H&H interview
The girl behind the newly-crowned HOYS supreme pony talks to Rebecca Haywood about Thistledown Van Der Vaart’s star quality
Showing producer Sharn Linney
‘The key is to keep everything light hearted as it’s meant to be fun for the children. Once it gets too serious, the enjoyment is lost’
SHARN LINNEY
IF anyone can put “glamour” into ponies, it’s Sharn Linney. Tall, blonde and with an enviable figure to boot, she makes lead-rein look like an elegant art. She may still be on a high after leading Thistledown Van Der Vaart (Charles) to supreme pony glory at Horse of the Year Show (HOYS), but for the girl who’s grown up in the Midlands, this and her success on the showing circuit in the past four years has made her hungrier than ever.
“HOYS was incredible — it was such a mega week,” she says. “The supreme is like an open book, so you just have to go and do your absolute best. All the ponies in there were incredible and I just couldn’t believe it when they called Charles’ name.”
Few people deserve it more than Sharn; she’s one of the most approachable, hardworking and talented producers in showing. This was the third consecutive year she had led Charles to victory in the Colne mountain and moorland mini pony of the year championship.
“To be honest, I didn’t feel the pressure so much in the supreme as I did in the class,” admits Sharn. “We’d had such a successful week with eight ponies all finishing in the top six, including Thistledown Kintra, who stood second to Charles, which was amazing. We were all nervous before the supreme, but any time you walk into the TopSpec ring it’s nerve-racking,” says the 27-year-old. The congratulations have bombarded her Facebook page, but for Sharn it’s business as usual. And she means it. She doesn’t really do days off.
Unlike a lot of show riders, Sharn didn’t come from a showing background and much of her success is down to sheer hard work and determination.
“I used to showjump and compete in Pony Club events, so showing was never on my radar,” she says. “My first pony, also called Charlie, was 26 when I got him and he was a little monster. I had to learn to ride because he knew all the tricks of the trade.”
HAVING been based in Wolverhampton since she was five, the yard — which was started by her mother Joanne — has grown along the way.
“We used to do liveries and that was how I fell into showing,” explains Sharn. “A friend, Lisa Vincent, who had a pony at livery, asked if I could lead her daughter’s pony in the ring. I didn’t have a clue what she meant and it was like a foreign language to me.”
It wasn’t long before Sharn got the hang of it and proved she had a natural talent for the lead-rein job. She exudes a certain gracefulness in the ring, which makes leading a pony seem effortless.
“Lisa had some nice ponies and it was one of hers that I led when we first got a HOYS ticket. Unfortunately, it went lame just before and I was absolutely gutted. It was from that day onwards that made me so hungry to do it,” she says.
Sharn went on to produce Thistledown Livius, who stood junior champion at the
Royal International (RIHS) in 2013, and took the lead-rein show pony class at HOYS with Hollybush Enchantment the same year.
Before starting to produce ponies fulltime, Sharn juggled two other jobs — one as a barmaid and another working on her uncle’s business accounts and invoices.
“I had to do other jobs to make it work. This isn’t something I’ve been given — I’ve had to work really hard to do it.”
THE pint-sized Charles was bought from breeder Sandy Anderson after he didn’t sell at the Fayre Oaks sale in 2012.
“He was the first pony I bought myself. When we brought him home, he was just a fat little white thing,” says Sharn. “I got him going over the winter and took him out to do his first ever RIHS qualifier, which he won.
“I’ve always been drawn to the Thistledown ponies, which is why I went back to the stud to get him, but at that point, I never could have dreamt of the results he’s produced for me. Even with a change of jockey this season, he still pulled it out of the bag. It was like he just knew where he was; he loves a buzzy atmosphere and the bigger the show, the
better he goes. He loves his job and is a true showman. He’s always a pleasure to work with and is so mannerly. He’s a true children’s pony.”
With Sharn’s success spiralling year on year, she now has up to 22 ponies on the yard.
“We split the yard up, so that we have around half that number in for breaking and schooling and the other half for show production,” says Sharn, who runs the yard alongside Joanne, groom Claire and two apprentices: Dan Adams and Gemma Scott.
“We feed at 6.30am and go back out on the yard at 8.30am. I do all the riding and mum and Claire do the yard work.”
Sharn’s dedication to producing the best results has even seen future clients reserve places for 2020. “I love this job, but I do like to do a lot myself, especially the show prep.”
Joanne agrees that her daughter is a “perfectionist”, who scrutinises every aspect of the ponies’ turnout from their weight to the length of their manes and tails.
“I like to do everything properly and I like to see the children — who start from as young as three — form a bond with their pony. Each one is a different character and some are more confident than others,” explains Sharn. “It’s the same with the ponies, so I like to know their individual ways. I know exactly what Charles is thinking around the ring on every outing. The key is to also keep everything light hearted as it’s meant to be fun for the children and, once it gets too serious, the fun and enjoyment are lost.”
As for many at the top of their game, life revolves around their work, so Sharn has no immediate holiday plans on the horizon.
“There’s always so much to do and I have 22 in full work at the moment.”
With a HOYS supreme added to her tally, a string of exciting prospects and new jockeys coming through — 2018 is set to be an exciting one.
NEXT WEEK
Businessman and host of next year’s WEG, Mark Bellissimo