Longines Royal International Horse Show Hickstead England

Mrs M Woodman's, 'Cosford Persia' (Cosford Versace/Cosford Perdita) was one of the many beautiful ponies on show this morning. Interestingly the Leading Rein ponies are being led with the right hand and not the left, as is often seen in Australia.

Mr P Ahern and Miss H Clements', 'Seaves Buzzy Bee' (Beckside Little Toff/Barkway Queen Bee) with Sophie-Leigh Clements in the saddle, is pictured during the PJ Skips Leading Rein Pony Championship.

Poppy Carter is pictured riding Mrs K Carter's five year old, 'Woodview Shangri La' (Woodview Filliddri/Rotherwood Happy Dream) in the PJ Skips First Ridden Championship.

Emily Wells rode her delightful, 'Bolgoed Just Josha' to second place in the well named Underwood Side Saddle Concours D' Elegance conducted on the International Arena this morning.

Clive Fountain drove his five year old stallion, 'Bookham Lodge Moses' (Bookham Lodge Joseph/Synod Rose Pipit) to win the British Horse Society Costers Turnout and take out the Reserve award in the BHS Light Trade and Costers Turnout Championship.

Jeff Osborne drove the Osborne Refrigeration Ltd's, 'Claygate Independence' to win the Light Trade Turnout and claim the Light Trade and Costers Turnout Championship.

A formally dressed, Allister Hood rode Lady C Tyrrell's splendid and good moving, 'The Comedian' (Welcome Flagmount/Liskallen Harmony) to win the Open Lightweight Cob class and claim the Surrey Envelopes Supreme Cob award.

Mark Chester rode Carol Bardo's, 'Fait Accobli' to take second place in the Open Lightweight Cob class and take out the Reserve Champion Cob award.

Jayne Webster rode Carol Bardo's impressive, 'The Keystone Cob' to win the class for Heavyweight Cob. This class is for Cobs 148-155cm and capable of carrying more than 14 stone. The Lightweights carry "up to 14 stone".

Robert Walker rode Camilla Neame's,15.1hh eight year old, 'Starry Night' to take second place in the class for Open Heavyweight Cob.

The 2012 Longines Royal International Horse Show represented another successful chapter in the Stanley Grange record book. The unbeaten 14.2hh Pony, 'Dance All Night by Kilvington Scoundrel, owned by Mr D Dixon and Mrs FM Harforth, produced by Jerome Harforth and ridden by Lucinda Elliott, was declared Champion Show Pony and Supreme Ridden Pony, taking out the Dick Saunders Trophy.

Jayne Webber rode Mandy Hughes and Carol Bardo's eye catching, 'The Humdinger' to take out the Skewbald and Piebald Native/Cob/Traditional Horse Championship. They are pictured on the International Arena during the work out for the BHS Supreme Ridden Horse and with it the prestigious Winston Churchill Trophy.

Darren Crowe is pictured during the BHS Supreme Ridden Horse Championship riding Mrs Caroline Sussex's winning Ridden Pure Bred Arabian, 'Silvern Prince' (Prince Sadik/Silvern Image).

Hacks over 15.3hh in England are called Riding Horses and have their own classes. Leon King rode Mrs P Underwood's, 'Tattygare Watch this Space', a 16.2hh, seven year old by Porsch out of Tattygare Golden Delight to win the class for Riding Horse Over 158cm. There is a Small riding Horse class for horses 148-and N.E. 158cm. 'Watch This Space was declared Reserve Champion Ridden Horse.

Clare Curry is pictured riding Adrian Curry's winning 143cm and N.E. 153cm Show Hunter Pony, 'Noble Star' (Fahavane Artic Star/Fahavane Lilly) during the judging of The Supreme Ridden Pony.

Emily Ward produced a super workout during the Supreme Ridden Pony judging riding M Seara's delightful 14hh Working Hunter Pony winner, 'Noble Danny Macks'.

Katie Bacon took out the Supreme Ridden Mountain and Moorland Championship with her popular, 'Galloon Rollover' (Murphy's Oscar/Galloon Wind of Change). They are pictured on the International Arena during the Supreme Ridden Pony judging.

The judging of both the Supreme Ridden Horse and Pony was judged a bit like the Diving with three judges holding up a score from one to ten as pictured here. The Supreme Ridden Pony, Dance All Night was the only exhibit to receive a score of ten, in fact from two judges. It is really quite an achievement to make it to the Royal International, as all the showing exhibits had to qualify to get here.

Intermediate classes are for horses 148-and N.E. 158cm to be ridden by riders under 25 years. The Intermediates should be "specially suited to children and with good manners". Karla Gardner rode Mrs P A Underwood's, 'Pebbly Diva Du Mont' (Orlando/Filistra) to win the Intermediate Show Hunter class and go on to be declared Champion Intermediate Exhibit.

This photo shows the turn from the open water at number four, just the other side of the flowers etc. to the influential double of Hickstead Gates at 5ab set at 1.50m. The top third of the gate is on separate cups and falls very easily. Seventeen of the 47 starters in the Longines King George V Gold Cup faulted at 5ab and most as a result of the difficult turn. This [prestigious and famous competition started in 1911 an has been won by a who's who of jumping greats since that time. From 1911 until 2008 the class was restricted to male riders and the Queen Elizabeth II Cup conducted since 1949 was a lady's jumping class until 2008.

Germany's Marco Kutscher makes a beautiful jump over the first aboard the volatile Clinton stallion,' Cornet Obolensky' at the beginning of his King George V Gold Cup round. Four penalties at 5a saw them finish in 11th place.

Ireland's Shane Breen jumped one of nine George V Gold Cup first round clears riding his 'Cos I Can'. Four penalties in the jump off saw them finish in eighth place on time.

Belgian rider Niels Bruynseels makes a beautiful jump aboard the Con Air mare, 'Conisha Van De Helle' during the first round of the King George V Gold Cup. They finished with four penalties (5a).

Aymeric De Ponnat from France won the King George V Cup in 2007 but could not manage a repeat performance today riding the Armitage stallion, 'Armitage's Boy'. They jumped clear and nine to take ninth place.

A Dutchman had never won the King George V Cup until today, when 22 year old Hendrik-Jan Schuttert rode the careful Celano mare, 'Cerona H S' to claim victory with a double clear in 54.91 seconds. It was an exciting jump off with five of the nine posting a double clear.

The hugely successful jumping rider, Ludger Beerbaum posted a double clear riding Madeleine Winter-Schule's active Contender mare, 'Chiara'. However, Ludger was one second slower than the winner and had to settle for second place. With first prize at 66,000 euros, there was a lot of interest in winning the class that had 200,000 in total prize money.

Belgian rider, Pieter Devos makes a super jump over the last in the jump off riding the talented Nabab de Reve mare, 'Candy'. They were the trail blazers in the class and jumped a double clear to take fifth place.

Joe Clayton rode Michael Whitaker's Darco stallion, 'Mr Darcy' to jump clear and four to take sixth place in the Longines King George V Gold Cup 1.60m Grand prix on the final afternoon of the show which began in the mud and only just managed to avoid cancellation, and ended in brilliant summer sunshine. So much so that the Pimm's tents were doing a roaring trade..

France's Marie Hecart and her wonderful Quidam de Revel mare, 'Myself de Breve' jumped two really super rounds and Marie almost became the first woman to win the George V Cup in 101 years. They were just over a second behind the winner and had to settle for third place.

The horse of the competition was the Brendon Stud's Diamant de Semilly stallion, 'Don VHP Z' ridden by talented local girl, Louise Paavitt. The eight year old jumped two beautiful clears and despite the excited urging of the partisan crowd came home just over two seconds behind the winner to claim fourth place. They really look to be a great combination for the future.