Erik Mackechnie-Guire will be judging the mini M&M classes at HOYS 2025. With the 2025 Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) just around the corner, we catch up with mountain and moorland (M&M) mini and working hunter judge Erik Mackechnie-Guire to find out what he’ll be looking for.
Who is mountain and moorland mini and working hunter judge Erik Mackechnie-Guire?
“During my early years, my involvement in ponies was through a local trekking centre, which kept a mixture of native and native crosses. That’s where I first became interested in the native breeds and at around 16 years old, I had a native of my own for the first time – a Shetland pony,” says Erik.
After finishing school, Erik decided to pursue working in the equestrian world, and trained via the British Horse Society (BHS) system before embarking on his career. A period of working on various good training yards and facilities ensued, including over 20 years as head trainer at Gleneagles.
He has competed to advanced level in dressage, and is an experienced coach who has worked with the British para-equestrian dressage team and as para-equestrian high performance manager with Team Australia.
In May 2019 he was appointed as the BEF’s new pathway manager for para-equestrian dressage, and has since become a Fellow of the BHS.
Erik joined the Highland Pony Society in his teens, and progressed onto the judging panel in his early twenties. His involvement in the breed has continued to this day and he now keeps a small herd of ponies, and breeds under the Dunstaffanage prefix.
As well as the Highland Pony Society’s breed panel, Erik sits on the UK Ponies & Horses (UK P&H), the National Pony Society (NPS) and the British Show Pony Society (BSPS).
He has officiated at many of our major UK fixtures, including at HOYS and at the Royal International Horse Show (RIHS) .
What will Erik be looking for at HOYS?
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