A powerhouse of a traditional pony landed the New Horizon Plastics Senior Showing and Dressage LTD (SSADL) ridden championship on day five of the 2023 Royal International Horse Show (RIHS).
Loren Gaskin was in the saddle of her own and her sister Laila’s The Boss, a 15-year-old traditional stallion who they produce from home. The Leeds-based sisters share the care of Boss, who they first met over 13 years ago.
“My granddad bought him as a two-year-old colt; he was wild, unhandled and he had a spiky mane,” said Loren, who rode Boss to finish in the top placings at Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) and the RIHS in open coloured ranks last season. “We then sold him to some friends, and at the beginning of the pandemic he came back up for sale. Laila and I decided to buy him back, mainly to be our pet.”
The Gaskins competed Boss in the open coloured final earlier in the week, and today marked his debut in a senior final. The pair are set to return to the NEC in October, after standing section champions at CHAPS South East regional showing show.
“He took us to HOYS last year for the first time,” continued Loren, who is involved in the running of the family’s riding school. “He’s also taking us to London this year in the SSADL final in December.
“Every time I get on him I just smile and enjoy myself, no matter what the result is,” Loren added. “He should be human. He loves a fuss and he’s such a pet.”
Loren said that team work really does make the dream work when it comes to Boss and his results: “I couldn’t do any of it without Laila. She was up early this morning scrubbing him clean. It’s a complete team effort.”
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Reserve to Loren and The Boss was Penny Richardson riding her family’s prolific Welsh section A gelding Thistledown Van Der Vaart who was also contending the seniors at Hickstead for the very first time. The pair were led out by father Mark Richardson.
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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.
