SHOWING 2022

Sunshine Tour Championships are for AMATEUR competitors, professionals are excluded from competing in the Sunshine Tour. Our definition of a ‘professional’ is someone who earns money from:

1. Training, schooling, breaking or competing horses/ponies.
   • People who work with horses for care, e.g. grooms, vet nurses and only participate in exercising of horses, e.g. hacking & lunging for exercise but not schooling, training, competing or breaking client’s horses can qualify.
2. Buying and/or selling horses for profit.
3. Teaching and/or training riders.
   • Instructors who only teach in a riding school with riding school horses/ponies and do not teach people on their own horses can qualify.
4. Judging affiliated classes in the same discipline as your competition (paid or unpaid).

All horses and ponies taking part in Sunshine Tour Showing must not be professionally produced/trained for the show ring and must not be kept in training or livery (including DIY livery) with a professional / affiliated showing producer during the current year.

2022 SHOWING QUALIFICATION
If you record your qualification within one month (for July shows, by 7^th August), you will be given TWO Unique Qualification Numbers for each qualification earned. Each Qualification Number allows you to enter one championship class.

TOURS are groups of classes, divided by competence and measurable points/winnings restrictions – please respect the spirit of each level as well as the letter of the law. You CAN compete across Tours if you fit the restrictions.

If you are outside the restrictions for the class that you qualified in, you can voluntarily upgrade to a higher level.

You CAN compete in BOTH Small & Grand Tour Showing if you fit the relevant restrictions.

SMALL TOUR SHOWING
Horses/Ponies competing in Small Tour

• During the period 1^st January 2020 to the date of this year’s championship: horses/ponies can be registered with a showing or breed society but must not have won any affiliated class.
• During the period 1^st January 2018 to the date of this year’s championship: horses/ponies cannot have competed in any affiliated showing class at RIHS, Olympia or HOYS (from 1^st January 2020 for TSR HOYS Masterclass and Search for a Star).
• During the period 1^st January 2020 to the date of this year’s championship: horses/ponies can have taken part in preliminary qualifying rounds of classes that do not require pre-membership of the society but must not have taken part in second rounds or championships.

Riders/Handlers competing in Small Tour

• • Riders/handlers never to have competed in showing classes at RIHS, HOYS or Olympia and must not be involved with schooling, training, breaking, producing or breeding show horses/ponies.
  • Cannot be currently listed on any showing panel and /or judge affiliated or unaffiliated showing classes; this restriction applies to paid or unpaid activities.
  • Cannot teach others to ride, except in Riding School teaching clients not on their own horse/pony.
  • During the period 1^st January 2020 to the date of this year’s championship; riders/handlers can have taken part in preliminary qualifying rounds of classes that do not require pre-membership of the society but must not have taken part in second rounds or championships.

GRAND TOUR SHOWING
Horses/Ponies competing in Grand Tour

• During the period 1^st January 2020 to the date of this year’s championship: horses/ponies can be registered with a showing or breed society and have been placed in first round competitions but must not have won a championship class.
• During the period 1^st January 2018 to the date of this year’s championship: horses/ponies cannot have competed in an affiliated showing class at RIHS, Olympia or HOYS (from 1^st January 2020 for TSR HOYS Masterclass and Search for a Star).
• During the period 1^st January 2020 to the date of this year’s championship: horses/ponies canhave taken part in second rounds of affiliated classes but must not have gone forward to the relevant final or championships.

Riders/Handlers competing in Grand Tour

• During the period 1^st January 2018 to the date of this year’s championship: riders/handlers must not have competed in showing classes at RIHS, HOYS or Olympia and must not be professionally involved with schooling, training, breaking, producing, breeding or judging show horses/ponies.
• Cannot be currently listed on any affiliated showing panel and /or judge affiliated showing classes; this restriction applies to paid or unpaid activities.
• Cannot teach other to ride, except in Riding School teaching clients not on their own horse/pony.

Printable Version

Showing at the Sunshine Tour is guided by various rule books, according to the relevance to the class. For general advice please contact The Showing Register at www.theshowingregister.co.uk

TSR Handbook

BSPS Rule Book

BSHA Rule Book

VHS Rule Book

Sunshine Tour Showing Championships

Fun & Starters classes
All novelty & fun showing classes like Handsomest Gelding, Prettiest Mare, Judge’s Choice, Best Horse/Pony qualify for the Fun Showing championships. Qualifier classes can be ridden & in-hand, horses & ponies, lead rein or assisted.
Classes for beginners or starters, classes restricted to walk & trot, introduction or have-a-go classes all qualify for the Fun and/or Starters Showing Championships.

Small Tour classes 
Any novice or restricted showing class qualifies for the Novice & Newcomer series of championships. Qualifier classes can be in-hand horse, in-hand pony, ridden horse, ridden pony or mixed height.
Novice & restricted working hunter and working hunter pony qualify for Novice & Newcomer Working Hunter & Newcomer Working Hunter Pony Championships.
Junior or child handler classes qualify for Junior Handler.
All types of rider and equitation classes qualify for Best Rider.
Any class for Pony Club Pony or Riding Club Horse or classes for versatile horse/pony qualify for Pony Club Pony & Riding Club Horse
Family horse or pony, best all-rounder or handy pony can qualify for Family Horse & Pony.
Rescued or Rehabilitated Horse or Pony – can be in-hand or ridden.

Grand Tour classes
All condition & turnout classes qualify for Top Turnout – ridden, in-hand or lead rein.
Lead Rein & First Ridden classes qualify for the championships for ages 3 years to 12 years.
Cob – Ridden & In-Hand.
Riding Horse – Ridden & In-Hand.
Coloured – Ridden & In-Hand.
Show Hunter – Ridden & In-Hand.
Thoroughbred – Ridden & In-Hand.
Natives – Ridden & In-Hand.
NEW! Foreign Breed – Ridden & In-Hand.
Show Pony & Show Hunter Pony.
Youngstock.
Veteran Horse & Pony.
Working Hunter.
Working Hunter Pony.
Working Show Horse.

Printable Version of Showing Qualifier Classes

QUALIFICATION PERIOD:  Eventer’s Challenge & Arena Eventing 1st November – 31st July
Dressage, Show Jumping & Showing 1st January – 31st July

Before you Start: Check that the competitor AND the horse / pony are eligible to compete at the Championships.  Rules & Regulations for each discipline are available in the ‘Championships’ pages.

Step 1: Register your horse / pony. You’ll only need to do this once for the 2022 qualifying season, we’ll issue a Horse/Pony Registration number. Registrations open soon HERE

Step 2: Find out where to qualify and check which Showing Qualifier Classes or Show jumping, Dressage and Eventing Qualifier Classes are eligible for qualification. If you cannot find a registered venue near you offering relevant competitions, there are options available, so please email us on register@sunshinetour.co.uk !

Step 3: Compete at a registered centre / show / club and achieve 1st to 4th in an eligible class in dressage, show jumping, showing and eventer’s challenge/arena eventing. Make sure you take a note of all the qualification information.

For your convenience, you can download a Personal Qualifier Booklet (for best result, print double sided) to take with you and fill out with the information on the day. Please note this qualification booklet is for your personal use only and we do not accept this as proof of qualification.

Step 4: Record your qualification (online forms currently under review for 2022) and submit evidence of the qualification i.e. a link or screenshot / photo of online results from the showground.

Step 5: We will process your qualification for you and email you a Unique Qualification Number (usually within 14 days of your registration).

Any questions: Email register@sunshinetour.co.uk for help.

Ride – Compete – Qualify – Repeat.  Record each qualification, you will need a unique qualification number for each championship class that you want to enter. A guide to how many championships you can enter is below.

Note: qualification does not guarantee a place in the championship, entries are open from 8th to 14th August and are taken in order of receipt and some classes may fill on the first day of entries. T&C’s apply, it is the responsibility of the competitor to read the Rules and Schedule before entering. The Sunshine Tour is exclusively for unaffiliated and amateur riders, competing with unaffiliated horses and ponies.

Guide to How Many Championships
Dressage: Each horse/rider combination can compete over 2 levels e.g. Intro & Prelim or Prelim & Novice or Novice & Elementary. Each time you qualify, you can enter one championship class. You can’t enter a championship class at a lower level than your qualification, but you can go up. So if you’ve qualified at Prelim, you could not enter an Intro championship, but you could enter Prelim or Novice. No qualification needed for open/warm up classes.
Show Jumping: Each time a horse/rider combination qualifies they can compete in one championship. You can’t have more than 20cm gap between the heights of championships you compete in. You can compete higher than your original qualification or 5cm lower e.g. if you’ve qualified at 70cm then you can compete at 65cm or higher.  You can enter warm up, fun classes, clear round and derby challenge without any extra qualification.
Showing: each horse/competitor combination’s qualification allows you to enter 2 championship classes, as long as the other class is relevant and the same horse/competitor combination. If you’re qualified class isn’t at a time you can get there or clashes, you can swap to another relevant class. You can also enter the training/warm up/open classes without any further qualification.
Eventers Challenge: Each time a horse/rider combination qualifies they can compete in one championship. You can’t have more than 20cm gap between the heights of championships you compete in. You can also enter open & warm up classes.

We’re very proud to have grown from a little show to a huge championship and be able to offer you a sponsorship package, we offer individual and business sponsorship packages. From just £70 you can have your name in the schedule and enjoy a VIP Pass for 2 people including refreshments in the Dick Saunders pavilion. If you have a business that you’d like to promote, we can help with advertising in the schedules, banners on the showground and Facebook & website links. We have lots of packages available, please see Sponsorship Packages for the options available or ask for a bespoke package to suit your needs.

You may already know all about the Sunshine Tour and the popularity of taking part in a fabulous championship at the famous showground at Hickstead? If you’d like to know more, here’s a bit About the Sunshine Tour.

If you would like to become part of the Sunshine Tour, please get in touch with Rebecca on 07904 898696, email office@sunshinetour.co.uk or message us via Facebook.