Dolly delivers
A select few show teams steal the show as the Ross and Phillips lorries take home several HOYS qualifications
SCOTT DIXON and the small hunter Hello Dolly produced a sublime performance to stand supreme champions.
The judge, supergroom Alan Davies — who was taking time out from his duties at Carl Hester’s dressage yard — had a tough choice after every horse forward went beautifully. But a superb closing gallop clinched the title and a £1,000 bonus for Scott and this wonderful mare.
It was also a case of pupil beating master. Jayne Ross, Scott’s boss, had won every class she contested until now, and had to be content with the reserve supreme place on Miranda Wallace’s large hack, Forgelands Hyde Park.
“This is up with my best-ever result. We decided between us which two horses to put into the supreme, but I really thought beforehand that if either of us was going to win, it would be Jayne,” said Scott. “I can’t thank her enough for allowing me to ride Dolly. She’s the perfect horse and because she knows her job so well, it made things easy for me.”
Hello Dolly, whose record puts her up with the show ring greats, has been partnered this season by owner Diane Stennett’s daughter Lucy Cameron. Sadly, Lucy was unable to make the show, so Jayne rode Hello Dolly in the Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) small hunter qualifier before Scott took the reins for the supreme.
It was also double delight for the Stennetts, as another of their mares, Time 2 Reflect, never put a foot wrong while carrying Jayne to victory in the HOYS ladies’ side-saddle class.
ENDURING HIGH WINDS
WITH top judges and a hatful of late HOYS tickets on offer, this most traditional country show attracted enormous entries and, given some truly horrendous weather conditions, a surprising number of hack exhibitors came forward on day one.
With torrential rain and high winds, judges Anna Levy and David Bartram-Lawton and the competitors had a tough job. But Jayne’s horses came into their own and, after heading the first class on Moluccas High Thyme, she also had the large hack Forgelands Hyde Park, who went beautifully to take the championship.
“Poor Hyde Park must wonder what he’s done wrong to have to perform in such awful weather,” said Jayne. “I know some people believe I shouldn’t keep showing horses after they’ve qualified, but it’s not fair on their owners to keep leaving them at home. There also aren’t that many opportunities at this time of year and all credit to this show. I haven’t ridden on better going all season.”
There were tears of joy from Cari Goodridge after her secondplaced large hack Courtland Royal Fair, a horse she owns jointly with Pearl Underwood, stood reserve champion. Chartered surveyor Cari made the long journey here from Wales to capture a HOYS ticket on this super horse, who is produced for her by Team Quiney.
“He qualified last year and then got kicked and couldn’t go. We’re going to keep him in bubble wrap until October this time!”
Cari explained.
The Jayne Ross bandwagon rolled on, with two wins and the title in day two’s HOYS hunter weight classes. Temple Ogue won the lightweights and Jayne took the championship with the heavyweight winner Bloomfield Excelsior. Helen
Baker was reserve on Trudi Deja’s middleweight winner Mossy, who, like Excelsior, is a former Royal Dublin supreme.
HAT-TRICK FOR PROUD
GRAHAM and Sue Phillips’ team of horses carried all before them in the cob classes. With
Sue currently out of the saddle with foot problems, event rider Emily Proud has taken on their cob rides and is having the season of her life.
She won the maxis on the novice Randalstown Top Gear and then took both weight classes with Randalstown Top Draw and Top Notch respectively. Fellow amateur competitor Charlotte Wright was pressed into action on Randalstown Top Notch and rode him beautifully to finish reserve champion behind his stable companion.
“I’m going to have trouble getting the rides back from Emily,” joked Sue.
It was mission accomplished for Craig Kiddier, who left Nottingham at midnight and went home with the riding horse title and a HOYS ticket.
Craig partnered Brogan Taverner’s Makers Royal Mist, a smart son of Chillout who came to him only two weeks before because Brogan and her sister Greer have been too busy to get him to shows.