The four-year-old mare, who was recently crowned novice supreme at the BSPS Summer Championships, has all the components to go to the very top. Alex Robinson meets her connections to find out more...
Ballinclare
Age: four
Classes: small hack and large intermediate show riding type
Breeding: by Sylvano out of Katodo
Breeder: Jane Bradbury
Rider: Alice Homer
Owners: Loraine Homer and Jane Bradbury
Greatest achievements: 2019, in-hand hack breeding champion BSHA National Championships; 2020, 2nd RIHS qualifier Onley EC, first novice hack and first novice intermediate Lands Freestep Novice Show Horse Championship, BSPS Summer Championships, novice intermediate champion and overall novice supreme.
Rider Alice Homer
“We’ve known Ballinclare’s breeder Jane Bradbury of the Bloomfield stud for years; my granddad, David Tatlow, sources a lot of their horses and I often go over to their base in Ireland to ride and help out.
“We’d seen ‘Annie’ as a yearling and she’d always caught the eye. We bought her as a three-year-old and she came over to us last year. She has been really gorgeous in every way.
“We have allowed Annie to develop at her own pace, and the British Show Pony Society [BSPS] Championships was the first time that we asked her to step up a little.
“She delivered and proved how much she’s come on in her movement and brain; she’s never experienced anything like the supreme and she coped so well.
“She is a beautiful model of a hack and couldn’t be mistaken for anything else. She’ll do a few qualifiers next season; my ultimate aim is for her to stand hack of the year in a few years’ time.”
Breeder Jane Bradbury
“Ballinclare is a fourth-generation home-bred. I bred both Annie’s dam, Katodo, and granddam, Toda, who is from good hurdling lines. Annie’s sire, the late Sylvano, has produced some event types.
“As Sylvano is not that big, I decided to use him in the hope I would breed a small, quality horse for the show ring; Katodo is also small in stature, standing at around 16hh.
“From day one, Annie has had that extra bit of something special. She’s always had personality and presence and she is extremely athletic. Her attributes make her the perfect hack, but as Ireland doesn’t host these classes, it was decided she’d go over to England to be produced. It’s exciting as a breeder to watch her go on and be successful already.”
Judge Paul Cook
“When I judged this young mare in the novice supreme at the BSPS Summer Championships, I thought she had lots of scope. Intermediates in the show riding type category are riding pony, hack or small riding horse in type. I personally like an intermediate that will take the rider into the adult classes and I’m sure she will go on to be a good hack.
“She had very good depth, quality bone and ground-covering action that came from the shoulder. As she is a young horse, she will make up and strengthen, particularly behind, over time. She wasn’t over-topped or manufactured and was ridden in a forward, relaxed way, going softly over her back, and was very well schooled.”
Ref Horse & Hound; 1 October 2020
.
You may also be interested in…
All you need to know about HOYS-winner Del Boy V *H&H Plus*
His decade-long career as a ridden pony culminated in the coloured of the year championship at HOYS 2019. Alex Robinson
Limited Edition is top of the field at BSHA Autumn Gala *H&H Plus*
What has given this 13-year-old star such longevity in the show ring? His rider reveals what makes him so special
The Politician and Ellis Taverner-Burns captured the 2020 supreme of show sash at the BSPS summer championships last month...
How to spot a show cob in the raw: HOYS-winning cob producer Simon Reynolds’ top tips
Find out what this top show rider looks for when sourcing a potential star cob
Meet talented young working hunter rider William Pittendrigh *H&H Plus*
