The Championships

This year, the finale will be judged by Katie and Chris Jerram-Hunnable, and Matthew Lawrence.

Below is a list of the championship classes. All qualifier tickets have been secured and we will add lists of finalists for each class very soon…

SEIB Search for a Star Amateur In-Hand Plaited Horse including Hogged Show Cob

SEIB Search for a Star Amateur In-Hand Plaited Pony

SEIB Search for a Star Amateur In-Hand Veteran Horse or Pony

View the in-hand plaited horses, ponies and veteran finalists here

SEIB Search for a Star Amateur In-Hand Mountain & Moorland

SEIB Search for a Star Amateur In-Hand Traditional and Native Type

View the in-hand M&Ms, traditionals and natives finalists here

SEIB Search for a Star British Riding Club Amateur Show Horse or Pony

View the British Riding Club finalists

SEIB Search for a Star Pony Club Ridden Open Horse or Pony

See the Open Pony Club line up

SEIB Search for a Star Open Ridden Veteran Horse and Pony

See the Open Veteran finalists

SEIB Search for a Star Pony Club Ridden Leading Rein Pony

SEIB Search for a Star Pony Club First Ridden 

View the leading rein and first ridden finalists

SEIB Search for a Star Mountain & Moorland

See the nine mountain & moorland contenders

Timetable 2024

Role of Honour

Supreme Champion 2024

Spinway Colm was crowned the overall SEIB Search for a Star Supreme Champion of 2024.

The 12-year-old Connemara Spinway is owned and ridden by Hartpury University student Daisy Beards and came via the British Riding Club’s final.

Supreme Champion 2023

Suffolk Punch mare Holbeache Scarlet took the supreme spoils at Your Horse Live in 2023. The mare won the heavy horse final and then took the in-hand title before standing supreme. She is owned by Andrea Hoskins and was handled in the ring by Andrea’s stud manager Brak Auker.

Supreme Champion 2022

Thistledown Elpaso was crowned the inaugural supreme champion at Your Horse Live in 2022. Ridden by seven-year-old Emily Hiscox and led by the rider’s mother Heather, the grey pony won the Pony Club lead rein final en route to the supreme.

Emily wowed the crowd when she stood up on top of the saddle at the end of her individual show, having performed a round-the-world during her show the previous day. When asked if she’d practised for the big moment, Emily revealed she’d only done stood up in the pony’s saddle once before!

View the individual champions of 2024

View the individual champions of 2023

View the individual champions of 2022

About Search for a Star

Now well into its third decade, Search for a Star was the brainchild of SEIB Insurance Brokers. The running of the series has now been leased from SEIB to the Absolutely Genuine Company.

Search for a Star has long been renowned for using top judges both at the qualifying shows and finals.

SEIB Search for a Star, along with SEIB Racehorse to Riding Horse, was set up with the intention of creating a job, and therefore an increased value, for certain groups of horses.

The team has worked closely with the Traditional Gypsy Cob Association to help facilitate Search for a Star opportunities for traditional cobs, as seen at Your Horse Live in the native and traditional in-hand championship.

Many riders subsequently become hooked on showing, having first “had a go” in Search for a Star.  Many well-known horses also started out in this competition, where their talent was first recognised.

The first ever champion was the four-year-old Shelford Rupert in 1996, who went on to win many heavyweight, working and ladies’ hunter classes and championships at top level all over the country.

In recent years, the series has grown and there are now championships at both HOYS and Your Horse Live.

The Your Horse Live Search for a Star finals include championships for mountain and moorlands, open veterans and in-hand horses and ponies, including the brand new in-hand heavy horse championship.

The inaugural Pony Club Search for a Star championship with classes for lead rein, first ridden and open Pony Club members ran in 2022 and is back even bigger and better this year!

One of the things that makes Search for a Star particularly popular with audiences is that the judges use radio microphones to describe what they are looking for and, most importantly, explain their decisions.

About SEIB Insurance Brokers

SEIB Insurance Brokers was founded in 1963 and is proudly part of the Benefact Group. It is a national company, specialising in various markets such as equestrian, funeral and private hire.

Giving is embedded in the culture of SEIB and the company has always been committed to supporting good causes. It has granted over £300,000 to charity since 2018 through their SEIB Giving initiative.

Benefact Group is the third-largest corporate donor to charity in the UK, according to the UK Guide to Company Giving 2023/24. It has donated over £200m to charity since 2014 and is aiming to reach its target of giving £250m by 2025.

Please support SEIB by using its insurance services to enable the company to continue to provide valuable sponsorship which keeps our equestrian sports going.

Images © SMR Photos