We are very excited to announce that ANWE WA will be hosting the 2026 Horse and Rider of the Year awards. Two separate awards will be given, Horse and Rider of the Year – Three Phase for each level and Cattle Horse and Rider of the Year. The awards recognise achievements in competition throughout the 2026 calendar year. The awards will be presented on completion of the State Championships to be held in October at the State Equestrian Centre, marking the culmination of the competition series.
Eligibility Criteria:
- Riders must hold an ANWEL Rider Levy Number and belong to an ANWE WA affiliated club at both the start and end of the calendar year (ANWEL – Rider levies operate on a financial year basis).
- Horse and Rider must have completed a minimum of three events to be eligible for the Three Phase award and two events to be eligible for the Cattle Horse and Rider award.
- Where there is only one Horse and Rider combination in a level, their score for the Dressage and Ease of Handling phases must be 60% or above. For the Cattle Horse and Rider, they must have penned a beast in the competition for their time to be eligible for the award.
- All levels from Introductory Level through to Master’s Level will be included.
Qualifying Events:
• All West Australian ANWEL affiliated club competitions held since 1 January 2026 will count towards the award.
Points Accumulation:
• Points are accumulated automatically. Clubs will submit their scoresheets to the ANWE WA secretary, who will manage the scoreboard.
• Points will be allocated at each respective competition level.
• All placings will be allocated a specified number of points, as per the table below.
| Placing | Points Allocation |
| 1st | 51 points |
| 2nd | 49 points |
| 3rd | 48 points |
| 4th | 47 points |
| 5th | 46 points |
| 6th onwards | 45 points – 0 points respectively |
Important Notes:
• ANWE WA will have a separate award for the three-phase competition and the cattle horse of the year, coming from any competitive level.
• There will be an award presented for each level of competition (that is from introductory level through to masters level).
• This award is based on a specific horse and rider combination. If the horse is sold and a new rider competes on it during the year, a new entry will be created for the new combination, and points will not be transferable.
• Points can only be accumulated at one competition level. If a horse and rider combination moves up or down levels during the year, they must inform ANWE WA at which level they will be submitting points for eligibility.
• Elimination in one phase will still enable riders to accrue points towards this award. Elimination in two phases will result in no points. Cattle phase points would be awarded in a separate category so elimination in this phase would not count.
We look forward to celebrating the achievements of our talented riders. Should you have any questions, please feel free to contact us.