Crescendo leads the choir as coloured horses and ponies kick off 2022 RIHS
Jayne Ross was clearly delighted as she lifted the Royal International Horse Show ridden coloured supreme – the first championship of the 2022 RIHS – with Michael Cook and Tony Reynolds’ ultra-consistent home-bred mare KBF Crescendo (Daphne).
Daphne, a nine-year-old by Free Spirit, won the first class of the show in the Roger Stack Arena, which played host to the array of classes run by the British Skewbald and Piebald Association (BSPA), who were marking 20 years of involvement with the RIHS.
Despite an early start, Daphne retained her sparkle throughout the day, to stand horse champion before clinching the Oyster Wealth Planning Skewbald and Piebald and Indian Trail accolade, repeating the feat she achieved in 2018 as a five-year-old.
Daphne is Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) bound after winning at her first attempt of the season for the fourth time, and she’s recently forayed into ladies’ ranks, winning at Herts County.
Jayne and Daphne will grace the International Arena on Sunday to contend for the supreme horse honour.
The Royal International Horse Show ridden coloured supreme reserve title went to the reserve horse champion, Janay Atherden in the saddle of her mother Lisha Leeman’s Red Rock III. The skewbald lightweight — HOYS cob champion at Lincolnshire Show back in June — originally placed second in the hogged cob class, behind Vicky Smith with Hayley Sankey’s Borace For Short.
Home-producer Sarah Harrison and the reigning HOYS ridden coloured of the year Lostock Up To Date were crowned pony supreme, ahead of James Hunton and Jill Baker’s Tidkin Regal Moonstone.
Roanna Hamilton scored the amateur championship riding Victoria Ward’s traditional pony Red Warrior, while the junior tri-colour went to Olivia Taylor riding Rebecca Abba’s Wardsplace Come What May.
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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.