Danielle Heath kept her cool to reclaim The De La Hey Family RIHS riding horse accolade at the 2023 Royal International Horse Show (RIHS).
The Cheshire-based show horse specialist was on board her 2022 victor, Guy and Issy Mears’ small contender Times Square III (Monkey). The Willowcroft Regal Bronze 10-year-old, a two-time Royal Windsor champion, owned the Longines International Arena to give Danielle her second RIHS riding horse championship win in as many years.
“I was anxious this morning before our class,” admitted Danielle. “Monkey has been pulled in top each time he’s been here. The first year he was unplaced, and then last year he obviously went on to win and he did what he did in the championship. So, I did wonder if we would be so lucky again.
“He’s getting better in the main ring each time he goes in. That gallop is something else; he really knows his job now.”
Monkey has only been very lightly campaigned ahead of Hickstead this year, but he’s Horse of the Year Show bound in October.
“Thankfully, Guy and Issy are such good owners and they never want to over-show their horses,” Danielle added. “Once they get their tickets they don’t do anymore shows. When they get to this age they don’t need hammering. Monkey is in his prime and we want to savour him.”
Monkey will return to contend the supreme horse championship on Sunday. It’s the one his long-term rider has her sights firmly set on.
“The supreme is the title I now want; I have to win it here at least once before I die,” said an ever-ambitious Danielle, who finished reserve in the overall reckoning last year on Forgeland Hyde Park, scoring equal marks with the eventual winners, Robert Walker and View Point.
Jayne Ross finished reserve riding horse champion in the saddle of Debbie Harrod’s six-year-old King Of Clubs, who was stepping into the main ring for the very first time.
“He was a great little horse who was a very good pattern of a riding horse,” said conformation judge, Lynn Russell, of the champion. “He was lovely over the ground and he galloped really well.”
Ride judge Samantha Stephenson added: “I commented after his ride on what a gentleman he was. The reserve was very rideable, too, which is so important; they shouldn’t just be nice to look at but should be able to be ridden.”
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