Heavyweight show hunter Spot On VI wins the hunter championship, while Polaris (pictured) claims the cob championship at this year’s Royal Show
Heavyweight show hunter Spot On VI won the hunter championship at this year’s 2002 Royal Show, with Mr and Mrs Rawding’s middleweight Reaction, reserve.
The first day of the Royal saw the hunter classes get underway in the Grand ring at 7.30am.
Jill Day’s The Star, a six-year-old chesnut gelding ridden by David Tatlow won the lightweight section. However, it was the second placed horse, Mister McEvoy ridden by David Tatlow who went on to take the second reserve spot in the Championship.
The middleweight section saw two seasoned campaigners go head-to-head. Mr and Mrs Rawding’s Reaction, took the top spot ahead of John Dunlop’s former Royal Champion Man Of Honour.
Spot On, the eventual champion, won the heavyweights ahead of Kelanne Stud’s Imperial Imp.
Cob Championship
While the weather held for the hunters, it was a very different story for the cobs. Judged by John Keen, who did both the ride and conformation, the skies, which had threatened all morning, opened halfway through the lightweight section.
There was some re-arrangement in the lightweights with Roy Gilsean riding Gail List’s Ragtime III coming up from fourth to take the top spot.
Lynn Russell and Callisto were second, while further down the line Diane Ellerton’s piebald Tom O Hawk came from well down the line to finish fifth.
The high winds unsettled many of the horses and by the time the heavyweight class started it was torrential.
Polaris and Lynn Russell (pictured) were foot-perfect and the impressive duo notched up another win and championship. Second place and eventual reserve was Mr Sheppard’s Huggy Bear ridden by Alwyne Fradley.
The Royal Show takes place at Stoneleigh Park, Warwickshire, from 1-4 July 2002
For more information visit www.royalshow.org.uk
Read the full report from The Royal Show in the July 11 issue, or click here to subscribe and enjoy Horse & Hound delivered to your door every week.
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