Saturday morning at the Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) is traditionally confirmed to small ponies and these youngest show jumpers at the show once again gave a good crowd great entertainment.
Jessica Mendoza has been in great form all form all year and the Wiltshire-based 11-year-old crowned her season with first and second places in the 128cm championship.
The 138cm title also went to form when Olivia Wells lived up to her favourites billing to win from final draw on the extraordinary More Than Milton.
Essex-based Graham Lovegrove is jumping in the international classes here for the first time after winning a wildcard place at Unex Towerlands. But he and Angel, the seven-year-old he jumped in Thursdays Horse & Hound Foxhunter final, looked thoroughly at home in the arena en route to a decisive victory in the Xerox Special Event Services Cup.
Shes a really careful mare and her favourite thing to do is running and jumping, said Graham.
The major class of the afternoon, the Woof Wear Stakes, resulted in the second victory of the show for the Irish contingent. Billy Twomey produced a terrific jump-off round on Whinny Jackson to head a classy jump-off field and hold off Ben Maher with new ride Pablo V by almost 1sec.
The Dutch-bred 16-year-old is usually partnered by Billys stable jockey, Anthony Condon. I pinched him back for this show, mainly as a speed horse, but hes been going so well that I thought Id try him in this class. Im pleased I did, said Billy.
