A future show hunter pony lands the Price Family in-hand breeders’ supreme championship, and a small hack dazzles at Three Counties Showground in Worcestershire, reports Rebecca Haywood
IN-HAND supremo Ian Boylan returned to the Malvern setting to clinch the Price Family supreme in-hand championship at the National Pony Society (NPS) Summer Championships, a title he also won here in 2019. Roseberry Great Expectations, a three-year-old gelding, was one of the many to contest this final after winning the sports pony championship.
Produced and handled by an elated Ian, Great Expectations is by Ian’s own stallion Alonby Chardonnier and was bred by Susie Hinchliffe of the Roseberry Stud.
“It’s a very emotional win for us all as Susie has been unwell and wasn’t able to be here,” said Ian, who explained Susie’s daughter Tammy once won Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) with his dam Roseberry Serendipity.
“Now, it’s hoped he’ll go on under saddle with Tammy’s daughter Chloe as a 153cm show hunter pony,” added Ian. “This is his sire’s first baby so it’s very special. He’s just the kindest pony.”
Cadlanvalley Golden Voyager stood reserve for home producer Chris Piper. The Welsh section B champion was bought from breeder Yvonne Davies as a foal.
“We reserved him at a day old as we knew he was something special,” said Chris of the Cadlanvalley Georgie Boy two-year-old. “He was a bronze medal winner as a foal, but we didn’t get to show him much as a yearling due to Covid. To take reserve here was totally unexpected.”
Bred to event but excelling at NPS summer championships
A TWO-YEAR-OLD chestnut filly went through the card to land the Ottergayle supreme in-hand title. Charlotte Sometimes won the in-hand riding horse title and later went head-to-head with the hack winners to top the overall supreme in-hand hack/riding horse championship. Led by Marina Greenaway, Charlotte won the top in-hand accolade for owner Donna Bamonte.
“A friend of mine bought her dam, who was in foal at the time, from a dispersal sale at Carolyn Bates’ Grafham Stud,” said Donna, who ended up purchasing the foal in utero. The filly is a daughter of A Moment In Time who is by Wish Upon A Star and also a granddaughter of Jumbo.
“She’s bred to event but my plan is to do side-saddle with her,” added Donna.
Tyan Ma’Lady, a former HOYS in-hand supreme winner here, headed the Ringside Stud mountain and moorland (M&M) open ridden championship.
“It’s been a very lucky show for us this week,” said rider Sue Deakin.
The 11-year-old Connemara mare also won the HOYS M&M junior large breeds qualifier with Annabel Drake as well as finishing reserve champion in the open Shearwater championship.
Owner Janine Sehne bought Tara, as she’s known at home, as a three-year-old and plans to put her in foal next year.
“I’ve not yet decided which stallion to put her to, but it will definitely be a Connemara,” said Janine.
The HOYS M&M ridden qualifiers saw huge entries throughout the breed sections, but it was the Highland winner Lochlands Gypsy Baron who took the overall championship, partnered by Tracey Milward.
“It’s taken us a bit longer to qualify this year, but he’s done a lot of winning in the past,” admitted Tracey, who combines showing with being
a GB Masters sprinter.
“I train five days a week on the track as well as riding. We’ve been to HOYS three times before so it’s great to now get his seat on the HOYS bus again.”
Reserve went to our own H&H showing editor Alex Robinson and her Fell champion Banksgate Oh Boy.
“It’s only taken me 26 years, but I can finally say I’ve qualified a pony for HOYS,” said Alex.
“My champion did the most beautiful show which was fluent and accurate,” said judge Fiona Leadbitter, who came in to judge the championship. “He went true to his breed type and had a lot of presence. My reserve champion also went with purpose and was a joy to watch.”
Heading to HOYS
A NEW partnership of 10-year-old Poppy Canton and Tyntyla Gwyndaf is proving successful in M&M working hunter pony ranks. The pair won the HOYS 133cm division and took the championship after producing one of three clear rounds.
The Canton family have Gwyndaf on loan from Nicole Bowen and he has been with them since September last year.
“This is Poppy’s first year doing working hunter pony qualifiers and they have had a fantastic start,’ said Poppy’s mother Kate, who has watched the pair finish second at Lincoln and Stoneleigh and third at North of England.
“It was a really technical course at Malvern with the rain making the ground very slippery. The smile on her face when she went clear was amazing. My sister’s pony has also qualified for the same class at HOYS so to be there altogether will make the experience all the more special.”
Poppy and Gwyndaf had a great show, also winning the junior M&M working hunter pony final.
Just for fun
KATEY SAGGERS and her own Whalton Razzle Dazzle put on a tremendous performance to win the Assendons area final freestyle to music championship.
“I love to bring her for a bit of fun,” said Katey, who makes rosettes and sashes from her home in Cornwall and who shows the eight-year-old in large hack classes. “I had my show planned out for a 20×30 arena, as that’s how they did it last year, so when they said we had the whole arena I had to completely improvise.
“I’d not ridden her since Royal International [RIHS] as I was so busy making sashes, but Razzle thrives on a big atmosphere so it’s one of my favourite classes to do. She just rose to the occasion. There are not many horses I’d trust to drop my reins completely in this atmosphere but she never lets me down.”
Griseburn Lester and Aimee Devane claimed the Picton novice M&M championship. The five-year-old Dales is owned by Gill Simpson and went to Aimee to be produced at the beginning of the season, but has since been partnered by Gill’s daughter in law Jessica Mott, who qualified him for the final.
“Jessica wasn’t able to ride him here so Aimee stepped in,” said Gill, who bought Lester from his breeder Helen Horn as a two-year-old.
Reserve went to Steph Peto and Loughmore Rebel, a five-year-old Connemara stallion by Brocklodge Buster.
“He qualified for HOYS first time out and was eighth at RIHS,” said Steph, who found him as a two-year-old. “He’s a lovely boy – I had to wake him up from his slumber tonight as he was fast asleep.”
Double delight for breeder at NPS summer championships
Breeder Mandy Burchell-Small was at the showground to witness her Rowfantina ponies do a double-whammy in the HOYS mini M&M championship.
It was the top two first ridden ponies, Rowfantina Double Dutch (Poppy Baxter-Davies) and Rowfantina Our Vintage piloted by Jessie Barleycorn who triumphed.
“Both these ponies did fantastic shows, were well behaved and had lovely manners,” said judge Barbara McGrath.
“Both the lead-rein and the first ridden had to be split as we had so many forward,” said co-judge Gillian McMurray. “We had some very nice ponies and some very tired children.”
Rowfantina Double Dutch, owned by Holly Levett, won the 2019 lead-rein pony of hunter type final at the RIHS and this was his first time contesting a HOYS first ridden qualifier.
“I grew him out over the winter to see how he would do as an M&M,” said Holly, who bought “Bob” as a three-year-old.
“He does everything at home and is the easiest pony to have around,” added Holly, who also watched her son Henry, eight, win the tiny tots first ridden as well. “He’s a really happy pony and is a credit to Mandy’s breeding – he’s Bob by name and Bob by nature.”
Julie Templeton led Woodend Marigold and Millie Hollis to win a 31-strong M&M lead-rein qualifier.
Chloe Owen and Llanarth Windsor won the plaited HOYS working hunter pony title. The 11-year-old grey gelding was bought from the Sidaway family, who were there to watch while also gaining a ticket in the intermediate division.
“I bought him unseen from a picture as my daughter had broken her arm so we couldn’t go to try him,” said Chloe’s mother Charlotte. “I spoke to his breeder Simon Bigley and he said, ‘Go for it.’”
The family run a dairy farm in Pembrokeshire and just missed out on a ticket in the M&M 122cm working hunter pony section with Sarum Phoenix.
“We hunt with the Pembrokeshire so they’re not wrapped up in cotton wool. They are ponies that are used as ponies and not just for the show ring,” added Charlotte.
“We can’t wait for October”
ANNIE THOMAS gained her first HOYS ticket in the M&M junior small breeds qualifier. Riding her mother Rachael’s Ysselhofs Hallmark, it was an emotional win for all the family.
“They did the most amazing show and I was beaming with pride,” said Rachael, who found the eight-year-old grey gelding, by Heniarth Quinell, on a social media page in May 2019. “Within an hour I’d placed a deposit on him, I just knew he had to be ours.
“He was a real novice, but from day one Annie adored him and kept telling me they would get to HOYS. The end of the 2019 season saw them progress enough to try the last few HOYS first ridden qualifiers and to our delight they were placed in all of them.
“Last year during lockdown they had so much fun hacking, bareback riding and jumping – further cementing their partnership.”
The plan to qualify for the RIHS didn’t happen due to missing some of the qualifiers as Annie’s father injured his back, but the pair won a championship at the NPS spring festival.
“When the results were announced here I dropped to my knees and I could see Annie crying,” added Rachael. “This moment will stay with us for the rest of our lives. She’s done it with her absolute best friend, the pony that means the absolute world to us all. We can’t wait for October and whatever the result we feel so privileged to be going to HOYS.”
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