A traditional pony stallion who spent the first eight years of his life in a field took the overall supreme in-hand title at the British Skewbald and Piebald Association’s 21st World Championships of Colour at Addington EC, Bucks (August 29-30).
Anna Francis’s 10-year-old 140cm piebald, Sam Miguel, was found in Norfolk when his owner lost his grazing and had to put him up for sale.
“He was heartbroken to part with him, but gave us £10 luck money and is really proud of what he’s done,” says Anna, who has had the stallion tested as homozygous.
East Anglia scored again when the Supreme Grand Champion of Champions went to Wulfstan Stud’s Wulfstan King of the Mountain, carrying on a family tradition.
Owned and bred by Sandra Lawrence and Lynda Lodge from Cambs, he was the judges’ unanimous choice after Wendy Bartlett made the most of Addington’s international arena to show a tremendous gallop.
The 16.3hh eight-year-old is by Weggs Powder Mountain out of Balanhassig Princess. “Both he, his dam and his sire were supreme in-hand champions here and he and his dam are now supreme worker champions,” said Lynda.
Tracey Veale’s Pussy Galore was the Supreme Ridden Horse of the Year, ridden by Sally Carpenter, and stood Reserve Supreme Grand Champion of Champions behind Wulfstan King of the Mountain.
Joyce Newbery’s four-year-old skewbald mare, Bedazzled II — by the TB stallion Classic out of a coloured mare — won the novice of the year title, before taking the in-hand horse of the year title.
Once again, youngstock specialist Russell Skelton’s long trip from Aberdeenshire proved worthwhile. Last year, he went through the card with the yearling colt Co-Pilot; this year, he took the filly of the year, yearling of the year and Brightwells Sport Horse titles with Solaris Dwenqua. Both warmbloods were bred by Solaris Sport Horses in Scotland, out of the same mare, Wendy.
