Road to the BSPS summer champs: young show riders find their journalistic talents over lockdown
Two young show riders ensured their BSPS area members stayed connected during lockdown with their series of remote interviews with local showing riders, producers and judges.
Lucy Jones and Sophie Barker, who head up BSPS Area 1B’s young persons committee, conducted Zoom interviews with key members as well as the BSPS national chairman Pat Pattinson.
Also included in the line-up was 2019 Olympia moutain and moorland ridden supreme winner Emma Boardman, BSPS Area 1B secretary and judge Pam Prickett and big-winning pony jockey and producer Harriet Dennison.
“Our aim was to provide everyone with some entertainment during those months in lockdown, but also give members a chance to meet some of the committee,” says Lucy. “The interviews made it clear how much the members love the summer champs.
“Pat talked about how much she loves the young judges competition and the area parade. Others talked about their love for the Desert Orchid working hunter final, also known as the Dessie.
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“Long-standing 1B member Heather Metcalf recalled classes of 60 ponies when the Cymmer champs where held at Peterborough.
“Katie Marshall, who is 1B’s young judges coordinator, talked about how she got the teams ready for summer champs. Katie also said that one of her showing highlights was in 2016 when she had five of her teaching clients in the overall supreme. Likewise, Harriet Dennison talked of taking the overall supreme on her show hunter a couple of years ago.”
Both Lucy and Sophie will be contending the championships at the end of the month.
“We are both really looking forward to them,” adds Lucy.
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Born and raised in the Lake District, Alex has grown up on the showing scene. She has qualified and competed ponies at the Royal International, Horse of the Year Show and Olympia and has first-hand knowledge of the current issues in the showing world as well as the horses, ponies and riders who compete in the sport. Alex joined H&H in January 2018 as showing editor, cementing its place as the leading equestrian publication for both showing reports and current showing news in the UK. She moved on in October 2024 to pursue other opportunities, but continues to write for us on a freelance basis.