‘Special one’ is a keeper
A FIVE-year-old Welsh section C returned home from his first show with a win and a championship under his belt. Danielle
Heathcote bought her bay stallion Ringside Gamekeeper (Mav) as a yearling from her friend Lisa Wigglesworth. Here, Mav was ridden to novice Heritage M&M glory by Hayley Reynolds.
“I went with Lisa to view him at the Ringside Stud and I said that if she ever decided to sell him, I’d love to have him,” said dairy farmer Danielle. “He was an escape artist as a youngster which worked in my favour; Lisa rang me one day and said that he’d got out of the field one too many times, so I could have him.”
Mav was backed by Danielle and she’s brought him on slowly with plenty of hacking.
“Hayley jumped on him for the first time before the class at the show,” Danielle added. “He did me proud and he managed really well considering it was his first time in company. I hope he’ll be a special one.”
Team Moore’s lorryload secured a host of wins, with new combinations shining bright.
Their first champion was Georgia Pearce, five, riding
Emma Heidenreich and Christine Pearce’s four-year-old lead-rein show pony Conveth Drummer Boy, who secured the mini title.
“He was bought at the end of last year after being backed by Emma Burrow,” revealed producer Jack Moore, who led the pair. “This was his first show and he’s proving really level-headed. He’s a cracking stamp of a lead-rein and is a mega mover, too.”
Intermediates were the
Moores’ order of the day, with Jill Keary’s Cockney Ruby and Erin Keary claiming the novice class en route to section reserve. The sixyear-old was formerly run in-hand by Simon Charlesworth, qualifying for the in-hand final at Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) in 2016.
Jack said: “She gives a lovely ride, is ultra-consistent and just cracks on with her job.”
“He’s a cracking
stamp of a lead-rein and is a mega mover, too”
JACK MOORE ON CONVETH DRUMMER BOY
Julie Guildford-Smith’s sixyear-old New Illusion and Ellie Guildford-Smith landed the open intermediate show riding type class, before 17-year-old Georgie Moore piloted Jemma Ellison’s prolific small hunter SCT Master Of The Hounds (Paddy) to win the intermediate show hunters.
“Jemma has a new job, so she made the decision to let Georgie ride Paddy in intermediates; they’re getting on great,” said Jack. “It’s sure to be an exciting year.”
In working hunter ranks,
Romy Sowerby and Cefnfedw Cinders jumped to the mini working hunter pony championship, while Matilda Alexander and her winning
133cm ride Roseberry Little Diamond scored the working hunter pony title.