Alice Homer continued to add to her Royal Windsor Horse Show tally, as she rode Liz Prowting’s superb lightweight Bloomfield President to the Royal Windsor novice hunter championship.
Alice, 20, had already enjoyed a victory lap in the working hunter championship aboard her own Little Joe the previous day.
President, a five-year-old by Emperor Augustus and bred by Jane Bradbury and Daphne Tierney of the Bloomfield Stud, won the four-year-olds here at Windsor in 2021, and before that he excelled in-hand, winning the traditional-bred championship at the 2019 Royal Dublin, among others.
“Jane and her family are great friends of ours,” said Alice’s mother, Loraine Homer, who has won this accolade herself. “He came over here from Ireland last year, and he won Windsor and was champion novice at the UK Nationals.”
President went back to Ireland at the end of last season and Liz had the opportunity to buy him earlier this year. President has recently forayed into open lightweight classes, winning on his RIHS qualifier debut at BSHA Southern Show last week.
“He’s a dear boy and is as easy as he looks,” added Loraine. “The novices at Windsor are the classes which really set up a horse’s form. If you look back in history at some of the horses who have gone onto be great show hunters, they’ve started by being champion novice at Windsor. I’ve been fortunate to win it a few times on some really nice horses who went on to win royal shows, the Royal International and Horse of the Year Show.”
Loraine was clearly incredible proud of her daughter’s victory in this esteemed championship:
“Alice takes my breath away,” she said. “She got home last night and was straight in the kitchen making a picnic for all her owners today. She was cooking until whatever time last night. I just thank her for everything; she completes our life.”
Ros Croft’s Tiger Attack five-year-old Evening Flight stood reserve for Claire Oliver, who was also on board second placed heavyweight, seven-year-old Churchill IV, owned by Dr Willie Reardon.
Robert Walker kicked off his Windsor campaign with a win in the four-year-old hunters with Jill Day’s Chillout gelding Say No More, supreme young horse at Balmoral last year.
Jill purchased him from Regina Daly:
“This was only his second show, his first being North of England where he won the four-year-old class,” said Robert. “He walked into the Castle Arena first in the class, and he owned it. Noone else wanted to go in first so I said ‘come on mate, we’ve got to go’ and he did. He went about his job and he’s a really nice horse for the future.”
Robert also landed the novice heavyweight class on Jill’s Insatiable six-year-old Mr Tea.
You might also be interested in:
Subscribe to Horse & Hound magazine today – and enjoy unlimited website access all year round
2022 Royal Windsor Horse Show judges announced
Two victories for The Queen’s home-bred horses on day one of Royal Windsor Horse Show
A breed close to The Queen’s heart to be celebrated at Royal Windsor Horse Show
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.
