Guild finds three golden tickets
A local rider claims three Aintree tickets at Royal Highland, while down south a teenager’s foray into horse classes produces a dream victory
THE second-round weekend hosted by the Royal Highland Agricultural Society of Scotland proved a huge success, with riders arriving in good numbers and many top-class performances.
Among the stars of the show were a local pair. Forfar-based Lucy Guild arrived with her seven-year-old mare Irresistible Bella MFS with no expectations and went home with three tickets to the Aintree championships,
including a win in the talent seekers qualifier.
Lucy bought Bella as a sixmonth-old foal from her breeder, Caroline Ironside of Moray
Firth Stud.
“I loved her because she was so pretty, and when I saw her breeding – by Cannabis Z out of a Heartbreaker mare – I thought she was worth taking a punt on,” said Lucy. “She’s turned out to be ultra-careful with an amazing attitude and I like her so much that I’ve now bought two more foals from the same mare.”
Lucy works full-time in sales for her father’s house-building firm and looks after her two competition horses herself.
“I’m up early every day to muck out, then spend my lunch break with them and I’m back in the evening to ride,” she said. “It is hard work but when you get phenomenal results like this it
“He is always getting into mischief, but I love that about him” CHRIS SMITH ON IMOTO II
makes it all worthwhile.”
Chris Smith travelled here from Manchester and won the newcomers second round on seven-year-old Imoto II, a Dutch-bred gelding he owns in partnership with Ben Maher’s partner, Sophie Gracida.
Imoto has been with Chris since a four-year-old and is among several young horses Chris is producing for Sophia and Ben.
“I’ve been friends with Ben for many years and riding horses for him opens lots of doors for me,” said Chris, father of an 11-weekold daughter with his partner Nicola Barry.
Imoto was a bonus winner after jumping clear in all three qualifiers at Bolesworth’s British young horse championships.
“I think he has the horse version of ADHD, as he can’t stand still and is always getting into mischief, but I love that about him!” said Chris. “The plan is to step him up to grand prix level next season.”
This was a good show for British-bred horses. Allan Birch took the grade C qualifier with the fastest of only five double clears on the huge High Spirit I, while Keith Shore headed a quality Foxhunter second round field with six-year-old Mystic Magic.
The top spot in the Andrew Black Haulage grand prix went to Annabel Shields and her brilliant mare Creevagh Carisma, with James Smith close behind in second and third places on Simply Splendid and Elmo Brown.