The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Craigie Hunter Trials thrilling contest
two from two: Pollyanna maintains unbeaten Craigie record
There was no stopping Pollyanna Smith and her hunter trials ‘supremo’ Cookie as they romped around the open track at Fife Riding Club’s spring fixture to make two wins from two, last weekend.
With double cause to celebrate, it was their second win of the season and the second time they have topped the leaderboard at Craigie – having made their debut together with a win at the contest this time last year.
The partnership began 2015 with an open win at Foresterseat, in preparation for their first British Eventing competition of the spring.
Foiled by bad weather at Cumbrian event Eden Valley, they eventually achieved their BE debut together in the under-18 100 section at Dalkeith.
“He’s just such a really good fun pony. He loves his jumping,” explained Pollyanna’s mother Laura, who said the 12-year-old, 14hh gelding was bought initially as mother-daughter share.
“I’m no longer even getting a look-in when comes to riding Cookie, so I think might need to horse hunt once again.”
Dollar Academy pupil Pollyanna, 13, said: “We were really unlucky with the weather during our round as it turned out to be a lovely day, but Cookie felt great and he jumped really well.”
Standing out from the crowd, Rose Cartwright took a novice win with her nine-year-old cremello Welsh cob cross Hanovarian, Greno in the Pink – aka Blinky.
“I bought him last year so we’ve just started doing cross country at 90cms,” she said. “He always flies round – it’s normally just a case of holding on for me!”
Rose, who works as a spa manager in Edinburgh but lives in Fife, said the all-rounder adores cross country.
“He’s such a happy horse, we regularly go for gallops at the beach so he loves water,” she said. “Craigie is lovely – a great start to the season.”
Seven-year-old ex-racehorse Katie took a nursery novice win for rider Erin Logie and owner Gail Cowan.
“I love riding Katie as she tests you all the time, which makes wins like Craigie all the more special,” said Erin, who guided the mare around Craigie following an earlier run round the track on her own coloured pony Orlando.
“He went really well too, but he was a little too enthusiastic – especially at the water – and as we were so fast, we finished in tenth.”
The 17-year-old Carnoustie High School pupil now plans to take the ‘team’ showing to the spring event at Brechin Castle this weekend to compete in both the working hunter and ex-racehorse classes.
“That will be our plan for most of the summer, with some cross country fitted in too as we all love it,” added Erin.
Although this was just her first time experiencing the Fife Riding Club competition, she said: “The course rode really well. It had enough different elements in it to test horse and rider.”
With her own horse injured, Montrose rider Chloe Terrell, 16, has taken over the reins of 14-year-old mare Elara for the season and was rewarded with the junior nursery novice win.
She said: “I was so impressed with La. The course rode well, but she is so talented.”