SEARCH FOR A STAR CHAMPIONS
‘I was determIned to Iron out our problems’
LYNSEY LAWRENCE’S 2017 season saw her not only earn her first HOYS ticket, but also score a class win followed by the overall Search for a Star (SFAS) championship, partnered with her hunter Mista Fezziwig (Ralph).
Lynsey, who works as an accountant and has two young children, bought the now nine-year-old gelding as a yearling from his breeders, before breaking him herself and lightly competing him as a fiveand six-year-old.
“We did four qualifiers in 2016, and although he was pulled in either first or second each time, he didn’t give the judge a good enough ride to qualify,” says Lynsey.
“Initially, he found showing both exciting and terrifying, so I had to get him out to lots of lessons, clinics and small shows to get him used to having different riders on him.”
The pair qualified for HOYS in second place at Stretcholt in Somerset.
“At the final, he went better than I had expected as sometimes he can be tense in the ring. I was shocked to win the class, but taking the championship was totally beyond all my expectations — I only had about 30 minutes to prepare for it so I didn’t have time to get nervous.
“The 2016 season was frustrating for us as I knew he was good enough to qualify so it made me really determined to iron out our problems.
“Qualifying for and competing at HOYS was one of the best experiences of my life
— it makes all those early mornings and hours spent mucking out worth it. It wasn’t easy to get there and he is not the most straightforward horse in the world, but that has made it all the more satisfying.”
lynsey’s top tIps
Expectations — accept that you probably won’tqualify first time and that you might have to chase it a bit, travelling around the country, and it can take a few attempts, or a few years as in my case.
Planning — I try to plan my week so that I know when I can ride. I aim to ride Ralph five or six times a week, and get out to a show, clinic or lesson once a fortnight.
Ask the judges — get feedback after a class and try not to take any criticism of your horse personally. The SFAS judges were very approachable and gave me some great advice.
‘It wasn’t easy to get to HOYS as he’s not the most straightforward, but that made it even
more satisfying’
LYNSEY LAWRENCE