A home-bred and home-produced Arab gelding provided his owner/breeder/rider with her first Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) centre line moment as he lifted the Donna Gambrill, Oakways Healthcare and Amanda Miller and Islandbridge Properties 2024 HOYS ridden pure-bred Arabian title.
The flashy 12-year-old Valletta Hunters Song and his breeder Georgina Rees were on song on what was their second Birmingham appearance. They qualified for HOYS at Derbyshire Festival back in June.
“William” is sired by Silvern Surprise out of Silvern Sheena.
On his last HOYS appearance, the atmosphere proved too much for the then novice William, as Georgina explained: “Unfortunately, he was scared of the walkie talkie and he wouldn’t let the judge ride him. So for him to come today and behave was all I could ask for, and the win it is so unexpected.”
William is very much Georgina’s ‘baby’: “It’s because I bred him and I produce him from home.”
She added: “Darren Crowe has helped me an awful lot over the last year and we’ve worked very hard with him. At home he does a lot of hacking and he also does a bit of dressage.”
Georgina runs her own cleaning agency and juggles work around a passion for the Arab breed and showing. She has never won HOYS before.
“Everything is about William; my life revolves around this horse,” she confirmed. “I cannot wait to ride in the supreme on Sunday, especially on a horse like William.”
Emily Constable and her own mare Ottiliah JJ were reserve in the 2024 HOYS ridden pure-bred Arabian championship, while third spot went to Elizabeth Lowe riding Shaun Daniels’ CS Lelisha.
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