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‘She’s grown up in herself this season’: chestnut mare jumps to her first HOYS title

Alex Robinson Alex Robinson

    • Judging in the TopSpec Arena began on the third day of the 2022 Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) with the National Pony Society/Mole Valley Farmers HOYS intermediate working hunter pony of the year championship, and coming out on top was Georgia Darlington and her mother Sam Darlington’s mare Jara.

    The eight-year-old chestnut by Bugatti VDL was appearing at HOYS for the second time in her career; last year she jumped clear and finished sixth.

    “The track was good, but as always here, each fence comes at you really quickly,” said Georgia. “I do a lot of show jumping with Jara, so this type of course does suit her.”

    Jara has been super successful this year. At the BSPS winter championships she clinched the Gold Cup championship and at the summer equivalent she won both Simply the Best and Champion of Champions titles. She also appeared at the Royal International (RIHS) in both intermediate and horse worker finals.

    “She’s grown up in herself this season,” added Georgia, who won the M&M worker championship at HOYS in 2015 with Tynwydd Good Friday. “She’s still such a young horse with plenty to give.”

    Georgia was slightly late to start her 2022 season after a fall from a young horse out hunting put her out of action all winter. On her first outing back in the saddle she won the RIHS intermediate working hunter qualifier at BSPS Area 7 with Jara.

    William Pittendrigh, second in the horse worker final on the first day of HOYS with a different ride, took second place in the HOYS intermediate working hunter pony of the year championship with his own grey gelding Silver Lough.

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    Alex Robinson
    Alex Robinson

    H&H showing 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 since when she has cemented its place as the leading equestrian publication for both showing reports and current showing news in the UK.
    Alex Robinson

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