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‘We loved him so much’: farewell to HOYS winner aged 28, now buried at his lifelong home, under his favourite tree

Eleanor Jones Eleanor Jones

    • The owner of a home-bred, home-produced first ridden who won at Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) has paid tribute to the pony who made dreams come true, after his death aged 28.

    Devon Raindance had enjoyed years of happy retirement with Betty Butcher, whose mother Betty Skeet bred him, but his age finally caught up with him and Betty had to let him go.

    “I miss him so much,” Betty told H&H. “He was part of the family.”

    Dance was a 12hh superstar, by Welsh B Thornbury Gamekeeper and out of third-generation riding pony Devon Elite.

    “He was stunning,” Betty said. “My mother bred him and we showed him in hand, then we took him under saddle. The things he won for us were absolutely unbelievable and he was produced entirely from home. My mother died 10 years ago and he’s been with me ever since, a family pet.”

    Dance came second at HOYS in 2004 and won the first ridden championship, with Jessica Niven, the following year. He also won at Royal Windsor, the Royal Welsh, Ponies UK and the National Pony Society.

    “His trot was absolutely amazing and he had a rocking horse canter,” Betty said. “ He loved dressage lessons and because he was grey and turned white, he really was like a little rocking horse.

    “When he won HOYS, Robert Parker Jones judged, and he said ‘When the Devon pony did its show, he was out there on his own, he was like a little clockwork toy’ and that is what he was like.

    “He wasn’t a little tinkling pony, he had such an extravagant movement, but he also covered a lot of ground in his canter, which is very unusual for a first ridden. He had enough substance to be quality – he was out on his own.”

    Betty said Dance was a strong character, who “knew he was good”.

    “He was a show-off and had his own ways, and that stayed with him,” she said. “He was a one-off, he had something about him. One of the first shows we went to, Mrs Gilbert-Scott said ‘He’s going to be a star’, she said ‘I love him’. That was the biggest compliment, the ponies the Gilbert-Scotts have had, for them to say he was lovely. And he was.”

    Betty added that not many home-produced ponies win at HOYS.

    “We didn’t think we’d do better than second, but then he went back and won, which was a dream come true,” she said.

    “He retired aged 11 and has had a lovely time, a really nice retirement, which is no more than he deserved. We did everything we could [to keep him happy and healthy], but in the end it was old age.

    “He was so loved, and he was with us his whole life; we couldn’t have parted with him. Now he’s buried here, underneath his favourite tree. We loved him so much.”

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    Eleanor Jones
    Eleanor Jones

    H&H news editor
    Eleanor is an experienced journalist who spent over eight years working for local and national newspapers before joining H&H as news editor in March 2016. Passionate about equine welfare and exposing the truth, Eleanor has reported on all aspects of the industry, from Brexit to anti-bullying campaigns, and from dressage rules to mules. Her sport of choice is showjumping, in which she competes her own horses, and she also enjoys reporting at local jumping shows through to international championships.
    Eleanor Jones

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