Cobs ahoy!
Team Hood is on a lucrative roll and there’s friendly father and son rivalry in the hunter classes, while a gamble on a cob pays off for a Game Of Thrones stuntwoman
ONE month after capturing the supreme and reserve titles at the Royal International Horse Show (RIHS), Allister Hood was again at the top of the line to capture a £1,000 prize.
This time it was his RIHS reserve supreme, Lady Caroline Tyrrell’s wonderful cob Our Cashel Blue, who was John Dunlop’s choice, leaving riding horse champions Libby Robertson and Hoghton Valentino in reserve.
Lady Tyrrell was almost overcome by another big win.
“Every time I look at this horse, he makes me smile,” she said.
However, Our Cashel Blue isn’t completely perfect.
“He seems to know when we’re going to a show and the night before he makes sure he gets covered in poo,” explained Allister. “He never does it on normal days.”
Our Cashel Blue earlier topped a strong entry of cobs, many chasing HOYS qualification.
Leon King took a ticket on Karen Walsh’s second-placed lightweight Moylough Roger.
“His first show was here last year and he hasn’t done much since. It’s hard to find a cob with such quality,” said Leon.
Cobs owned by stuntwoman Nina Armstrong and her husband Neil Finlay won the other two classes ridden by producer Ian Smeeth. Nina’s Coast To Coast headed the maxis, while Neil’s Tristar topped the heavyweights and stood reserve champion.
Nina bought Coast To
Coast unseen.
“I couldn’t try him because I’m working on Game Of Thrones, but I like a gamble and this one paid off,” said Nina.
VALENTINO’S MOMENT
THERE were huge celebrations when Libby Robertson and Hoghton Valentino won their large riding horse class and claimed a Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) ticket. Libby and her support group were then almost stunned to finish reserve supreme behind Our Cashel Blue.
Libby, 20, has given up her amateur status to work for Jayne Ross. However, she still keeps
Valentino at home, five minutes from Jayne’s yard.
“He’s like a Ferrari and is an incredible ride, but I’ve had to work hard to establish a partnership,” said Libby, who returned to showing after living in China for five years. “It’s fantastic to qualify at last because we’ve been so close.”
Emily Whalley took her HOYS ticket on her home-bred small riding horse winner, Prestwood Royal Appointment, and was equally overcome.
“I’m shaking like a leaf,” she said. “We live just down the road, so it’s better to do it on home turf.”
Although Jayne Ross was away on holiday, there was another triumph for her team when Miranda Wallace took the hack title on the large winner Forgeland Hyde Park. The HOYS ticket in this class went to secondplaced Hannah Horton and Dowhills Frilly Tilly.
“She’s so beautiful,” said Miranda, an amateur rider who works as an accountant in London. “Jayne and Scott Dixon do all the work and I just take the glory.”
Scott took over on Hyde Park for the supreme championship and made John Dunlop’s final line-up, finishing third overall.
A win and a HOYS ticket in the small hack class kicked off a fantastic show for Justine Armstrong-Small. Justine’s ride was Carrhouse Dare To Be, a six-yearold on loan to her pupil Hannah Green for intermediate classes.
“He’s a star. It’s his first proper season, he qualified for the Royal International first time out and now this,” said Justine.
The next day, Justine began with a win in the novice hunters on Market Mill, then headed the light and heavyweight workers’ classes on Andor O (Arthur) and Carlingfords King. After Arthur took his ninth working hunter title of the season, Justine won the novice workers on Master Richie.
“There were a few dreams realised here,” she said.
TINX TAKES THE TICKET
THE HOYS workers’ ticket went to the reserve champions, Southerly Roberts and Tinx. This will give this charming mare, who shows in a snaffle, two chances at the NEC.
“She’s already through as a showjumper for the bronze league final,” explained Southerly. “She’s just become grade A, so after this year she isn’t eligible for workers. This was our last chance to qualify and I can’t believe we’ve done it.”
Team Hood was on incredible form in the hunter division.
Oliver took the title and his HOYS ticket on the middleweight The Silent Master, with Allister riding Oliver’s heavyweight winner Golden Inca Cross into the reserve spot. To cap it all, the lightweight class and HOYS qualification went to Oliver’s partner, property consultant Charlotte Blair, on her 2016 Search for a Star runner-up, Equador.
“It’s nice to beat the old man occasionally,” joked Oliver. “The Silent Master hasn’t done much. He hunted all last season with the Dunston Harriers and when I took him to [former British team showjumper] Tim Gredley’s to give him a jump, Tim was impressed.”
The small hunter winner and HOYS qualifier, Irish rider Marilyn Bane’s former Dublin winner The Grey Rebel, also loves to jump.
“We gave him a pop in the collecting ring beforehand to keep him happy,” said Marilyn’s partner Jason O’Donnell, a former whipper-in to the Grafton hunt who is now kennel huntsman at the Derwent.