HOYS 2018: 11-year-old jockey triumphs in open M&M championship on incredible Welsh pony

Dreams were made on Thursday evening when an 11-year-old first ridden jockey won over the judges of the NPS/Baileys Horse Feeds Mountain & Moorland Ridden Pony of the Year Championship to scoop the overall honours under the Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) lights.

This prestigious championship is a culmination of nine class sections, which have taken place during the past two days.

The pint-sized Welsh section A Glebedale Mumbo Jumbo and Isabella Sharifi — who had been placed third in the native first ridden final earlier in the day — won a strong open breed class en route to their evening performance victory.

Zoe Holmes’ grey gelding turned up the heat to give producer Sharn Linney her second championship of the day, as she also landed the Brineton Colne Mountain & Moorland Mini Pony of the Year Championship with the unstoppable Thistledown Van-der-Vaart and Lily Richardson.

Reserve was another Welsh, the homebred section C Danwood Llewellyn. Linda Atkinson rode her own gelding to win the breed class and go on to take second billing in the championship.

Usually partnered by Linda’s daughter Hannah, Llewellyn and Linda were making their HOYS debut together, as Hannah was partnering another pony in the same class. Linda admits she does not show very often so was completely shocked by the result achieved with the seven-year-old.

Also celebrating on day two of the show was producer Clare Fitch who claimed the Simon Constable Equine Vets and Mr & Mrs Roberts Ridden Purebred Arab of the Year Championship, for the second consecutive year. This time she scored the win with Susan Robinson’s AJA Giuliano.

Kirsty Aird rode Gwen Rae’s Fell pony stallion Greenholme Emblem to victory in The British Show Pony Society Mountain & Moorland Working Hunter Pony of the Year Championship, having won the 133cm class.

Bowland Dynamo was top dog in the ExcLOOsive Event Hire Small Show Hunter of the Year Championship with Magnus Nicholson, who was riding the 12-year-old for Ros Croft.

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.