{"piano":{"sandbox":"false","aid":"u28R38WdMo","rid":"R7EKS5F","offerId":"OF3HQTHR122A","offerTemplateId":"OTQ347EHGCHM"}}
Trending:

Three-year-old rider and her ‘saint’ of a Dartmoor pony qualify for HOYS

Alex Robinson Alex Robinson

    • A three-year-old jockey has qualified for the Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) with her home-produced Dartmoor pony, making her the youngest rider to be bound for the final so far this year.

    Penelope Rae Dale, Dartmoor pony Hisley Caliph (Sven) and her mother Leigh Dale were called forward to win the mountain and moorland (M&M) lead rein qualifier at Royal Cheshire County (20-21 June). The trio won their HOYS ticket on a score of 95/100, before they clinched the overall mini M&M championship.

    Penelope Rae was riding in her second ever HOYS qualifier, and she’s already booked in to attend this year’s Royal International (RIHS) final with her home-produced pony Sven.

    “Sven is such a saint and he’s so safe that we can do these fun, electric shows,” said Leigh, who works as a sister at Trinity Hospice in Blackpool and produces nine-year-old Sven with help from her mother, Michelle Dale.

    “Penelope Rae is still so small in these classes. This year was all about just giving it a go, so I was totally shocked to qualify.”

    Penelope Rae started riding when she was 17 months old. She began on a Shetland pony before Leigh purchased 11-year-old Sven — who she describes as a ‘mother’s dream’ — from Holly Levett. Sven joined the family in February, and the trio stood mini M&M champions at BSPS Area 2B soon after his arrival. They booked their RIHS Pretty Polly pass at the North of England spring show in April.

    “She is riding against jockeys who are more than twice her age; I think the next oldest jockey in the class at Cheshire was six,” said Leigh, who has ridden show horses at county level for many years.

    You might also like:

    Horse & Hound magazine, out every Thursday, is packed with all the latest news and reports, as well as interviews, specials, nostalgia, vet and training advice. Find how you can enjoy the magazine delivered to your door every week, plus options to upgrade your subscription to access our online service that brings you breaking news and reports as well as other benefits.

    Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout major shows like London International and more with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

    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

    You may like...