A five-year-old showed maturity well beyond her years as she lifted The Andrews Family HOYS part-bred pony championship on day four of the 2023 Horse of the Year Show (HOYS). Jerome Harforth was ringside to watch his 138cm mare Swan Lake take the tricolour, beautifully piloted by Sophie Staveley.
The pair qualified for HOYS in a strong class at Royal Three Counties in June, and she won a second part-bred qualifier at Royal Cheshire.
The British Riding Pony is by Llanarth Top Cat out of double Royal International Horse Show (RIHS) supreme champion Dance All Night, who won HOYS herself in 148cm show pony ranks back in 2012. Swan Lake was bred by Jerome and David Dixon.
When Top Cat was sold into Australia, Jerome purchased semen which had been left in the UK.
Swan Lake was shown as a yearling with much success, finishing reserve in two HOYS supreme in-hand qualifiers and narrowly missing out on her ticket.
“Last winter Sophie rang me and asked if she could have her for the season,” explained Jerome. “She did two novice shows earlier this year, and then she qualified for HOYS on her first attempt. She was also supreme at Aintree at her pre-HOYS show. She will eventually be retained as a broodmare.”
Ponies produced by Jerome dominated the HOYS part-bred pony championship for the first two years it was added to the schedule, with Colbeach Duet, dam of the 2023 138cm children’s riding pony of the year winner Colbeach Caprice, winning in 2014, and Moluccas Bengal Beauty taking the title the following year in 2015. Both ponies were ridden by Myles Cooper.
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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.
