Twelve-year-old beats competitors twice her age in Hickstead amateur final

A 12-year-old who has just stepped up to horses came out on top of a much more experienced field to win the Hy Equestrian Royal International Horse Show (RIHS) amateur championship.

Riding her chestnut mare Evotion — who at eight years old was also one of the youngest horses in the class — Lottie Adams claimed an emotional first victory in Hickstead’s hallowed international arena.

“I’m really happy, and I’m really proud of the horse,” said Lottie, who lives very close to the showground, in the neighbouring village of Hassocks.

“It’s actually my first time in the main ring here.”

Fourteen combinations had qualified for a shot at the title, with five producing double clears round the 1.10m track, of which Lottie was the fastest by 1.21sec.

Arianna Kuligowski took the runner up spot on the more experienced 10-year-old mare Ivascalle, who has been jumping up to CSI 3* 1.30m.

The win was a promising start for Lottie and her new partnership.

“We’ve only been together for a little bit,” she said.

“I’ve been on ponies all my life and I’ve just moved up to horses. We’re both called Lottie and we’re like soulmates.

“We won the qualifier to get here but this is our first big win together,” added Lottie, a student of Crawley’s progressive private school, the Regio Emilia-inspired Atelier 21.

The rider was well-supported at the show by trainers Chris Warren and Duncan Gibson, who are also busy equine dental technicians who treat horses around the south-east.

“My trainers alway tells me to really go for it, so that’s what I did,” said Lottie. “I just live up the lane, so it’s very special. It was really good to ride in that kind of atmosphere – I loved it.”

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