Day 4 round: Horse of the Year Show

Day 4 round: Horse of the Year Show

Earlier in the day, Billy Twomey and Archolum Duke took the Naylors Equestrian Accumulator, and Robert Murphy added another title to his Horse of the Year Show collection when he won the Squibb Group Pony Foxhunter Championship.

Robert was crowned leading pony showjumper of the year at HOYS in 2015, and his latest triumph proved another notable success on what is his last year of competitive pony riding.

Nicole Lockhead Anderson made a nine-hour road journey from Aberdeen spectacularly worthwhile as she was crowned The Stable Company 138cms champion, and Rachel Proudley got day four off to a thrilling start with a memorable victory in the Barfoot-Saunt 50th Wedding Anniversary 128cms Championship. Riding the 15-year-old skewbald mare Painted Lady IV – a surprise Christmas present for Rachel from her family three years ago – she had a captivated audience gripped by her superb display.

Painted Lady’s quirky nature – she bucked after almost every fence in round one – made her a supremely popular winner, and 11-year-old Rachel, who is from the village of Kildale in North Yorkshire, could not have been happier.

In the showing classes, Kim Smith’s nine-year-old Thoroughbred Rathnaleen Gothic oozed presence in the Topspec Arena to take the first showing Championship of the morning, the Sandal BMW Intermediate Show Riding Type of the Year.

Recent university graduate Lizzie Smith rode the black gelding by Rathnaleen Sinatra to victory, going one better from their Reserve Champion spot last year. Martin Wood’s DP UK Nightdancer ridden my Michaela Wood stood Reserve.

Lisa Kerr’s six-year-old Lead Rein Show Pony Wytchwood Love Potion was crowned The Price Family Mini Show Pony of the Year in an exciting finale to the Lead Rein Pony of the Year and First Ridden Pony of the Year classes.

Produced by Craig Elenor and Sara Parrott, the bay gelding is fairly early on in his showing career, having only been lightly shown last year, but was quick to establish his position standing Mini Show Pony Champion at BSPS in 2015. He qualified for HOYS at the NPS Area 4 Summer Show.

Lisa bought the pony from the breeder as a three-year-old and he is ridden by her daughter, seven-year-old Cate, who will take him into First Ridden classes next year.

Caroline Tyrrells’ blue and white Lightweight Cob, Our Cashel Blue took the honours in The Humdinger Consultancy Cob of the Year Championship with Allister Hood in the evening performance. The seven-year-old denied last year’s Champion, Randalstown Musketeer, a consectuive win. Owned by Claire Twiston-Davies’, the eight-year-old grey gelding settled for Reserve representing the Heavyweights. He qualified at the Derbyshire Festival of Showing ridden by Victoria Hesford.

It had been a closely fought battle between Jemma Millman and Alison Tucker throughout the week at Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) in the Osborne Refrigerators Double Harness Scurry of the Year Championship.

Less than a second separated the two in the end, as six-time winner and reigning Champion Jemma Millman with her Large pair of ponies Piglet & Eeyore raced their way into the ribbons on 47.39 seconds, defending their title.

Suzanne Ashton

Suzanne Ashton, Founder of Everything Horse (Est, 2012), has a BA Hons in Marketing Management and a Diploma in Equine Science. Suzanne has ridden and owned horses all her life and has twelve years of experience in marketing, writing, design, SEO, and website creation.