April Gilmartin booked an early ticket to the London International Horse Show (LIHS) with her Welsh section C stallion Gems Malt Whiskey (Malty) after the pair headed an exceptional 12-strong M&M championship lineup in the Castle Arena at Royal Windsor Horse Show.
The Parvadean Replay 12-year-old repeated his class win from last year, but went one better this year and the pair will now return to LIHS to defend their best of breed title they earnt in December.
Having won at most of the major county shows on the circuit, Malty was also a winner at the Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) last October.
“The atmosphere today was electric and I couldn’t have asked anymore of him,” said April, who confessed a win at Royal International Horse Show (RIHS) had so far eluded them – they have finished second three times.
April and Malty booked their ticket to RIHS at the end of last season at the British Show Pony Society (BSPS) Heritage championships, so only made their seasonal debut last weekend taking the open Heritage ridden championship at BSPS Area 2b Lancashire.
Champion. April Gilmartin and Gems Malt Whiskey (Welsh Section C) in The BSPS Mountain & Moorland Ridden Championship sponsored by New Horizon Plaatics at The Royal Windsor Horse Show, Windsor, Berkshire, United Kingdom. May 17th 2025
(Image credit: Elli Birch)
Standing reserve, and also securing a ticket to the LIHS final, was producer Aimee Devane and the true-to-type Fell mare Greenholme Kate.
Owned by Paul and Jane Steeples, the nine-year-old by Greenholme Warrior has already booked her pass to HOYS, winning at the National Pony Society (NPS) Spring Festival at the end of April – where they also finished reserve champion.
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“She really shone in that main arena today; she’s such a big mover and is just proving time and again how special she is,” said Aimee, who has only had Kate with her since last summer.
First reserve went to Connemara stallion, Aniar Cashel, owned and ridden by Sandra Burton. The 12-year-old is by the double Olympia Heritage supreme Banks Timber, whom Sandra also partnered in the ring.
A previous RIHS Heritage champion, Cashel also contested HOYS last season in both the ridden Connemara final and the Price Family in-hand supreme, handled by his breeder Joe Burke.
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Celeste is an experienced equestrian journalist based in Cornwall, specialising in native breeds and carriage driving. She has been reporting showing for Horse & Hound since 2012. Celeste brings a lifelong passion for ponies to her reporting. She competed both plaited and native working hunter ponies up to her teenage years, then taught herself to carriage drive in 2018 and has successfully competed and won at county and national level.
