Exception returns as Cuddy contender
A former ridden champion pockets an in-hand ticket and a Dales pony scores the highest mark of the day
A SHOW pony broodmare, making her first appearance in a ring since standing ridden champion at Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) in 2015, will be returning there in October.
Jill Godden’s enchanting home-bred Rhos Exception (Poppy) was David Bartram’s choice for the coveted Cuddy in-hand ticket, and although the field of 13 was a strong one, no one watching disagreed with his decision. This exquisite nine-yearold, with her dainty first foal at foot, had already earned a string of superlatives from riding pony breeding section judge Joanne Griffin at the beginning of the day and despite the heat, retained her sparkle to the end.
“As soon as she came in, she pricked her ears and said: ‘Look at me — I’m a champion,’” said David. “She is absolutely delightful and was beautifully shown [by John Harvey]. She was also very mannerly — some weren’t — and did her job perfectly.”
Poppy had been out in the field until five days before this show.
“I sent her to John’s to be trimmed up, and today was just meant to be a practice,” said an ecstatic Jill who, despite having had multiple HOYS ridden successes, has never had a Cuddy finalist before. “I just can’t believe she’s qualified straight off. She’s going home with me tonight and will be back in the field tomorrow.”
John, who produced Poppy throughout her ridden career, added. “She’s one of the most correct ponies I’ve ever had so I hoped she’d do well, but she’s not always been the luckiest so I just hoped the judges would see what I see in her.
“For the first time in 12 years we haven’t got a Rhos pony under saddle this season so we thought we wouldn’t be flying their flag at HOYS — now we can.”
Reserve went to another impressive performer: Wallace Town, a loose-limbed Up With
The Lark gelding. Billy Moran’s home-bred three-year-old hunter was shown by Thomas Partridge as Billy was occupied with the sport horse champion, Broadstone Dolce Vita. Wallace Town, reserve supreme at Royal Highland last year, was supreme in-hand at the
Sport Horse Breeding (SHB (GB)) North West show on his only other outing this term.
WALKER MARCHES ON
ROBERT WALKER’S inexorable march continued in ridden hunter ranks. Jill Day’s classy six-yearold Viewpoint headed a line of seven HOYS lightweights before standing champion ahead of his heavyweight stablemate, Patrick’s Choice, in reserve — both horses taking their tickets.
But the best came seven hours later when the Colosso family’s small victor, Chantilly Bojangles (Mikey), really shone to stand overall ridden supreme of the day. This continued an unbeaten run for the athletic six-year-old, who also won at Windsor.
“We think a lot of him and there’s more to come yet,” said Robert. “He’s a proper model, with natural rhythm and cadence, but his main strength is the ride he gives.”
It was also a good day for Kelly Ward and her daughter Ruby, who claimed HOYS and Royal International (RIHS) tickets respectively in worker ranks. David Norlander’s course for the open HOYS workers was sizeable but straightforward, yielding nine clears from the 18 starters. Kelly’s stylish round on her six-year-old Noble Gladiator gave her a fivemark lead to win the class, before standing section champion.
This is the handsome grey’s first open season, and he was champion at Cheshire Premier two weeks earlier.
“He jumped fantastically and went like a dream for the judge,” said Kelly, who bought Gladiator as a three-year-old and has produced him slowly.
She was just as delighted for Ruby, 10, who had already qualified Kyregate Peter Pan for the 122cm native workers at Hickstead and here posted a good win to take a ticket for the lovely 10-year-old Welsh section A mare Blackhill Imogen, who also stood section reserve.
DALES POSTS TOP SCORE
SURPRISINGLY, although entries were good, numbers were patchy on the first day but, continuing the trend, native classes — both flat and working — were booming.
Native numbers forward continued to soar on day two, and more than 130 ponies contested the ridden HOYS section. After a full day of competition, the top spot went to Tayla Lewis with Anna Pennell’s Sarah Parkerproduced Dales mare, Nipna Flora, who scored 93 out of 100, the highest mark of the day.
This sealed a remarkable run for the charismatic nine-yearold, for whom it was the third major ticket in a week — she qualified at Bath & West (report, p60) for Olympia and earned her Hickstead place at NPS Area 29.
“It’s unbelievable,” said Sarah. “I’ve only had her in the yard for three weeks in total — she’d just been hacking before that.”
Co-judge David Puttock commented: “The champion is so correct for her breed type, moves beautifully and did a fantastic show.
“The line-up of ponies in the championship was probably the best I’ve ever judged and although we were certainly in the ring for a long time, they were such excellent classes that it didn’t feel like it,” added David, who was on his feet for almost nine hours alongside Hayley Reynolds.
A mother-and-daughter team achieved a remarkable result with their “matching” Connemaras.
Day one saw Helen Taylor win and earn her Hickstead ticket with her 143cm worker campaigner Derrartha Lad and, 24 hours later, daughter Morgan, 18, followed suit in the young riders equivalent, scoring with her new partner Corrigeenroe Lad — her ride of just six weeks.
‘THE PERFECT PICTURE’
NUMBERS in most plaited pony classes were also good, and a busy HOYS mini section yielded the eventual supreme of the second day. This was Michelle Baxter-Davies’ Burchellproduced first-ridden victor, Nantcol Lady Alice, ably piloted by a determined Poppy BaxterDavies, eight. Arena UK has proved a lucky showground for this second-season partnership, who won three classes here at the British Show Pony Society winter championships.
“This lovely combination presented the perfect picture,” commented supreme judge
David Griffin.
Coloured ranks were busy too and, after some good classes, Oliver Hood partnered the Leemans’ home-bred Kellythorpes Master Key to take the tricolour — on the very same spot where the smart plaited campaigner won the prestigious CHAPS foal futurity championship six years ago.
‘The championship line-up was probably the best I’ve judged’
NATIVES JUDGE DAVID PUTTOCK