A home-producing family achieved their first ever Royal International Horse Show (RIHS) win and section championship, as the foot-perfect combination of Daisy May Allen and Welsh section A Crumpwell Harry Potter scored the RIHS UKPH young riders championship.
Judges Erik Mackechnie-Guire (show) and Kathleen Scott (conformation) had three classes to assess in the morning before six combinations came forward into the International Arena for the championship.
Despite being the smallest pairing presented, 13-year-old Daisy and 12-year-old Harry shone the brightest, sealing their performance with a great gallop.
“The main ring at Hickstead has a very different atmosphere to the arena the classes were held in earlier in the day,” said Erik. “We judged it as a completely separate class. Our champion was a lovely pony and it went brilliantly.”
Daisy has been partnered with Harry for just over a year, and it was Daisy’s mother, Jodie Allen, who saw his suitability as her daughter’s next partner.
“We bought him from Ashlea Brown and her daughter, Summer; he wasn’t for sale but I’d seen him out and loved him,” said Jodie. “I got in touch with Ashlea and thankfully for us, the timing worked out well. Since we’ve had him he’s been a pony of a lifetime.”
Jodie and Harry booked their RIHS and Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) tickets on their first attempt of the season.
“He’s a superstar,” Jodie added.
Alongside his showing accomplishments, Harry is a true all-rounder:
“I do dressage and Pony Club with him, and sometimes we do some jumping,” said Daisy, who “pulled out all the stops” in the morning, riding a canter on the straight transition and ensuring she added plenty of walk into the middle of her show.
She was joined at the RIHS by her grandparents who watched her victory.
Oliver Bradshaw and Lochlands Lord Byron
Reserve for the RIHS UKPH young riders title was another home-produced combination, Oliver Bradshaw and Highland Lochlands Lord Byron, who took the large breeds class.
“He had a fabulous gallop and really moved up the gears,” said Erik. “I was so pleased with the classes in general. It’s been a number of years since I’ve judged classes where ponies are touching the rails from one side of the ring to the other.”
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