A young rider achieved a historic Hickstead hat-trick, just missed out on a second as she beat herself and then set another record with a third pony – within a couple of hours.
Anya Dewey Clark won the Pro Ponies UK winter 128cm championship at the Royal International Horse Show with Kilcreene Snapdragon, and came second with Jim. She then won the winter 138cm title with Fredaine De Blonde.
Anya, who made history last year by winning every major 128cm title with Jim, went first in the 128cm jump-off with her superstar knowing that if they were to triumph, they would be the first combination ever to win this title three times. The 2024 and 2025 champions held their lead – the legendary 18-year-old Jim flying in his inimitable style – to finish clear on 45.99sec, a lead that held until the last combination.
This was Anya and 13-year-old “Snappy”, whose amazing ground-covering stride helped set them up to finish on 45.30. This meant Anya is the first rider to have won the winter 128cm title three times.
(Image credit: Boots and Hooves Photography)
“It felt absolutely incredible,” Anya said. “They’re both such amazing ponies and it’s such a great arena; I love it every year.”
The 128cm course was a challenge; 11 combinations were eliminated, the double causing a fair few problems, so only five went forward to the jump-off. The closest of these to Anya was Anthony Condon’s son Hector, who finished in 44.86sec with Darth Moll but just clipped the second-last vertical.
Anya said she “probably wanted to win on Jim”, but went in with the plan of replicating her first round.
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“I let [Snappy] go to the last; he’s got such a big stride and knows how to cover the ground,” she said. “I’m always confident with my ponies as I know if I go in and give my best – if I give my all, they give their all. I love them both so much.”
Winter 138cm final
The next class was the 138cm final, in which Anya and “Blondie” were seventh of 11 combinations in the jump-off. They finished clear three and a half seconds ahead of second-placed Amy Capper and Playboy Van De Zoetewei, a pony who has won this title five times, and Anya became the first rider to win the 128cm and 138cm titles in the same year.
Anya and the 11-year-old mare had a pole down as a new partnership in this class in 2025 and Anya said they had been practising on grass since.
“I knew the time would be fast so I’d have to start strong and finish strong, and make all the turns,” she said. “She was absolutely amazing. She’s known as the queen of the yard at home and I just love riding her. I can’t wait for the rest of the year.”
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.
