Design draws the winning card
28-30 July
Arab Horse Society National Championship Show, Malvern
ROD JONES’ incredible stallion Master Design GA ended his showing career on a high, standing senior male British national champion.
The 14-year-old has been absent from the showing circuit for more than eight years, having suffered with laminitis. Then, just four months ago, he underwent life-saving colic surgery for a twisted colon.
“Luckily we caught the colic early and he’s been fine ever since,” explained Rod.
“He’s been the leading sire at this show for many years, so it was lovely to bring him back here. I think it was a shock for him to be back out to start with, but he loved it. He’ll retire now and stay at home with us forever.”
Rod bought Master Design GA as a weanling in America and, after bringing him back to the UK, the chestnut had a successful career winning at shows all over Europe.
Mike Johnson’s CAS Sabur (Elite x Bur Sable) took silver, with Talal Aggad’s Roe Mareikh (Ajman Moniscione x Marani) taking the bronze.
Very Versace
A last-minute decision to go to Malvern paid off for Vicki Marsh, whose mare Just So Versace AM stood British national champion in the senior female division.
“I haven’t been well so we only decided to go on the morning of the show,” said Vicki, who’d hired a van to tow her trailer at the 11th hour.
In 2009 Vicki lost four horses in an arson attack at her yard. “I wanted to replace the horses and I fell in love with ‘Venus’ instantly. She’s only four and I’ve been selective about which shows she goes to.
“I produce all my horses from home and there’s no pressure on them — I like them to be natural. Ryan Jones showed her on the day for me and the judge, Peter Upton, didn’t take his eyes off her. She went brilliantly, really strutting her stuff with her tail over her back.”
Vicki dedicated the mare’s win to her friend — longtime Arab supporter and photographer Peter Sweet, who passed away suddenly in April this year. Just So Versace’s colt foal Equador also stood reserve in the foal championships.
“Both mare and foal will go back in the field now and have some time out together,” added Vicki.
Reserve went to Joyce Robertson’s Mia Bint Adala, shown by Stephen McCormick. Joyce had made the long trip from Aberdeen to see the mare’s last show of the season. She hopes to put her in foal next year.
The Arab Horse Society National Championship Show hosted more than 130 classes over three days, with the nine in-hand championships to determine this year’s British national champions attracting huge support in the main ring.
Kantoria was gold yearling female champion, Roe Adham gold yearling male and Roe Layya gold junior female, both for Talal Aggad. AV Cloud Dancer (Caroline Reid) was gold junior male, Galileo OS (Alison Kent) gold junior gelding and Briery Edykt (Jane Miller) gold senior gelding. Gabrielle Parker’s SA Elegante Luna was champion foal.
Diamond girls
FILLY Adaliyah headed the Diamond Auction yearling filly class for owner Sue Coldrick, who successfully headed the bids at the 2013 auction to win a covering to the stallion Adawy.
The Diamond Auction classes are exclusively for the progeny
of stallions bid for at the auction, with proceeds from it then going towards the prize fund for the classes in future years.
“I won the auction in 2013 and so put a mare I was leasing at the time from Louisa Biles (Camar Qajari) in foal to Adawy. Adaliya was the result, foaled last May and here we are at the show a year on. It’s a long process, but it’s worth it as the prize money is so good — £3,800 to the winner,” said Sue. “I wanted to bid to use Adawy as he’s one of the few horses contesting both ridden and in-hand classes.”
Judge Susan Little picked Emma and Shirley Didlick’s Chapelfield Ladiesman (D’Artagnan x Pricklegate Minim) as her supreme in-hand Anglo/part-bred champion, ahead of clone Tomatillo
(see box, right).
“He was absolutely amazing. He really shows off in a bigger ring and comes alive,” said Shirley of the five-year-old home-bred, who has already amassed an impressive CV with wins at numerous Arab and county shows this year.
“Ben Hester has shown him for us since he was a yearling and we couldn’t ask for a better handler — they’ve built a great relationship,” she smiled.
Part-breds dominated the supreme ridden championship with Maria
Pook riding Jackie Burton’s Authentic to stand supreme, ahead of Beiligaer Starlight Express and Jade Hateley.
Out of a thoroughbred mare by Arab The Alchemist, Authentic combines his showing career with dressage and was also part of the southeast winning elementary dressage team at the show.
“I bred ‘Freddie’ with my friend Mandy Burr and we sold him to Jackie, who has worked for Mandy for many years. He was right on the button at the show and gave me a lovely ride. We’ve been training hard with Jo Bates this year and it’s paid off. The judge in his class commented he was ‘just perfection’, which is amazing,” said a delighted Maria.
HOYS a-hoy
IN the pure-bred ridden championships Stormlite Royal took the honours and with it his Horse of the Year (HOYS) ticket for Teresa Sheward, ridden by Liz Needham. The stallion is a third-generation home-bred and is contesting his first open season. “He’s come close to qualifying for HOYS a few times now so I’m delighted he’s done it,” said Teresa.
Also collecting their HOYS ticket were Lauren Hill and champion pure-bred mare Sulan Seeing Double, who was first reserve in the ridden supreme.
The expressive bay is by Ellectron out of Sulan Easter Princess, and contested in-hand classes for the first part of her career.
“She’s a mare who needs something to think about and she was getting bored,” explained Lauren. “So we brought her out under saddle and she’s been fantastic. She’s a calm and happy girl and, given that this was her first stay-away show, she’s exceeded all our expectations.”