HAPPY tears flowed freely at the Great Yorkshire Show as Class One Irish Draught mare Appleton Aristocratic Lady (Libby) was led to victory in the Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) Price Family supreme in-hand championship qualifier by her speechless breeder Jane Strickland.
It’s believed that the seven-year-old is the first of her breed to qualify here, a bonus for Yorkshire lass Jane.
Libby is out of Hazevern Royal Concerto – initially bought for Jane’s partner Ian to hunt – and by Corrindon Dancer.
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When “Draughtie” needed assistance to foal, Jane called on her brother Andrew, who was ringside with Ian during the championship, and between them, they delivered Libby.
Determined that the foal would be a colt, Jane had intended to name him Walter after her father, but switched to Libby in honour of her mother Alice Elizabeth instead.
“And we were fortunate enough to take the prefix Mum had when we were showing riding ponies many years ago,” she explained.
Jane started showing the mare last year, both in hand and ridden.
“We started to realise we had something a bit better than we thought so we thought we’d do a bit more with her this year. I’ve always looked at her in the field and thought I like her, but I’m biased,” said Jane.
“I was wondering ‘what am I doing, entering back into this competitive world’, so for my 60th, my friend got me a ringcraft lesson.”
Having worked hard to improve their ridden performances, Jane and Libby are bound for Hickstead in the amateur hunter ranks this term, and her initial aim was the ridden Irish Draught class here – they finished fifth in extremely strong company – but thought that she “may as well enter the in-hand too”.
Standing supreme champion was more than she had dared dream.
“We showed here as children with riding ponies, but we never got into the main ring. I had no idea what we were going to do. Someone said I’d need to run the length of the grandstand and I thought I’d need oxygen! To run all the way round was impossible but it was nice to hear the cheers for the Irish Draught.
“This will take a few days to sink in. I just wish my mum and dad could have seen her, though I’m sure they’re watching from above.”
In reserve was Inverness-based Hunter Macdonald with his grandfather David Shand’s home-bred sports horse champion Achilty Miss Isabella. The two-year-old Trakehner filly is lightly but successfully shown, with two wins and a reserve title at the Royal Highland, and standing reserve overall light horse champion at Hambleton en route to Harrogate.
“It was incredible and such a privilege to show in that ring with that electric atmosphere. She’ll do a few more shows now and hopefully luck will be on our side somewhere along the road,” said Hunter, who had also watched Achilty Top Gun qualify for HOYS in the middleweight hunters earlier in the week with Richard Telford on board.
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