‘I’ve been riding at HOYS since 1992’: Hard working home-producer finally gets her centre line moment on coloured superstar
A Lancashire-based mother and daughter duo prevailed in the ridden coloured horse and pony of the championship at the 2021 Horse of the Year Show (HOYS).
Coming from the first class of the day, the plaited pony class, ultra-consistent 11-year-old Lostock Up To Date (Simon) gave home-producer Sarah Harrison her first win after being the bridesmaid at HOYS on seven different occasions.
Interestingly, Simon’s six-year-old full-brother Lostock Up Town Funk, owned and ridden by Tayla Lewis, stood second behind him in his final.
The geldings, bred by Caroline Hamilton, certainly hail from exceptional parentage, being out of the prolific ridden mare Up To D and by top performance Lostock Huntsman, who won this year’s Kellythorpes leading coloured sire award.
Sarah and her mother Sharon Harrison bought Simon as a four-year-old.
“We saw him as a yearling at CHAPS championships and I asked Caroline if we could have first refusal,” said Sharon, of the RIHS winner.
“He’s been to HOYS three times (prior to 2021) and was placed, but we didn’t bring him for the first few years during his career; he’s a tricky pony to ride so needed time.”
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Simon won two HOYS qualifiers this year:
“We’ve had all those seconds (at HOYS) with different ponies, too, so this means the world,” concluded Sharon.
After the championship Sarah said: “I’ve waited 28 years to be champion at HOYS; we’ve been coming since 1992. It’s a lot of hard work and commitment but we’ve finally done it.”
Tracey Veale’s superb lightweight cob Red Rock III and his pilot Vicky Hesford had to settle for reserve once again, repeating the same result they’d achieved in the cob championship the evening before.
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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.