This was Samantha Lea’s own gelding Redshaw Valentino, an Avanti Amorous Archie son out of Pebbly Diva Du.
Now seven, “Henry” was aimed at the Search For A Star final as a four-year-old, but the judges told Samantha that it wasn’t to be his year. She therefore waited until he was more mature to give the popular series another go.
“I’m so glad we listened to the judges and decided to wait until he was ready,” said Samantha, who runs her own equine rug cleaning business and runs Henry from her family’s working farm. Samantha also became a mum for the first time last year.
Samantha explained how she came to become Henry’s owner: “I bought him as a four-year-old; my friend originally got him for the workers from his breeder [Joanne Shaw] and then as soon as I saw his head over the door I knew I just had to have him. He wasn’t for sale, but I said that I’d wear her down until she’d let me have him!”
Six months later, Samantha bought Henry on the promise that she would never sell him.
“He lives amongst tractors and combines and he’s got the nicest head on his shoulders; he is marvellous,” she said.
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Initially, the pair contended British Dressage before he was turned away to fully mature at his own pace.
“I had a baby, too, so it made sense to do that,” Samantha said. “We’ve brought him back into work this year, slow and steady. We tried Search For A Star when he was a four-year-old and he just wasn’t physically there, but the judges really liked him. We tried again this year and we qualified the first time out.
“Don’t tell my husband, but this is better than my wedding day; I’ve always dreamed of this,” Samantha added.
Judges, Chris Hunnable, Katie Jerram-Hunnable and JJ Kemp, who had travelled from South Africa to judge, agreed on the pair’s potential for the future.
“I’m sure we’ll see them here in years to come,” said Chris.
Reserve for the 2024 SEIB Search For A Star supreme was the winning traditional cob, Lauren Woodward’s Beacon St James (Jimmy). The five-year-old qualified for the final on only his fifth ridden show.
Lauren, who works as an admin assistant, has only had him for a year.
“I sadly lost my Welsh D suddenly, so Jimmy just came into my life at the right time,” she said. “His first show was in April this year and we entered the Search For A Star for a bit of experience, and we ended up winning.”
He was bred by Carrie Keogh by Guiness out of Beacon Winterfell.
“He’s got such a kind heart; I’m very lucky,” said Lauren.
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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.
