The exquisite Welsh Section C, Thistledown Superstar (Star), more than lived up to her name when she was crowned National Pony Society/Supreme Products Mountain & Moorland Ridden Pony of the Year Champion on the second evening of Horse of the Year Show (HOYS). This prestigious Championship is a culmination of 11 classes, which have filled the NEC with our beloved native breeds over the last two days.
The seven-year-old mare is owned by Leisa Woodward and produced by Sharn Linney. Sharn has produced many HOYS Champions, including multi-HOYS champion and Supreme Pony Thistledown Van-Der-Vaart, but this was her first HOYS centre line moment in the saddle.
A delighted Sharn said: “For a mare to go and beat the stallions and stand champion overall is just absolutely incredible and she certainly lived up to her name today.
She’s a diva but we absolutely love her and wouldn’t change her for the world… We’re really lucky to have her.”
Leisa was also celebrating her first HOYS win with one of her ponies. She said: “There are no words, I’m over the moon and thrilled to bits… Thanks to Sharn and the team, they’re absolutely awesome.”
Another mare stood Reserve, the striking Fell, Greenholme Kate, ridden by Aimee Devane. The nine-year-old is by Greenholme Warrior out of Greenholme Bethany who sadly passed away after being struck by lightning, leaving Kate as an orphan foal at just three weeks old before being fostered by a coloured cob. This is Aimee’s first HOYS win and to go Reserve was “the icing on the cake”.
An early start in the Andrews Bowen International Arena was more than worth it for Helen Baker who piloted Nicola Faulconbridge’s Boston Black Tie to second place in The Andrews Family Small Hack of the Year, but then pulled out all the stops to be crowned The Andrews Family Hack of the Year Champion.
The eight-year-old is by the prolific sire Kilvington Scoundrel and bred by Stephen Howard who was “totally thrilled” with his first HOYS win and Championship.
Equally, Helen had more than one reason to celebrate: “This is my 49th or 50th year at this show, so I’ve been trying for years to win a Championship… don’t ever stop trying!
Nicola, who bought the horse from Stephen as a three-year-old, said: “He’s absolutely stunning. Helen produces him so beautifully and today is what you spend the time, practice and effort working for.
“He’s an absolute diva and a showman… He can be fabulous and he can be terrible – you never quite know – and we’ve had some of both this season, so to crown it with this is phenomenal. It’s what dreams are made of.”
Reserve Champion went to the winner of the Small Hacks, Karen Wood’s Cranbornes Sirius ridden by Harrison Taylor.
Winner of the Culford Lodge Commodities Large Hack of the Year was Stanley Grange Smokey Bay owned by Samantha Burns and ridden by Katie Jerram-Hunnable. Guy Mears’ Forgeland Hyde Park stood second with Isabella Mears-Wood.
Knutsford Monte-Carlo, a three-year-old homebred bay filly owned and handled by Thomas Edward Whittaker followed in her mother’s footsteps to take the Shire Horse of the Year Championship supported by the Shire Horse Society, seven years after her dam St Giles Morgana claimed the title with Thomas’ father John Whittaker.
“We never planned to qualify,” said Thomas. “We didn’t think she was ready at the start of the season. We just entered the last qualifier three weeks ago and now here we are.”
John added: “When I won it seven years ago with her mum I thought, ‘that’s once in a lifetime’. I never thought we’d do it with her daughter.”
In second place was Bryan Banham’s Acle Celebration. Bryan had four homebreds in the Championship and Acle Celebration is by three-times HOYS Champion and prolific sire Metherington Upton Hamlet.
The individual class winners in the National Pony Society/ Supreme Products Mountain & Moorland Ridden Pony of the Year were as follows:
Welsh Section D – Llynhelyg Mistar Jones owned and ridden by Sarah Parker
Welsh Section C – Thistledown Superstar owned by Leisa Woodward and ridden by Sharn Linney
Welsh Section B – Kallared Heartbeat owned by Danielle Garner and ridden by Vikki Smith
Welsh Section A – Glebedale Jumanji owned and ridden by India Latter-Sears
Dartmoor – Pricklegate Brown Owl owned by Andrea Baybutt and ridden by Aliya Khan
New Forest – Trenley Trinket owned and ridden by Lauren Brill
Fell – Greenholme Kate owned by Chantelle Bryan and ridden by Aimee Devane
Highland – Kincardine Uist owned by Julie Smith and ridden by Holly Smith
Connemara – King Bunowen Castle Ali owned by Chelsea White and ridden by Harlow White
Dales – Highcroft Romany owned by Jonathan & Julian Talbot and ridden by Jessica Talbot
Exmoor/Shetland – Stowbrook Red Kite owned and ridden by Davinia Johnson
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