Changes to the British Show Pony Society (BSPS) rules and Royal International Horse Show (RIHS) qualifiers have been met with mixed reactions.

The most controversial changes are to plaited working hunter pony sections and their RIHS finals, which follow the BSPS rulebook.

The minimum height in class descriptors has been removed, so for example 133cm ponies can step up to the bigger 143cm tracks. Competitors in 133cm and 143cm classes will have two more years in the class, until the year they turn 15 and 18 respectively, and 153cm riders will have until they are 25.

Trainer Karen Raine, whose daughter Rebecca competes in working hunter pony ranks, told : “In an open letter to the BSPS, it was argued that as riders could be 18 in 148cm show ponies, it should be the same for 143cm sh

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