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Road to Olympia: ‘I took it as a sign we shouldn’t go’ — superstitious show team nearly don’t make it to qualifier…

Alex Robinson Alex Robinson

    • For the connections of one cheeky Welsh section D stallion, their hopes of qualifying for the 2018 Olympia International Horse Show were nearly dashed when the pony dramatically threw a shoe the night before his big competition.

    The successful Welsh cob Menai Eurostar (GB), who is owned by Karen Johnson and based with his producer Clare Fitch at her yard in Hereford, was all set to compete in the direct Olympia qualifier at the British Show Pony Society (BSPS) summer championships. But the stallion managed to remove a piece of his metal footwear in the stable the night before he was due to leave for the show.

    “We are very superstitious as a show team,” said Karen, who has owned the dun cob since he was a weanling. “The night before the show I kept saying to Clare that I had a feeling GB was going to lose a shoe, and low and behold on the morning of the show we went into the stable to find him with only three shoes on — I thought it must be a sign that we shouldn’t go.

    “We had to make a ridiculously early morning emergency call to my husband Richard, who is a farrier. This enabled us to get on the road, albeit a tad late.

    “It was a mad rush when we got there, but he was on song and gave a beautiful performance. He won a strong class before heading a wonderful championship with a super gallop.”

    Continued below…

    Karen continued: “It was a dream come true to qualify for Olympia in a championship position at a direct qualifier, especially at such a prestigious show as the BSPS summer championships.

    “We are so excited to be going to Olympia to represent the breed again. It’s such a lovely atmosphere and an absolute honour to be able to compete.”

    Are you superstitious around your horses? Do you have an entertaining story about that you’d like to share? Then email hhletters@ti-media.com, including your name and location, for the chance to feature on the letters page in a future issue of Horse & Hound magazine.

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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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