Equestrian
St Hugh’s has an active and highly successful Equestrian Team with members competing in many different leagues across the UK in a multitude of disciplines including eventing, showjumping, dressage and racing. Our jockeys have been competing more recently within the leagues hosted by British Showjumping for Schools, National Schools Equestrian Association (NSEA); and School Equestrian Games (SEG).
Our Equestrian Team is managed by parents, with the involvement and support of the school’s Sports Department. St Hugh’s encourages all riders to participate, but the school does not have facilities on site, and there is an expectation that members will have access to their own ponies and any necessary equipment and means of transportation. A wide range of experience and abilities are catered for, with the team nurturing our grassroot riders from Year 3 upwards.
Our jockeys have an incredible track-record of success in competitions at local, regional and national level, and over the last few years have become one of the teams to beat. Most recently our team have qualified for Royal Windsor 2024, were British Showjumping for Schools National Champions in 2023 at two heights, and NSEA National Arena Eventing Champions in 2023. We were also NSEA National Showjumping Champions in 2021, and NSEA Plate 80 Jumping with Style Champions in 2022 and 2021. Our teams have also qualified to compete at the very prestigious Royal Windsor Horse show, finishing 6th in 2022 and 17th in 2023. When not flying the flag for St Hugh’s, we have numerous pupils competing regularly across the UK at the very highest level of the sport from pony racing, Shetland racing to showjumping. Past pupils have gone onto huge equestrian accolades including Kitty King a British Olympic eventing rider; Rebecca Bell whom competed for GB in dressage; and Olive Nicholls whom more recently has made her move into professional racing gaining a ride this year at the Cheltenham Festival. We also count two Grand National winning jockeys and an Olympic eventer within our parent body!
