A coloured mare who was found at an auction mart as a yearling was crowned Royal Windsor coloured in-hand champion, beating a quality field of winners.
Michelle Ayling and her mother Karen Daniels’ eight-year-old Clockhouse Painted Lady won the CHAPS (UK) native/cob/traditional pony section, the largest in-hand class of the day, before deservedly trotting off with the section title.
“We discovered her in Ashford market by chance when she was just under a year old,” said home-producer Michelle, who works for John Parker International Horse Transport and last won on royal turf with her plaited pony Doylan Aquilera’s Gift. “We just went for a look around one weekend and saw her in the pens; she was thin and she was in a bad state.”
The mare, who was champion at Kent County and reserve champion at Edenbridge and Oxted last year, has been started under-saddle and Michelle has her hopes set on her future as a ridden pony.
“She’s just as good as gold and I’m excited for her future,” she enthused.
“That’s not a bad result for my little market pony,” said Karen, as her champion left the ring. “She sold herself to us when we first saw her as a yearling; it was the way she looked at us. We just had to take her home!”
“She’s a bit late to the ridden job, through no fault of her own, but we have high hopes for her.”
Reserve in the Royal Windsor in-hand coloured championship was the winning young plaited pony, Sarah Fortt’s three-year-old Havenbeech Boardwalk (above) handled by Isabel Fox.
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