Posted: 2nd June 2026 | Back to news feed
Welfare Stewarding Group’s “Animalweb Good Horsemanship Award” To Be Presented at UK Events
Animalweb is proud to announce its sponsorship and support of the Welfare Stewarding Group and the launch of the new Animalweb Good Horsemanship Award, which will be presented at equestrian events across the UK throughout the 2026 summer season.
The Welfare Stewarding Group has already been invited to attend 15 events this year, with the first awards set to be presented at the prestigious Royal Cornwall Show at the beginning of June. At each event, welfare stewards will identify and reward exhibitors who demonstrate exceptional horsemanship, outstanding horse handling, empathy, partnership and a clear commitment to putting their horse first.
Special bespoke rosettes, sponsored by Animalweb, will be awarded to those individuals who stand out to the stewarding team, not necessarily for winning classes, but for demonstrating exceptional care, understanding and respect towards their horses.
Every recipient of an Animalweb Good Horsemanship Award will also receive a £10 feed voucher kindly provided by Dengie Horse Feeds, further recognising and rewarding positive horsemanship and welfare-first partnerships.
Amanda Stoddart-West, founder of the Welfare Stewarding Group, explained:
“Good horsemanship is about far more than results or placings. It’s about the relationship between horse and rider, the way horses are handled and cared for, and the respect shown to them at every stage of competition and preparation.
Rewarding the positive has to be the best way to promote best practice and to encourage excellent horse welfare, and these awards are designed to shine a light on the people quietly doing things the right way, those who consistently put welfare, patience and partnership first.
Sometimes it’s simply the people who stand out because you can clearly see they are thinking about the horse first above everything else. It’s not about the most polished horse or the biggest name, it’s about genuine horsemanship.
We are incredibly grateful to Animalweb for supporting this initiative and helping us celebrate the positive examples that deserve recognition across our industry.”
As part of the initiative, winners will also have their photographs and details featured on the official Animalweb Winners Wall, helping celebrate and showcase positive horsemanship throughout the equestrian community.
Dr David Marlin who is President of the Welfare Stewarding Group and Animalweb founder said:
“At Animalweb, promoting evidence-based horse welfare and responsible horsemanship sits at the core of everything we do.
Supporting the Welfare Stewarding Group and the Animalweb Good Horsemanship Award is a fantastic opportunity to recognise the riders, handlers and supporters who consistently demonstrate kindness, empathy, professionalism and exceptional care for their horses.
We hope these awards encourage conversations around what great horsemanship truly looks like and help inspire others across the industry to lead by example.”
Katie Williams, Technical & Product Development Manager at Dengie Horse Feeds, said:
“The values and ethos of the Good Horsemanship Award are the epitome of everything we believe in here at Dengie. It really doesn't matter whether you win or not; developing a partnership with your horse that is built on trust and with their welfare as the priority, is more rewarding than any prize.”
The Welfare Stewarding Group has become increasingly recognised for its supportive and proactive approach to welfare at equestrian events, working constructively with organisers, competitors and officials to promote positive horse-human partnerships and welfare-first competition environments.
The Animalweb Good Horsemanship Award will continue throughout the 2026 season, with further events expected to be added as the initiative grows.
For more information visit Animalweb or follow the Welfare Stewarding Group on Facebook.
The Welfare Stewarding Group are still booking in their support for events, so if event organisers would like to discuss inviting the team to attend and support their event then please get in touch.
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