Newoak Midnight Blue leads the lap of honour in the Harrison Civil Engineering BSPS supreme mini pony of hunter type championship with Arabella Corrigan, eight, in the saddle at the Agria Royal International Horse Show (RIHS).
The pair had earlier won the Harrison Civil Engineering BSPS mini lead-rein pony of hunter type final with producer Adam Forster at the helm.
The eight-year-old part-bred Dartmoor – he’s by Ardenhall Midnight Charm out of Dartmoor Lickfolds Snowstorm – is no stranger to the spotlight. He stood second here as a four-year-old, just a year after Adam and his partner David Jinks purchased him from his breeders, the late Joyce Newbury and her daughter, Jackie.
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He’s since returned to Hickstead to collect a hat-trick of victories – with three different riders – and stand reserve supreme pony. He also has two Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) victories on his CV.
Of the course here, Adam said: “It was tricky. There was a lot in it – a lot of walking actually – which leant itself to very challenging obstacles. It was a really well dressed course which gave the jockeys and us leaders lots to think about.”
This is the first time that winners of the lead-rein ranks have had to return to the ring for the championship against the winners of the inaugural running of the hugely popular Harrison Civil Engineering BSPS mini first ridden pony of hunter type final.
Adam was extremely positive about this latest addition to the mini schedule here.
“The stepping stone from lead rein onto an open pony is an important and difficult transition,” he explained. “Often a child on a hunter pony lead rein doesn’t want to move to a show pony first ridden because they may look better on a hunter pony or their riding might suit one better. The first ridden class is able to bridge the gap for those children.
“And because they have the obstacles to negotiate, it also makes them more aware of the ring – they actually have to use the ring – so I think it will bring on jockeys way more than we ever anticipated from a ring-craft point of view.”
A line-up of 22 immaculate ponies and children turned out for the mini first ridden pony of hunter type final, which was eventually won by Amelia Logan and Garnagree Golden Bravado.
However it was the second placed lead-rein who occupied the bridesmaid spot in the overall championship. This was Annandale Let’s Dance – an Annandale Cort Jester nine-year-old affectionately known as “Lenny the Lion” – who was ridden by Gracie-May Whitaker and led by his producer Craig Elenor. This is another pair who has previous form here, having topped the lead-rein class her last year and stood reserve supreme mini.
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