Double booking for Damsel Questions asked at early quali er
A young rider makes her debut in open horse classes, landing a spot at the 2021 Hickstead final in the process
THERE was cause for celebration for Eve Duggan and connections, when their bay mare Withymoor Damsel (Daphne) rose to the occasion to secure early Royal International (RIHS) small hunter and open 153cm show hunter pony tickets, before capturing the hunter pony championship sash.
The 10-year-old Daphne – who was bred by Sharon Burt and is by Kings Composer – is owned by Eve’s mother Monique Drabble. This was Eve’s first time contending open hunter classes, and the pair were only pipped to the top spot by Jayne Ross aboard the Harper family’s Wall Street, currently unbeaten this season.
“This year is my last in 153cm hunter ponies, so we want to do as much as we can,” said Eve, who trains with Katy Carter and Leon King. “Leon will ride Daphne in the small hunter classes. We just went in for the experience today.”
Jenny Harker’s pretty 128cm campaigner Ardenhall Blenheim (Bob) ridden by Lola Carabine took the RIHS show pony accolade. It was the 12-year-old gelding’s second time in the ring with Lola.
“We were looking for a little jockey for him and we thought Lola would be ideal,” said producer Victoria Harker. “They’ve just clicked. He’s like a mini horse to sit on and he loves to be out showing.”
Leading the RIHS horse working hunter championship was Eleanor Hirst riding her mother Katrina’s lightweight Lord Domino.
“Mum bought him from Ireland as a four-year-old,” said Eleanor of the gelding by OBOS Quality. “We sold him to Kerry Sumner who showjumped him for a couple of years, and I’ve now been given the ride in worker classes. He’s a beautiful horse and we’re very excited for his future.”
Melissa McCluskey posted
“He’s a beautiful horse and we’re
very excited for his future”
ELEANOR HIRST ON LORD DOMINO
three wins in both RIHS intermediate and hack racks, scooping the latter section honours with her own small hack Mount Stephen Hidden Gem, who also landed the large intermediate show riding type qualifier.
Her other winning intermediate was Team Carterproduced show hunter Sks First Waltz (Tilly) – a new ride for
Melissa – who stood behind winning small show riding victors, High Fidelity and Ellis Taverner Burns, in the championship.
“She’s push-button, I could ride her all day,” said Melissa of nineyear-old Gem. “It’s my last year in intermediates so it’s nice to have two rides. The judge wanted me to ride Gem in the championship but we decided to take Tilly in for the experience and save Gem for the hacks.”
The RIHS Pretty Polly accolade went to Evanthe Hughes riding her mother Miranda’s Welsh section A Towergate First Impression. It was a nativedominated championship, as Lucinda Farmbrough and her Connemara Kilpatrick Kestrel stood reserve.
Brothers Owen and Thomas Parker both picked up wins on the lead-rein. Owen, seven, was on board five-year-old Welsh section A Penech Bollinger to take the victory in the RIHS mini mountain and moorland (M&M) championship, while Thomas, three, made a winning debut on his four-year-old Shetland Clibberswick Special Delivery.
Julie Barton’s Highland stallion Ellister Islay Spruce (Becki Penny) was called forward to take the M&M open Heritage spoils, ahead of Lucinda Stapleton’s Connemara Chilham Pearly King (Lauren Brill).
VIKKI SMITH’S Connemara JP Corbally made a winning season debut, after jumping to the over 143cm M&M RIHS working hunter qualier and championship. JP has only had one show ring appearance since HOYS 2019, where he was second.
“He felt really good,” said Vikki of the 11-year-old. “He jumps better the less he does. It was his sort of course; lots of water, ditches and bankings to go at.”
Vikki was then second with top jump mark in the 143cm qualier riding Penny Sutton’s New Forest Lovelyhill Folklore, who had won his open class earlier that day.
“He’d never jumped a fence before coming to me exactly a year ago,” said Vikki. “He’s a superkeen pony who loves his job.”
Reserve for the RIHS working hunter accolade was Pamela Brown riding leading 122cm, Elaine Tomlinson’s Rhesfair
The Done.
Harrison Taylor capped a busy week by landing the UK Ponies and Horses intermediate qualier and section title riding Kerry Wainwright’s home-bred Connemara stallion Skellorn Deja Vu. By Skellorn Harrison, the nine-year-old was championed at the BSPS Heritage championships last October.
Poppy Fisher took reserve riding Vicki Casey’s Highland gelding Whiteeld Lord Underwood.