13 and 9-Year-Old Duo Stuns Equestrian World Qualifying for Showjumping

The Longines Royal International Horse Show will take place from 25 to 30 July this year. It is the biggest showjumping and championship showing of the British Horse Society. The show would witness two rare young talents this year as the Leggot brothers have secured a place in the pony finals at the equestrian show. Riding from an early age, these brothers, Alex and Henry, have been training with their coach Guy Williams. While young talents are appreciated in every sport, it is a rare sight on the showjumping circuit.

As the two boys gear up for the competition, they just have one piece of advice from their coach in their mind, “You’re in it to win it.” Though competing in the same show, Alex and Henry are being trained to work together as a team rather than competing against each other. 

Leggot brothers qualify for the equestrian showjumping

On 28th January, 9-year-old Alex Leggot qualified for the Royal International Horse Show during the pony premiere at Morris Equestrian. He participated in the event with his 128cm pony named Bubbas Delight. Alex has had the pony for a little over 2.5 years. Over the years, he has built a great bond with his pony who loves to jump tracks with the young equestrian. His older brother, on the other hand, hasn’t had his pony for long. 

Alex’s older brother Henry got his pony on Christmas in 2022. The 13-year-old has named his 138cm partner Letterkeen Bettyn. With less than three months of training, the duo qualified for the show on 12 March at Arena UK. Though the Leggot brothers have been riding from a young age, Henry went on a hiatus for over half a decade after breaking an arm at 5. It was only two years ago that the boy resumed showjumping. 

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In an interview with Horse and Hound, their father John Leggot revealed, “It feels really special because you don’t get many boys on the showjumping circuit at a young age. To have two boys from the same family qualify, I think they’ve done amazingly well.” He also shed light on the temperament of the two kids. 

The calm and the competitive: A fine balance

The older of the two, Henry, is considerably calm when compared to his younger brother. Before Bettyn, Henry’s horse was “a bit too forward for him.” Therefore, they got another and Henry welcomed the quiet Letterkeen Bettyn as his new partner. Describing the duo, John added, “They are both very laid-back, they amble on round and jump everything. They’re unbelievable together.”

Talking about the younger one, the father revealed Alex has a competitive spirit. John along with his sons’ coach, Williams, is working on trying to abate that aspect in the young one. Despite their contrasting nature, the brothers are very much a team. If one falls, the other is there to hold him up. 

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As the two gear up for the event in July, it would be interesting to watch whether they’ll secure their target as Horse of the Year Show qualifiers or not.