Earning her crown
A classy riding pony lands her first Cuddy place
A FORMER broodmare was the victor of the overall Cuddy in-hand supreme title, in a strong field of 10 contenders.
Judge Jill Burgess decided to short-list four champions for further inspection, including the Welsh section A winner Penech Bellisa, the hunter pony breeding champion Chiddock Shooting Times and the Welsh section D champion Thorneyside Royal Command. However, she awarded the qualifier to the riding pony champion, Oaklands SD Warrior Princess.
The Talponciau Gauntlet eight-year-old mare is owned and bred by Sharon Draper and was only lightly shown as a youngster before having foals.
“She was broken to ride last year and the plan is for her to come out under saddle next season,” explained handler Kevin Lee from the Preston-based Drumacre Hall Stud.
“I liked both my champion and reserve as soon as they came into the ring,” said Jill. “The riding pony really caught my eye and stood out, with good movement and presence.”
Her choice for the reserve was Lynn Scott’s six-yearold Welsh section D stallion Thorneyside Royal Command.
LOCAL TICKETS
WITH a host of Horse of the
Year Show (HOYS) qualifiers, all classes were well supported, with several tickets staying on home turf.
Hannah Sloan took time away from working on the family farm to head two HOYS qualifying classes, winning the intermediate class followed by the working hunter pony championship and the horse qualifier for the third year in a row with Tinka’s Flash.
“It was a super course, up to height and technical with big square oxers. Our winner jumped a fluent, perfect round — I awarded it 20/20 for jumping,” said judge Allan Robertson.
Hannah’s brother Stuart previously had the ride on the now 16-year-old gelding,
competing him at HOYS and the Mitsubishi Motors Cup BE100 championships at Badminton Horse Trials. This is Hannah’s fourth year with him, although her last year in intermediates.
A winner at HOYS last term and previously supreme at the British Show Pony Society summer championships, the gelding has British Showjumping and British Eventing wins to his name.
Kirstine Douglas claimed the riding horse championship with the large winner, Holtess D-Day.
“This was his first outing of the year,” explained Kirstine, who also rode the small winner, Huntroyal Aurora. She handed back the reins to owner Louisa Hylands, a groom at Gleneagles Equestrian Centre, in the championship where they filled reserve.
“I’ve been suffering from a bad back recently, so a week ago I asked Kirstine to ride her,” said Louisa of the Whalton Above Suspicion eight-year-old.
Vicky Smith led the cob championship with Bling
Cobsby, owned by her partner, Alan Marnie.
There were several Irish visitors returning across the water with qualification. Lucy Hancock piloted the 15hh working hunter pony Coppenagh Spring Sparrow to claim their first HOYS ticket.
“He won the Burghley Gold Cup final last year, although this season I’ve been out of action following anterior cruciate ligament surgery after a skiing accident,” said Lucy, whose younger sister Tiggy will start eventing the pony this year.
Owner Bernadette Lyons flew from Belfast to Edinburgh and walked the short distance to the show from the airport to watch Copleylane Ringo claim the
Fell and Dales ticket with Charlotte Smiley.
The 11-year-old Dales gelding was previously ridden by Bernadette and her daughter Anna before Charlotte started riding him three seasons ago. Charlotte explained she had broken her collarbone three weeks ago and was in two minds whether to attend the show, but Ringo’s good form continued with eventual reserve.
Zoe Nicoll rode Emma Wallace’s Anchor Gooseberry to head the small breeds qualifier, picking up their first ticket. The seven-year-old mare was bred on Exmoor.
Mini native classes were well supported with the spoils going to the lead-rein Heniarth Yes Sir, ridden by Aston Potter-Firth.
A CRACKING GALLOP
THE show pony title went to the smallest pony forward, Milton Pageboy, who produced a cracking gallop to stand top of the section. The home-produced multigarlanded 15-year-old 128cm grey gelding has been showing 11-year-old Zara Mailer the ropes to collect their first HOYS ticket after 18 months together.