Driving Victoria Foods Extravaganza and more
Mandy Burdick claims a perfect score with her own Horsmans Momentum, despite an injury on the first day
The Victoria Foods Carriage Driving Extravaganza, Wellington Riding, Hants
MANDY BURDICK and her part-bred Welsh, Horsmans Momentum, elicited perfect
10s from the judges to claim the Victoria Foods private drive championship, despite nearly missing the show through injury.
The Kent driver was left “hardly able to breathe” on the first day, after severely bruising her ribs when she was knocked off the lorry ramp while loading.
“He always jumps up the ramp but he pushed me off balance and I landed on top of the tow bar of the tractor,” she said. “At one point, I nearly turned round and went home and I only got through yesterday because of help from my friends [and fellow competitors] Steve and Julia Tubbs. I had to withdraw from a couple of classes to be okay for the championship, as he’s quite a big, strong horse to set up.”
Her stoicism paid off, with Wellington’s vast outdoor arena proving the ideal showcase for this powerful 13-year-old gelding who, at 16hh, requires space to really show his huge reach of stride.
Some impressive extensions across the diagonals earned top marks from judges Neil Wray and Roger Jacob, leaving three other turnouts battling for reserve in a “dance-off ” — which went to Josie Randall and her hackney pony Heartland Starlighter.
The win marks the end of the season for the black gelding, who was last year’s national champion at Addington and reserve harness champion at Horse of the Year Show. This time the pair has surprisingly missed out on a ticket for Birmingham.
“We’ve decided not to take him to Addington [to defend his title] as I have a novice hackney and I’ve booked him in instead,” Mandy added.“It means he’s ended the season on a blinding note.
“This is my favourite show of the year and the competition in the 13.2hh and overs class was the best I’ve seen all season.”
INTO THE SPOTLIGHT
WHILE the Victoria Foods championship is fed by qualifiers held throughout the year, the show supreme showcases the winners from across the weekend. While it is not uncommon for a turnout to take both championships, this year it was a fresh entry that claimed the supreme sash.
Shane White may be most familiar with taking a back seat grooming for his uncle, Joe Rowe, but he burst firmly into spotlight here when he topped the final shortlist of three with hackney pony Brookfield Our Way.
This seven-year-old, who moves with the lightness of a ballet dancer, was put to a late 1800s stickback gig that created a classy eyeful.
“I had him out as a novice last year and then this season he’s been second everywhere,” said Shane. “It’s all come together gradually.”
Shane has produced the stallion since a three-year-old, after being given him by breeder Pauline Peters.
“I was showing one of Joe’s in-hand as a two-year-old and she said she’d find something for me,” he explained. “When he came out of the stable I liked him straight away and she let me have him. Hopefully she won’t want him back now.”
A CHOICE OF CHAMPIONS
PROLIFIC trade winners Clive and Tommy Fountain are in the enviable position of having two smart Welsh section D stallions to chose from this year, and on this occasion topped the Thomas Roofing light trade and coachman championship with the lessexperienced Mathfred Romeo.
The seven-year-old, who they have owned since a foal, was put to their immaculate 1906 London milk float, that they have shown since 2006.
“This horse is really sensible and does a super job,” said Tommy, who even ended up driving the turnout at his wedding.
“I got married in the summer and I didn’t know anything about it, it was a surprise — I came out of the church and it was there waiting for me,” he said.
A horse and a pony ended up battling head-to-head for the hackney championship, with the horse, Baldwins Shenandoah, driven by Frank Wadhams, taking the sash over Georgina Turner driving Greg Dowle’s pony, Seamair Showman.
The Wadhams bred the chestnut stallion, who is by Lamberhurst Artillery, and sold him as a foal before buying him back when he was five.
“We always thought he had the potential to be a top horse,” said Frank, who has notched up several accolades with the 11-year-old
this season, including a multipletitle blitz at the northern hackney show that saw them take the open, international, amateur and supreme line-ups.
The Victoria Foods southwestern pleasure/exercise championship attracted good numbers, with the win going to John Randall and his last-minute entry, six-year-old hackney pony, Luddington Whirlwind.
John had originally intended to bring another pony he had been competing this season but sold him shortly before the championships.
“I dragged this one out of the field last week, he was long-reined a couple of times and given a trim and here we are,” he said. “This will be the end of our season now as we’ve not qualified for anything else.”