Quizzical scoops an impressive double
Team Helliwell racks up a hat-trick of tricolours and a multi-talented event pony bags a worker ticket
A LAST-MINUTE decision reaped multiple rewards for Cumbria-based Team Helliwell and Harriet Dennison, who narrowly missed out on
Royal International (RIHS) qualifications the previous day at North of England.
There was no denying them here, though, as against good competition, three animals posted four wins — collecting their Hickstead tickets — and claimed three titles. The heroine of the day was George and Di Brereton’s eight-year-old Lindeth Quizzical, who landed a magical double when winning her part-bred Arab and small intermediate classes and heading both sections.
The elegant mare joined the team at the end of last year, and her debut outing with
Harriet the day before resulted in a third place.
“Di bought her from us for Rachael [Helliwell] to produce and me to ride,” said Harriet.
“She was pulled top yesterday but was a bit fresh, so we decided on the way home last night to come and give it a go here today.
“The long-term aim is for her to join Di and George’s Laybalands stud as a broodmare.”
The same owners’ home-bred mare Laybalands Copycat, a winner at Hickstead and third at Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) last year, was second the day before on her first outing since HOYS, but headed the large show riding types here. The seven-year- old then stood reserve behind her stablemate when Talia Aristidou — having sat on her for the first time in the collecting ring the previous day — proved an able deputy in the championship.
Shirley Dennison’s exciting six-year-old 153cm show hunter pony Merrycorner Mister Bui — another runner-up at Warren Farm — also went one better to win his class before completing the team’s hat-trick of tricolours.
A GREAT GAMBLE
THE RIHS Pretty Polly homeproduced section was again strong, and the largest of these classes, for Heritage mixed breed natives, yielded the eventual champion in the form of Warwickshire-based Emma James and her smart Connemara Glencarrig Rocco.
Emma, who has a degree in motorsport engineering and organises worldwide VIP track days for Aston Martin, is delighted to be back in Pretty Polly ranks.
“We couldn’t do these classes last year as the ponies were at livery for a couple of months while we moved house, so we went to Hickstead in the open class,” she explained. “Now, although my sister Sophie and I both work full time, we do our ponies entirely from home.”
The girls bought Rocco, now nine, from Goresbridge as “a bit of a gamble” in September 2014 after he failed to make his reserve as a showjumper. This has since paid off with four consecutive Hickstead tickets.
“He had six months off over the winter while I was concentrating on the others, but he’s better the less he does,” said Emma. “Between us, Sophie and I have three Connemaras qualified for RIHS in four different sections, so it will be a busy week but it’s our favourite.”
A varied weekend culminated in triumph for the Bedford shire based Price family when their 143cm plaited worker Top Of The Class (Toppa) landed an RIHS ticket at the pair’s first attempt and then took the section title.
Anna Price, 13, and the handsome Irish-bred nineyear-old finished 10th in a
BE100 section the day before at Horseheath, but decided to make the trip up the A1 to gain experience in open workers.
“It was a good course and suited him — it was quite big and technical,” said Anna, who took over the ride from older sister
Lucy at the end of last year. “He can be a bit buzzy so the more work he does, the better he is.”
The family is hoping for better luck than last year, when Anna qualified for both Hickstead and the Gold Cup final at Burghley with her 133cm Precious Gem, but was unable to compete in either as she broke her ankle.
STRONG NATIVE NUMBERS
THE well-supported Heritage RIHS section title fell to Aimee Devane with Dawn Groom’s Welsh section D Aleanto Bon’A Parte, another to book his Hickstead place.
“This is his first outing since the Heritage championships last October, but he’s been with me all winter, hacking out and enjoying himself,” said Aimee, who also produces the same owner’s Heritage first ridden runner-up here, the Welsh section A Islyn Arafa Don, partnered by Dawn’s granddaughter, and first ridden debutant Demi Appleton, nine.
Lead-rein jockey Lilly AhernLee, six, scooped two titles, heading the RIHS mini show ponies with former HOYS winner
Barkway Sweet William, and standing Heritage mini champion on Rachel Brightmore’s exciting four-year-old, Thistledown Oasis.
The David Cronk memorial trophy for area supreme went to Nottinghamshire-based A-level student Lucie Gordon-Burgess, 18. She won with the British
Show Pony Society Premier League champion, Jane
Turnbull’s Welsh section D Burghwallis Showman, whom she has had on loan since
January.