Laszlo makes up for a smoky start
While one working hunter competitor nearly has to abandon her trip due to lorry failings, Team Coles racks up a hat-trick in the ridden horse classes
AN eventful journey from Ireland — necessitating the services of Cheshire fire brigade — finally came good for worker specialist Louise Lyons, who went on to post two notable wins and claim the section title.
However, less than 48 hours earlier, the outcome could have been very different as the cab of the Lyons lorry suddenly began to fill with smoke.
“We were only about 15 minutes away from my parents’ house on The Wirral but I had to pull over into a pub car park,” said Louise. “Nick Ward — my sister Kelly’s husband — and Mum and Dad were quick to come and take
the children and help us get the horses out, but it took the fire brigade half an hour to stop the smoke and prevent the lorry from actually catching fire.
“It turned out that the soundproofing padding under the cab had fallen on to the exhaust, but after being checked out and tidied up, it was good to go again.”
With this episode behind them, it was business as usual. The team’s top contender,
Paulette Cooper’s eight-year-old MJM Laszlo, jumped the better of only two clears in the Royal International Horse Show (RIHS) qualifier to take his Hickstead ticket and occupy the top spot.
The day was sealed when Paulette’s promising five-year-old Dartans Blockbuster (Buster) — home-bred by Louise — headed the novice class at his first attempt of the season.
Louise originally progressed from showing to top-level eventing, completing Badminton and Burghley and representing Ireland at the Beijing Olympics and European Championships. Now based at Bluegate Stud in Kilkenny, where she breeds and prepares thoroughbreds with her partner Nicky Teehan, she also produces young event horses and teaches event and show riders.
“With so many demands on my time, I was finding it difficult to keep on eventing at that level; workers are easier to fit in,” she explained. “My mother and I got Laszlo at Goresbridge Sales as an unbroken three-year-old — he was orphaned as a foal and had been hand-reared — and Paulette bought him two years later. He was produced by Adam Taylor in England, and I rode him to be champion six-year-old at Dublin. I also took him to Horse of the Year Show [HOYS] last year.
“I am excited for Buster, too — he’s by Obos Quality, out of my two-star event mare Red Light, and was second in the four-yearold class at Dublin last year. I’m so looking forward to the season ahead with these lovely horses.”
ANOTHER SMART RANDALSTOWN STAR
DANIELLE HEATH made a great debut with her new charge, Emma Litt’s lightweight cob Randalstown Brannigan, heading a good class before claiming the section title.
The smart 11-year-old, who joined Danielle’s yard just six weeks ago, was previously owned and partnered by Joanne Goostrey, who brought him out as a novice and then qualified him for HOYS four years running.
Reserve went to the in-form Team Coles, when Nathan Arnold partnered Polly Coles’ Topp Hatt to win his heavyweight class and claim their ticket. Polly, still suffering from back injuries sustained in a hunting fall, was second in the class with her new ride Morrows Marksman.
Nathan also headed the maxi cobs on his seasonal debut with Parkhill Fred, a 10-year-old who began showing only last year after a career as a hunt horse. He is now owned by Polly’s mother Debbie Harrod.
Dumfries-based Kirstine Douglas completed the squad’s hat-trick with a novice hunter win on Debbie’s exciting six-yearold SVS Camelot, experiencing his first indoor show and secondever competition.
“I think a lot of him,” said Kirstine, who also suffers from ongoing back problems. “He has a lovely brain and is just so willing.”
A last-minute decision to enter the new British Piebald and Skewbald Association (BSPA) coloured section paid off for Sue-Helen Shuttleworth’s charge, Braveheart, when Katie Duxbury partnered him to win, qualify and then stand champion.
“Katie was judging in Scotland yesterday and we were both at a wedding yesterday evening,” explained Sue-Helen, yet another coping with a painful back. “We said if it wasn’t raining, we would go the show — so when it dawned fine today, Katie took him on the
wagon and I met her here.”
The six-year-old Braveheart has come a long way since SueHelen bought him as a “feral colt” at the beginning of last year.
“I sold him to my friend and client Laura Matthews, but he wouldn’t settle as a stallion so he was gelded,” she said. “He then broke beautifully. We campaigned him lightly as a novice, but he won a huge class at Windsor and was reserve; he also won the novice and open native/traditional pony finals at the Coloured Horse and Pony Society championships.
“He’s a really smiley, happy person and is a very trainable, athletic little guy — everyone at the yard loves to ride him.”
Team Reynolds’ haul included Rachel Cooper’s double whammy with Carnsdale Graffiti, who headed his coloured horse and amateur cob classes, standing reserve in both sections. The 10-year-old former HOYS and RIHS finalist has had some time out from showing, enjoying showjumping and hunting.
Simon Reynolds gained his own red rosette with Harriet Richardson’s exciting five-yearold novice cob Copenhagen, who came from Reid Finlay unbroken.
“This was his first time ridden in the ring, and he went brilliantly,” said Simon’s wife Natalie. “He has a great brain and is just so enthusiastic — we have very high hopes for him.”
YOUNG HERO
THE Stanley Grange team was another on form. Myles Cooper, 19, led the charge with Liz Worthy’s stunning small riding horse, Oathill Hero — a six-yearold half-brother to the multigarlanded hunter Oathill Take The Biscuit — who won and stood section champion on only his second open outing.
“We kept him as a novice all last year,” said Myles. “He won both the novice and restricted riding horse finals at the national championships and was second in his first open class at British Show Pony Society [BSPS] Scotland, so we’re thrilled with him.”
Ali Talbot then completed the Stanley Grange double, having a triumphant first outing since October with her reigning HOYS champion hack,
Young Lochinvar.
Fresh from watching her four-year-old Whalton Reprise stand novice supreme as an intermediate at the BSPS winter championships with Harriet Dennison, Faye Helliwell made the pair’s hack debut to win the novice class and stand reserve.
Robert Walker landed the hunter title for the third year running on Jill Day’s lightweight victor Pride Of Place, but just as satisfying was Jill’s middleweight winner, Monbeg Sod’s Law, who claimed reserve.
“This was only his second show, ” said Sarah. “He’s just a five-year-old and we believe he’s going to be beautiful.”