Showing Katie Jerram-Hunnable
Criminology student Megan has had Harry on loan from owner Cassie Hartley for 16 years, and still hunts him with the Wilton.
“He hasn’t been here since
2013 as we tried to retire him,” said Megan. “He wasn’t having any of it, though, so he came back into work and has just hunted for a couple of years before making a show ring comeback this year.
“The day he doesn’t want to do it will be when I stop riding him — he owes me nothing and I owe him the absolute world. I wouldn’t be half the rider I am today if it hadn’t been for the little fat ‘pig pony’ I was given when I was five; he bolted with me countless times and taught me that sitting up and kicking on is often the way.”
Megan also won the nonnative yearling final and stood reserve yearling overall with her 21st birthday present, Owston Special Edition.
The prestigious foal futurity championship — and £1000 — went to Perfect Dream Maker (Bryn), owned by Jo Garnett of the Appleton Stud. Although Jo and her family have been breeding and showing coloureds for more than 17 years, and have produced Royal International and HOYS finalists, this was the first time she had presented a foal in this competition.
The quality colt is by the North Yorkshire-based stud’s resident stallion, the Dutch-bred Omarco, out of the sport horse mare Princess, who is in-foal to him again and due in March.
This was yet another triumph for John Cutts, who then handed Bryn over to the stud’s Alice Newson and Stacey Carman. Between them, they produced and led him to beat all ages in the overall Breeders’ Challenge championship.
“It’s been a real team effort,” said Jo, who also had success with others here. “We’re so proud of Bryn — he’s such a laid-back young man and we’re hoping to keep him entire, grade him and stand him at stud as a foundation stallion in the future.”