British Show Horse Association (BSHA), British Show Pony Society and Burghly Young Event Horse. Lucy has shown and competed horses for many years. She has won at all major shows, including HOYS, the Royal International and the BSHA national championships. HOYS 2022 will be her final ride judging appointment.

What will you be looking for as combinations enter the ring?

“Roger Stack once told me something which always sticks in my mind when I’m standing in the middle of the ring; a horse must walk to win. This means I’ll be looking for a horse who marches into the arena with purpose. A hunter must walk like a hunter; after a long day out hunting you don’t want to be mincing back to the lorry. I want a horse which tracks up from behind and who is not behind the vertical. I can’t bear overbent horses. When the horses move on, I’ll be looking for those which are travelling forward and look like they are going to get somewhere.”

What will you be looking for when in the saddle?

“I want a hunter to be light to my leg and responsive to the aids. It’s a common saying but a quality show horse should look like a lion and ride like a lamb. My winner will have something about it, too; they’re not hacks and they’re not police horses. I’ll be looking for something which rides light in the hand and is not behind the vertical. When you’re riding in an indoor arena you need a supple and athletic horse which is manouverable, balanced and can cope with the small space. It can be difficult to extend a horse at HOYS — the small space means you can’t fully open them up — but for me, you don’t need to go hell for leather to see if a horse can shift. I can tell if the horse is responsive to my aid and comes back to me nicely without galloping the backside off it.”

What are your pet hates in show horses?

“Overbent horses which ride behind the vertical. If a horse is too short in front, too, it goes solid behind the saddle and won’t work from behind. My husband uses a very good expression to describe horses which are extravagant in front but have nothing behind. It’s like ‘the conductor is waving his baton, but there is no music’. I will be judging to type on the day. A heavyweight does not move like a lightweight. A heavyweight is designed to carry a bigger person so can be stronger, steadier and less flash in its way of going when compared to the lighter horses.”

Any advice for those heading to HOYS for the first time?

“If you’ve done all your homework, you can sit back and enjoy the ride. At the end of the day, the result is just two individual’s opinions on one day. I’ve seen HOYS from every angle. I won HOYS once on a horse who had only attended one qualifier. At the final he said today was his day. Another time I was pulled third on a lovely horse, but the atmosphere was too much for him and he had to do the walk of shame. I’ve been there and done it all!”

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