A newcomer to the riding horse class – although not the show ring – Ladies Man (George) clinched the championship title at Royal Windsor Horse Show, giving Jayne Ross a flawless ride in the Castle Arena.
Owned and bred by Danni Radford, George was previously shown as a hack and an intermediate show riding type, but this is his first season as a riding horse.
“He is being asked to really travel and cover the ground in these classes and in this arena, he really rose to the occasion,” said a delighted Jayne, who was taking her sixth riding horse title here.
“He is just a delight and the more you ask the more you get. I’ve been so lucky to have been given the ride on him,” added Jayne of the nine-year-old Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) winner by Tiger Attack.
Standing reserve was the reigning Royal International Horse Show (RIHS) winner Tremarl Timpani under producer Vicky Smith. Owned by breeder Jane Davies, the seven-year-old mare is British-bred by Timolin.
“In some ways I’m glad she was reserve as she’s still so young and has a lot more to give,” said Vicky.
With the riding horses enjoying the Castle Arena for the championship, many of them relished the open space to really move up through their gears.
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“A riding horse has to have pizazz, elegance and be mannerly and our champion was all of those things today,” said judge Cindy Sims.
Royal Windsor Horse Show amateur and novice riding horses
Debby Booth posted a tearful first win at Royal Windsor Horse Show in the amateur riding horse class with her own eight-year-old gelding Peerless (Eoghan).
“This has been a huge team effort with blood, sweat and tears for the last nine months to get to where we are now,” said Debby, who works as a technical director for a civil engineering consultancy and keeps Eoghan with producers Team Holder.
“We have a lot of dreams to make – this is definitely a showing career highlight,” said Debby, who has already got her tickets to RIHS in both the open small riding horse and amateur riding horse finals.
Olivia Minihane partnered the Jayne Ross-produced Runnon Stromboli (Ivor) to take the novice riding horse honours for owner Mark Tamplin.
Bred in the purple by Emma Edwards, Ivor is by the Thoroughbred performance stallion Leander and out of Emma’s multi-champion hack broodmare Runnon Daisy May. Emma earmarked him for stardom as a foal.
Ivor has been unbeaten in novice riding horse classes this year, winning at British Show Horse Association spring show and Wiltshire spring show amongst others. He then went on to pick up his ticket to RIHS winning the small riding horse qualifier at British Show Pony Society Area 7 show.
“He’s been on a bit of a streak this season, he just comes out and is fabulous every time,” said Olivia.
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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.
