A Venture worth making
Two horses prove a discipline switch was the right move as they capture the supreme spots at an inaugural show
Netherton Equestrian Spring, Perth
RACHEL TURNER was the rider to beat as her steeds clinched both spots in the working hunter championship, before her novice mare went through the card to lift the overall supreme in front of judges Sandra LowMitchell, Douglas Edwards and Joanna Wilkie.
Rachel’s golden girl was her sister Rebecca Brierley and Rose Bailey’s six-year-old dark bay Noble Venture (Ellie), who joined Rachel from showjumper Sarah Billington at the end of last season.
“I’d been looking for a horse worker for about three or four years, and I have Kelly Ward to thank for putting me on to Ellie,” explained working hunter specialist Rachel, who also piloted Ellie to a Royal International (RIHS) ticket in the lightweight hunters here at Netherton.
“It can be a gamble to buy a jumper with no idea if it’ll make a show horse, but Ellie is proving lovely and I feel very lucky to have her,” she said. “This was the first time I’ve jumped her indoors, and she coped with all the foliage and ‘spookies’ incredibly well.”
Rachel also brought her seasoned working hunter Ernie Big from her base in West Yorkshire for a spin around the Graham Barclay-designed course. Here, the bay gelding won his RIHS ticket with Rachel and stood section reserve for Rachel’s sister Rebecca, who was stepping into the ring for the first time in 15 years.
Ernie qualified for Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) in 2019, but couldn’t attend after injuring himself in the lead up to the final.
“It’s taken me until now to get him back into the ring,” said Rachel.
“HE REALLY TRIES FOR ME”
RESERVE supreme went to Richard Telford and Lindsay McCulloch’s small riding horse, Ike Geuzenhof (Lenny). The eight-year-old, by Negro, joined Richard’s yard to be sold during lockdown. Richard was taken by his breeding and saw his offerings as a show horse.
“He was bred for dressage, but I thought he’d make a good riding horse, so we ended up buying him,” said Richard, who also rode Knockboy to the RIHS lightweight cob class and section reserve, behind his partner Stuart Ashton and Lady Anne Vestey’s prolific heavyweight, Pairc An Faoi Diamond.
“While Lenny is a bit of a nervy horse, his previous owner did a good job on his basics. He’s an obedient ride and he really tries for me.”
The RIHS hunter accolade went to the winning middleweight, Morean Hamilton’s 2021 Retraining of Racehorses (RoR) reserve supreme champion Rich Man Poor Man and his producer Kirstine Douglas. From the same yard was the overall RIHS amateur hunter victor, Irish Invention (Ellen Bell), who booked a Hickstead place in the open small hunters earlier in the day.
In hack ranks, the RIHS title was secured by Ella Dunn and her own small contender Kellythorpes Milly-On-Air, who was advancing after standing reserve novice champion behind Samantha Winn and her winning cob Curious George.