Pippa Goddard added her name to an illustrious roll of honour by winning the Senior Newcomers Championship
Thursday 09 October 2025
1y1twj2ldz5o4.JPG "Pippa Goddard added her name to an illustrious roll of honour by winning the Senior Newcomers Championship")
The first national class of this year’s show produced a thrilling jump-off featuring 10 combinations, with less than a second separating the top three finishers.
It was Canterbury-based Pippa and PDV Constanza, who is owned by Jessica Williams, that came out on top, with their time of 30.58 seconds proving enough to hold off runner-up Joseph Trunkfield, riding Usha Z, with James Ingham and Altesse 2 VN Z in third.
Three riders – Aimee Paxton (Chilli’s Duke), Thomas Pritchard (Princess SW) and Charlotte Walker (Victoria’s Painted Secret CW) – went marginally quicker than the winner, but four faults for each of them proved costly.
The Newcomers class was first contested at HOYS exactly 40 years ago, and lists the likes of Michael Whitaker, Laura Renwick, Donald Whitaker, Matthew Sampson and Billy Twomey among its former winners.
Pippa is now part of that select group, and she paid tribute to the seven-year-old grey mare that made it possible in the Andrews Bowen International Arena.
“Growing up on ponies, Horse of the Year Show is every young rider’s dream. We work all year long – riders, parents, grooms, owners, sponsors – and everyone wants you to get here and do well. It means a great deal,” she said.
“My horse had not jumped indoors before, so we weren’t quite sure how she would take to that atmosphere and everything, but she was pure class.
“She was great in the ring, and I couldn’t be more proud of her and delighted with her. She is unbelievable, wants to win as much as we do and fights every time she goes in.”
The Newcomers attracts a huge number of entries each year, with more than 35,000 competitors taking part in the initial qualifying round.
The final focuses on providing an opportunity for horses with limited jumping experience, and the 2025 HOYS national classes are set to once again provide a showjumping treat judging by such a quality opener.
Image: 1st Class Images
