A Highland pony has demonstrated that the native breed can be talented jumpers by clearing a 1.35m brush fence during a fun ride.
Emily Hillier, 14, and her 13.3hh 10-year-old Highland mare Brownbread Mary Mouse, took part in the Battlefield fun ride at Albrighton Estate, Shrewsbury on Sunday (2 September).
Emily told H&H: “At the ride she was quite excited – she loved it.
“There were four fences leading up to the final big brush fence, they went up from 85cm to 1.05m. I was following a friend’s pony and I just hoped for the best! She started neighing as we were coming up to it – I thought ‘oh my god she’s not going to jump it’, but bless her she did. She jumped really well.”
Mary Mouse was one of the smallest ponies tackling the big brush fence.
“Some of the big hunters were struggling to get over the jump – it was the biggest on the course,” said Emily.
Emily has been riding for five years and has owned Mary Mouse for four-and-a-half years.
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“I started riding Mary Mouse at a riding school before we bought her and I needed a lot of leg to get her going – she hadn’t been in work for very long before we bought her,” she said. “I’ve spent a lot of time training her, but she is not a naturally forward ride.
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“I’ve got a 14.2hh pony that I compete in British Showjumping but with Mary Mouse I only do unaffiliated up to 90cm – that’s about her limit showjumping. The fun ride was pretty incredible for her, she was just so good jumping those big fences and really enjoyed herself.
“We’ve got some more fun rides coming up so I hope we can keep it up.”
This is the second Highland pony in recent weeks to be seen showing off its jumping ability. Susan Chappelhow-Lacey secured a place in the BE90 Mitsubishi Motors Cup at Badminton next year by coming fifth on Sophie Beaumont’s 14hh Glenmore of Roisbheinn at the Skipton regional final on 4 August.
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Since joining H&H in 2018, Becky has covered a broad range of equestrian news including welfare matters, veterinary studies, FEI Tribunal hearings and road safety campaigns. She has also interviewed top riders including Scott Brash, John Whitaker and Ian Stark, to name just a few. Becky’s reporting has taken her to Canada for Spruce Meadows and France for Pau five-star, as well as the Royal Highland and Blair Castle International Horse Trials closer to home. She was also a key part of the remote reporting team for the Tokyo Olympics and the Europeans.
