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‘Robert always admired him’: first HOYS small hunter victory for Claire Oliver

Alex Robinson Alex Robinson

    • Claire Oliver led a superb field in the Hamilton Tarmac HOYS small hunter of the year championship on day two of the 2022 Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) riding Susan Granger’s lovely chestnut gelding Shanbally Legacy.

    The Pride Of Neath 10-year-old, a pure-bred Irish Draught, landed his HOYS pass at Royal Cheshire earlier this year and his list of results is impressive; alongside winning the supreme at Wiltshire Horse Show at the beginning of the season, he was also a winner at Royal Windsor.

    “I felt so emotional,” said Claire, for whom this was a first HOYS small hunter victory. “It was such a strong class, but Robert [Claire’s late husband] always admired and loved him. He was responsible for buying him for Susan. He’s a proper small hunter and today he was just a star.”

    “I had faith in him today as I knew he could do it,” added Claire, who has a busy HOYS riding in both hunter weight and cob finals later in the week. “To ride he is just beautiful, and he loves the atmosphere here.”

    After taking top honours in the ladies’ final yesterday, Georgina Wilkes and her own Mexican Summer took second, while third place went to Edward Young riding Lauren Mollard’s Be Smart.

    The other results were:

    4th Robert Walker and Good Idea
    5th Jane Jones and Wentworth (highest home-produced)
    6th Shelley Perham and Randalstown Nightcap
    7th Dean Shaw and Redshaw Romeo
    8th Meg Edmondson and Briarhill Buddy Bolden (highest amateur)
    9th Rose Bailey and Dharmavallye

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    Alex Robinson
    Alex Robinson

    H&H showing editor
    Born and raised in the Lake District, Alex has grown up on the showing scene. She has qualified and competed ponies at the Royal International, Horse of the Year Show and Olympia and has first-hand knowledge of the current issues in the showing world as well as the horses, ponies and riders who compete in the sport. Alex joined H&H in January 2018 since when she has cemented its place as the leading equestrian publication for both showing reports and current showing news in the UK.
    Alex Robinson

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