The London International Horse Show at ExCeL

The London International Horse Show ‘Live Zone’ is set to return for the 2021 edition, from 16 – 20 December, featuring more stars than ever. The Live Zone presents an exciting opportunity for fans and spectators to meet and interact with their favourite equestrian influencers, riders and celebrities and this year will host talks, Q&A sessions, and interviews.

Social media sensation 'This Esme' returns to the London International Horse Show for the third time and will be in attendance at the Live Zone on Sunday 19 and Monday 20 December. Esme is one of the world’s most popular equestrian influencers; her career took off whilst documenting her life with her ponies and donkeys. Her engaging personality and lifestyle have seen her YouTube channel ‘This Esme’ reach over 600,000 subscribers and over 160 million views, as well as gaining a spectacular 7.8 million likes on TikTok and 272,000 followers on Instagram.
Speaking in anticipation of her appearance at the Show, Esme said: “I'm so excited to announce that I'll be back at the amazing London International Horse Show for the third year running. Christmas just wasn't Christmas last year without it, so I can't wait to experience the spectacle, the Show, and of course the shopping at the London International’s new home at the Excel. It’s so exciting to be at this wonderful new venue, and this year promises to be bigger and better than ever!”

International Dressage rider, content creator and influencer Erin Williams makes her debut as part of the Live Zone line-up for 2021. The six-time Youth European Dressage rider and owner of the clothing brand ‘Black Heart Equestrian’ has amassed an impressive 441,000 Instagram and 3.8 million TikTok followers. She has recently been dubbed the ‘most followed female equestrian on social media worldwide’. Williams will be at the Show on Thursday 16 December.

Fan favourite, the ever-popular Teddy The Shetland, returns to the London International Horse Show on Friday 17 December and Saturday 18 December for a ‘meet and greet’ and photo opportunities. The miniature Shetland, who has over 160,000 Instagram followers and 2.2 million likes on TikTok, has become a social media superstar and even spent the summer in residence at The Goring Hotel in London meeting his fans.

Also in attendance are eventing and lifestyle influencers Megan Elphick, Tina Wallace, Emily Dunstan and Lucy Robinson, who will be appearing on the Live Zone on Friday 17 December. The quartet’s content covers everything from schooling to stable care, alongside plenty of light-hearted action and challenges.

Alongside the exclusive opportunity to meet some of the biggest equestrian influencers in the world, the Live Zone presents a unique chance to hear from and meet elite equestrian athletes. These will include international competitors from Show Jumping, Dressage and Driving as well as specialist equestrian experts, and guest appearances from other stars of the Show. Past guests have included Ben Maher, Charlotte Dujardin and Clare Blading. The complete 2021 timetable will be announced in due course.

Show Director, Simon Brooks-Ward, said: “The London International Horse Show is hugely excited to announce the return of the ever-popular Live Zone. We recognise the importance and growth of social media influencers and digital bloggers, so we are delighted to be welcoming more influencers than ever before. We want to enable our visitors to have an unforgettable experience interacting with their favourite stars.”

Both The London International Horse Show and ExCeL London are looking forward to welcoming you to a safe and secure event this Christmas!

We are making every effort to provide a safe environment for all of our visitors. This includes ensuring there are wide aisles to reduce crowd density and improve attendee flow. There will also be multiple entrances which will enable management of queues. There will be hygiene reminders to regularly wash hands throughout the venue and there will be an enhanced cleaning regime during Show-open periods and, finally, contactless payment will be encouraged.

We can all play our part in keeping each other safe, so we are asking that everyone aged 18 years and over entering ExCeL shows one of the following as part of our COVID pass check:

• Proof of having had two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine at least 14 days before attending
• Presence of COVID-19 antibodies
• Evidence of a negative Lateral Flow Test (email / text) result within 48 hours of the event

This will be a quick visual check at the point of entry to the venue and no personal data will be recorded or stored. If you are a UK resident you can show your vaccination status via the NHS COVID Pass on the NHS App (or paper copy). International visitors can show equivalent proof from their home country. If you would like to know more about how you can demonstrate your COVID status please click here.

Since we are all doing our best to limit the spread of the virus, we ask all visitors to please be respectful of other people and do not attend if:

• You feel unwell, including a high temperature, new continuous cough and/or a loss of, or change to, your sense of smell or taste
• You are isolating or have been asked to by a government test and trace service
• You have been in close contact with anyone who has COVID-19 or anyone who has been showing symptoms

While face masks are no longer mandatory, you are encouraged to wear one in the public areas of the venue such as the main concourse and the washroom facilities.

For further information, please visit: ExCeL’s Visitor Information Page.

Nearer the event the Show will publish a Covid Code of Conduct and Frequently Asked Questions around COVID-19.

We will regularly update this page in accordance with Government advice.

Should COVID-19 lead to a cancellation of the Show, the face value of tickets purchased will be refunded. Please note that the booking fee will not be refunded.

The London International Horse Show (16 – 20 December) returns to the capital for the first time since 2019 and once again sustainability is a top priority of the historic Show. Working collaboratively with the Show’s new venue for 2021 – ExCeL London – organisers of the London International Horse Show today announced a rundown of its plans to ensure the Christmas extravaganza is as environmentally conscious as possible.

The ExCeL venue itself is behind some fantastic initiatives to drive sustainability. All of the venue’s electricity is already procured from renewable sources, and the gas supply is carbon offset using UN credits. To improve energy efficiency, lighting will be set to 50% during the build‐up and break down of the Show. In 2007, ExCeL also joined the UN Global Compact, the world’s largest sustainability initiative.

The delicious food and catering outlets at the London International Horse Show are a draw for visitors, and this year sustainability is at the forefront. ExCeL London has worked hard to ensure that there is a much greater range of sustainable food choices available as part of the venue’s catering offering. Their caterers use a minimum of 80% British seasonal fruit and vegetables, and do not use any produce transported by aircraft. In addition, surplus food from several of ExCeL’s biggest events is donated to Community Food Enterprise, who distribute it to local projects around the London Borough of Newham.

The London International Horse Show’s team will work carefully with the caterers, designing menus that are both delicious and festive, while ensuring food waste is kept to an absolute minimum. However, if food does end up in the bin, it’s not the end! ExCeL London is home to the UK’s largest commercial wormery, which houses over 300,000 worms. Food waste is fed in, and eight months later the team at ExCeL collect the compost, which is then used to fertilise the green spaces around the site. Furthermore, all used vegetable oil is collected from the site and turned into bio‐fuel.

Building a show like the London International Horse Show requires a lot of elements. Re‐using and recycling is key to the Show’s sustainability plan, with many of the elements of the build, such as the arena seating, scaffolding, carpets, furniture and the Martin Collins arena surface are stored and brought out again year after year. The London International team also work with companies who specialise in recycling materials; for instance, the drapes that decorate the halls are recycled where possible, signage is packed away, and everything which can be repurposed or used again for the following show is stored safely. Even the manure from the stables is recycled; it is sent to a local farm for use on their fields. The Show will also be working closely with Shopping Village vendors to help them be as sustainable as possible, both during the build, and for their time onsite.

The 2021 Show also aims to minimise the use of single‐use plastics. All catering outlets will offer the opportunity to fill up water bottles free of charge, and additional water stations are installed around the Show. Non‐recyclable packaging and single use cutlery will be kept to the absolute minimum, and catering outlets will be happy to fill reusable coffee cups and will even offer you a discount for bringing your own. Separate bins are available at the Show to encourage visitors to separate their waste, meaning that the Show can recycle more and minimise environmental impact.

The easiest way for visitors to reduce their environmental impact is to travel via London’s extensive network of public transport links. The venue is accessible by rail, cable car and bicycle, and the tube and Docklands Light Railway are the speediest way of getting across the capital to the venue. At the point of purchasing tickets, visitors are asked if they would like to donate to offset their carbon footprint created by travelling to the Show.

Show Director, Simon Brooks‐Ward said, “Now more than ever, it’s important for us to make sure that the Show has as little environmental impact as possible. We are lucky to be supported by a venue such as ExCeL whose fantastic infrastructure makes the job much easier, but we are still working to ensure that every aspect of the London International Horse Show is as sustainable as it can be – in every area from the office, to the stands and the stables.”

The London International Horse Show, taking place at ExCeL London from 16-20 December 2021, will host performances from the Musical Ride of the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment as part of the spectacular schedule of equestrian action across the five-day Show.

Organisers today confirmed the attendance of the much-loved Musical Ride of the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment, made up of 28 horses and 36 personnel, adding to the diverse range of equestrian activity already planned. As the only mounted ceremonial soldiers who also serve as fighting soldiers, the Musical Ride of The Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment is unique globally as it demonstrates exceptional horsemanship and the very best of British tradition. The drills, which are based on movements mounted soldiers would have historically used in battle, will be carried out to music and performed in a routine that is strongly focused on precise timing and coordination.

The Musical Ride of the Household Cavalry will join the roster for each performance, which also includes scintillating action from The Shetland Pony Grand National and The Kennel Club Dog Agility.

In addition to the breath-taking display acts, of which there are more to be confirmed in due course, spectators will be treated to world-class competitive action, including FEI World CupTM competitions in three disciplines; Dressage, Driving and Show Jumping. The traditional crowd favourites, The Puissance and The London International Horse Show Grand Prix will also take their place at ExCeL London, featuring the world’s best show jumping horse and rider combinations, with the next generation of riders set to star in The Mini Stakes and The U25 British Championship.

Show Director Simon Brooks‐Ward said: “We are delighted to be welcoming The Musical Ride of the Household Cavalry to The London International Horse Show 2021. They are always a firm favourite amongst the crowd, and we can’t wait to see what they have in store this year.”

Captain William Long of The Life Guards, said: “The Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment is thrilled to be returning to the London International Horse Show. It will be very exciting to perform at the Show’s new venue, the ExCeL, this year. It is always a privilege to take part in the show and truly does signal the start of the festive period.”

Are you inspired by Charlotte Dujardin and Pumpkin's amazing Olympic journey? Or did you miss out on the Tokyo dressage action? Either way, you won't want to miss the London leg of the FEI Dressage World Cup at the London International Horse Show this December - your chance to see top level sport from the world's best horses and riders!

HERE'S YOUR CHANCE TO SNAP UP £20 TICKETS TO THE GRAND PRIX PERFORMANCE!

To redeem this offer:
1. Book your tickets for the Freestyle on Friday Evening. Our Pick-A-Seat option is now switched on, so you can choose exactly where you'd like to sit.
2. Your order confirmation email will come through. Make a note of your order number as you'll need it for the next step.
3. Select the Thursday Morning Performance and enter the code JOINTDRESSAGE21 and your order number when prompted.
4. Pick your seats for the Grand Prix for the offer price of £20, and checkout!

Should you wish to book Disabled or Ambulant Disabled tickets, or have any queries, please let us know by emailing info@londonhorseshow.com and we can assist you!

In a tribute to the outstanding achievements of the British equestrian athletes at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, The London International Horse Show will welcome the Team GB Olympic and Paralympic Equestrian heroes in a celebratory parade, which will take place during the afternoon performance on Friday 17 December.

Leading the way will be Individual Show Jumping gold medallist, Ben Maher, who adds a Tokyo medal to his Team gold at the London Olympics in 2012. Maher will be joined by the gold medal-winning Eventing team, of Oliver Townend, Laura Collett and Tom McEwen. After a fantastic performance across all three phases, the team secured Great Britain’s first Eventing Team title for 49 years. 30-year-old McEwen then went on to claim the Individual silver medal with a foot-perfect performance aboard Toledo De Kerser.

Despite an inexperienced team of horses heading to Tokyo for the Dressage, the British team, comprising Charlotte Dujardin, Charlotte Fry and Carl Hester, surpassed all expectations to come away with a Team bronze medal. Dujardin, riding the stunning chestnut Gio, followed-up with an Individual bronze to add to her already impressive medal tally, which now includes three golds, one silver and two bronzes. In doing so, Dujardin rewrote history to briefly become Britain’s all-time most decorated female Olympian – a feat she now shares with Cycling’s Laura Kenny, after Kenny’s triumphs a few days later.

Joining their Olympic counterparts will be Team GB’s Paralympic stars, who will be in action in Tokyo from Thursday 26-30 August. The team includes four defending Paralympic champions, including 11-time Paralympic champion Lee Pearson, eight-time gold medallist Sophie Christiansen, five-time gold medallist Natasha Baker and two-time gold medallist Sophie Wells.

The London International Horse Show – this year taking place at ExCeL London from 16-20 December 2021 – will provide an opportunity for the athletes to celebrate in front of a crowd, something they were unable to experience in Tokyo. For fans, it will be a chance to hail the exceptional performances put on during the Games, proving Great Britain to be at the forefront of the sport, with some of the best horses and riders in the world.