Amateur Welsh cob breeder Chris Newman could not believe it when she was called forward to take the overall foal supreme title at the recent Bucks Counties Spectacular Show (6 September) while leading her homebred colt Kaydence Venom.
Aged two months and nine days old on the day of the show, Venom acted as if he had been doing the job for years.
“He’s so cheeky but he got to the show and seemed to just know what he was doing,” said Chris.
Venom is a third-generation homebred out of Chris’s mare Kaydence Voodoo — also a winner at this show handled by Dean Metcalfe — and by Danaway Whats-Up, whom she previously owned, now 19.
But life has not always been rosy for Venom; a few hours after he was born the colt started to show signs of being unwell.
“Soon after he was born he kept throwing himself on the floor in the field and I knew something was wrong,” said Chris. “I couldn’t be sure what was up but I got some friends over for a second opinion. We decided to get the vet out.
“He was rushed to Bell Equine vets where they initially thought he might have a twist. There was a chance he needed to have an operation which would have been life-threatening, not to mention extremely expensive. I just said if ‘it will save his life, do it’.”
Horse & Hound Newsletter
Never miss out on the latest happenings in the equestrian world
Scans revealed that Venom had a rare blockage of meconium, an infant’s first stools. He was flushed three times and quickly resumed to full health. “He bounced back like there was nothing wrong with him,” said Chris.
Bucks Counties Spectacular Show is also close to Chris’ heart for personal reasons. The fixture is run in aid of Cancer Research UK with all proceeds going to the charity. Two years ago, Chris lost her long term partner to pancreatic cancer, and her father has suffered from bowel cancer.
“It was an awful time,” she said. “Supporting the show was also very emotional for this reason. It was a fairytale day.”
Horse & Hound magazine, out every Thursday, is packed with all the latest news and reports, as well as interviews, specials, nostalgia, vet and training advice. Find how you can enjoy the magazine delivered to your door every week, plus options to upgrade to access our H&H Plus online service which brings you breaking news as it happens as well as other benefits.
Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now
Former H&H showing editor and deputy features editor
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.
