‘She took a long time to trust people’: showjumper returning to HOYS as a showing rider on her formerly ‘nervous’ project horse
(Image credit: Rob Bayes Photography)
An amateur showjumper who last rode at the Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) in 2021 is heading back to the prestigious show to take on the show ring. Helen Anderson has qualified her six-year-old show hunter Ballyheerin Dream for the SEIB Search For A Star (SFAS) finals.
Home-producer Helen bought “Ruby” unseen as an unbroken three-year-old. She wasn’t on the hunt for a horse at the time.
“I was helping a friend look for a young horse, but I liked the look of Ruby and her breeding was very similar to one of my former showjumpers,” says dental nurse Helen, who juggles work and showing around dental hygienist training. “When she arrived she was a nervous horse and she wouldn’t let anyone catch her. She quickly came round, to some extent, with lots of patience from the friend who had her to back for us.
“She was great under saddle from day one but she took a long time to trust people on the ground. I spent hours and hours gaining her trust, especially when it came to picking up her feet. She needed sedating for the farrier for months, but again with consistency and a patient farrier we managed to whittle it down. She has come such a long way.”
However, the pair’s progress was stalled in April 2022 when Helen broke her leg in a riding accident.
“This is partly why I’ve decided to try showing,” explains Helen, who hadn’t been into a show ring since she was a child on ponies. “My leg won’t stand up to much jumping yet and I have lost some confidence. Plus, I was told by quite a few people that Ruby is good enough to show.”
Their SFAS qualifier held at Stoneleigh was Ruby’s fourth show.
“Qualifying was very unexpected,” Helen recalls. “It was a very windy day but Ruby behaved impeccably. She has still only been in the show ring a handful of times, but she seems to be holding her own quite well. We knew she was special but she’s really starting to prove it. We couldn’t be any more proud of how she has turned out.
“I’ll now have ridden at HOYS in two disciplines. It will be very different riding in the show ring, but I’m looking forward to the challenge.”
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