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‘She loves her job’: 2021 supreme pony ensures she’ll be back to fight for her crown at RIHS

Alex Robinson Alex Robinson

    • The 2021 Royal International Horse Show (RIHS) supreme pony champion booked her pass to the International Arena at Hickstead tomorrow in an attempt to reclaim the supreme crown she won a year ago.

    Mia Donaldson and her family’s own Wilderness Early Bird (Birdie), a 13-year-old mare by Chiddock Time Limit, won The Harrison Civil Engineering/BSPS RIHS part-bred Arab supreme championship for the third time during their partnership.

    They took the title after winning the small ridden section. They reigned in the championship over winning large part-bred, Sharon Harrison’s home-bred mare Sarison Heavenly Silk, also 13, ridden by Lucy Glover. Judges Leon King (ride) and Eleanor Lyttle (conformation) had two well-filled classes to assess prior to making their overall decision.

    Last season, Mia rode Birdie to both show pony and part-bred Arab championships here at the RIHS, before lifting the one everyone wants to win, the supreme pony title.

    “I’m excited to ride in the supreme again tomorrow,” said Mia, who is in her last year of show pony classes. “There was some pressure today; you can only go down from here. But Birdie is always fantastic to ride. She loves her job.”

    When asked how she’ll be ensuring the supreme honour will be hers for the second time, Mia said: “That will be kept a secret until tomorrow.”

    Birdie is produced by Team Ahern:

    “We’ve had her since she was five and three different jockeys have ridden her,” said co-producer Kirsty Pickles. “Every year she gets better and better.”

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    Alex Robinson
    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.
    Alex Robinson

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