Hovis The Horse: A National Hero and Charity Fundraiser.

Hovis, a horse who became (with a little help from his owner) a diarist, fundraiser, media personality and author, is is favourite to become Agria Horse of a Lifetime after his death earlier this year, aged 23.

Hovis, a mischievous and lovable part-Clydesdale horse who was owned for 18 years by Karen Haggerty, attracted legions of fans through his comical weekly diary for Horse & Hound, which grew out of a spur-of-the-moment post his owner wrote on the Horse & Hound online forum. His antics were eventually compiled into nine books whose profits all went to charity. These funds chiefly supported the rescue and rehoming work of Bransby Home of Rest for Horses in Lincolnshire, but also helped cancer groups, Riding for the Disabled Association and other causes.

Having died suddenly in February 2025, at the age of 23, Hovis is considered favourite to win the Agria Horse of a Lifetime award, which is decided by public vote and announced at the Horse & Hound awards on Wednesday 26^thNovember. Previous winners include the Fell pony Carltonlima Emma, who was the regular riding pony of the late Queen Elizabeth II until shortly before her death.

“Winning the Agria Horse of a Lifetime award would be a beautiful epitaph for a horse who meant a great deal to a huge number of people,” says his owner Karen, who lives in Caythorpe, Lincolnshire. Over the years, she took Hovis to equestrian events all around Britain to meet fans, but she also enjoyed cross-country and showjumping with him.

“Hovis could work a crowd all day long — he loved people and people loved him.” The diaries Karen wrote for Hovis — typed up around her day job “on trains, planes, perched in bushes and even, on one occasion, by a campfire in the African bush” — raised over £100,000 for charity. And Hovis was even selected to be the official supporter mascot for the British eventing team at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

“Everything I wrote about Hovis was true, albeit with a little bit of humour added,” adds Karen. “Losing him was devastating, and it’s been a difficult year for my own health too, so being shortlisted for this award has been marvellous.

“All the shortlisted horses are so deserving but it would be an amazing swansong and immensely moving if he wins.”

Agria UK’s CEO, Vicki Wentworth, says: “At Agria we have always recognised that the horses who have the biggest impact on society are not always the ones who win medals and rosettes, as Hovis and others like him testify. We share Karen’s immense pride in him, and wish them luck later this month when the winner is revealed.”

To find out more about Agria visit www.agriapet.co.uk