A promising stallion in his debut open season shot to the top of the 2024 Royal Windsor ridden pure-bred Arab championship on the final day of the show.
Katie Gore and her parents Heather and Bill’s immaculate 10-year-old Arimathea, a Makisa Adaggio son bred by Amy Southworth out of Misteeqa, was ridden by Katie’s good friend Louisa Biles. The duo reigned over the winning mare, Megan McCormick’s consistent Sapphire, piloted by multi-Windsor winner Sian Warman.
Katie, who has owned Arimathea since he was a six-month-old foal, said that the horse was an unintentional buy: “We’d never planned to buy another stallion at the time. I went to see Amy’s foals and ended up falling in love, so he came home with me as soon as he was weaned.”
Katie showed Arimathea herself when he was a youngster. His tally includes a British National championship and two reserves. He has also won Royal Cheshire in-hand. Last season, he was British National champion and reserve supreme under-saddle as a novice.
“Royal Windsor in 2023 was his first-ever ridden show; he was the only novice in the class but he still came away with a rosette,” said full-time service advisor Katie, who runs a small-scale stud at home alongside her parents. “He’s such a good boy; he has a temperament to die for. My four-year-old son can sit on him and lead him around. He is an absolute Christian.”
The focus now turns to Horse of the Year Show qualifiers.
“We’ve been here several times to spectate, but we’ve never actually competed,” Katie continued. “Unfortunately, Dad isn’t very well at the moment so he’s not been able to be here, but I’ve been sending him lots of updates. Louisa is a life-long friend and she’s always believed in him. She can see his potential. Dad helped her find her prolific pure-bred gelding as a foal — he is now 25 — so we go back a long way.”
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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.
