A fairytale first season has peaked for Marie Laity’s Ivington Nancy Casper. The five-year-old Welsh section A gelding claimed the BSPS Heritage mountain and moorland (M&M) supreme Pretty Polly mini championship at the 2025 Agria Royal International Horse Show (RIHS) led by Sam Laity and ridden by five-year-old Sienna Walker.
Casper impressed with his manners, movement and calm attitude, all the more remarkable given that this is his first season under saddle.
“He’s a proper dude,” said Sam Laity. “You name it, he does it – he goes off the lead, he jumps, and he literally goes from the lorry to the ring with no working in.”
Sam also explained that this is the plucky gelding’s final show with the family: “He’s been sold and is going to a new home from here, so to end on such a high is just incredible. We couldn’t have asked for a better last show.”
Taking reserve was the winner of the first ridden division, the charming nine-year-old roan Withymead Honey Bear, by Rowfantina Ottoman out of Forlan Honey Cookie, owned by Kirby Fentiman and ridden by her eight-year-old daughter Ruby Fentiman.
“I’m really happy about it,” said Ruby. “It’s really hard to win here – it’s really tough – but he just did it! The judges said, ‘Well done,’ and told me to keep working hard.”
Proud mum Kirby added, “We’ve had him since he was a three-year-old and broke him in ourselves. The plan was always to do first ridden with him, but as Ruby was younger, we started him in lead rein show hunter pony classes. He qualified for Horse of the Year Show and finished 10th.
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“This year we brought him out as a first ridden. Both of them are first-timers on the circuit, but they’ve gone from strength to strength, and winning here really is the ultimate proud mum moment.”
Also in the championship were second placed first ridden, Crumpwell Finella, owned by Claire Sutcliffe and ridden by Maddison Shrimpton, and second placed lead-rein Alexandra Bartley’s Elcon Lacinda, ridden by Willow Bartley.
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Kim is a Scotland-based freelance equestrian journalist who writes for Horse & Hound and The Scottish Farmer, reporting from many of the UK’s leading showing championships, including the Royal International Horse Show, Horse of the Year Show, Royal Highland Show and Royal Windsor Horse Show. Alongside her journalism, Kim produces and campaigns show ponies for her daughter, Charlotte, giving her first-hand insight into the sport from both a competitor’s and reporter’s perspective.
