Riders debut their young stars at the Alternative Westmorland County show at Westmorland County Showground in Cumbria, which marched on with its equine section, and National Pony Society Area 24. Find out who impressed the judges...
EMMA BURROW (née Boardman) and team had a sterling day at the office with their lorry load of new faces, winning five classes from five starts.
Emma started her day with her exciting Welsh section C stallion Popsters Olympic Star winning a strong novice Heritage class. Four-year-old “Roli” was bought directly from breeder Justin Davis as a three-year-old.
“I had a Popsters section C ages ago and had always wanted another,” said Emma. “Justin rang me when Roli was two and said that he thought he was special but I’d have to wait a couple of years. He’s such a nice person and has been very easy to break in.”
Emma then stood champion of the open Heritage mountain and moorland (M&M) classes with Sara Dowdeswell’s seven-year-old Connemara King Bunowen Castle Michael D, before jumping aboard Gaynor Holgate’s riding horse Strinesdale Marksman to stand reserve horse champion. Gaynor has owned the five-year-old since he was a foal.
Tess Lowe, 10, and Babs Ruchwaldy’s Heniarth Teacake added to the tally after winning the mini M&M title. The six-year-old is a daughter of the big-winning mare Heniarth Cupcake.
“We bought Teacake unseen, picking her up on the way home from Three Counties last year,” said Emma.
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Finishing off the run was six-year-old 133cm Thorngate Crusader (Milly Philipson), who won the novice hunter ponies.
Reserve for the open Heritage crown was the winning Fell pony, Deborah Chadwick’s Hedgethorpe Master Jack, who was ridden by his producer Pam Brown. The 10-year-old then showed his versatility after producing a flowing round to win the M&M working hunter accolade.
“Lockdown has been the best thing for him as we’ve been able to spend lots of time doing extra grid and pole work,” said Pam.
Isabella Mason, 11, took the plaited equivalent with 17-year-old Podraig. The gelding has evented previously and this is his first crack at worker classes.
“We had wanted Pod for ages and then finally came the chance to have him on loan,” said Isabella’s mother, Juliette, who now owns him. “He’s done a bit of everything but not really any showing. Isabella’s dream is to qualify him for Horse of the Year Show. He’s a sweetheart.”
Glen Allen’s intermediate Greylands Ace High secured the pony title after standing restricted champion at the BSPS summers the week previous.
Cobs on form
TWO four-year-old cobs scooped their respective section titles. Faye Helliwell rode her own grey gelding Real Steel (Paddy, pictured) to the horse tricolour on their first outing.
Faye and her husband, Richard, bought Paddy as a two-year-old. Paddy, a full Irish Draught, came over from Ireland as foal.
“He is produced by my sister-in-law, Rachael Helliwell, who has done a fantastic job getting him ready for the show ring,” said Faye.
Joanne Waterhouse’s four-year-old maxi cob Wolf Of Wall Street took the coloured honours with Karl Schuller. The gelding was bought by Joanne’s mother, Hilary, from Wayne Thorneycroft in 2018.
“He was a 21st birthday present,” said Joanne. “This was his second show.”
NPS Area 24: “He loves an audience”
AT National Pony Society (NPS) Area 24 held at Parley Equestrian Centre, native producer Sam Roberts made a winning debut with Aimee Stunt’s four-year-old Welsh section A stallion Betws Onid.
The Garnelog Arwr son was a Cuddy in-hand finalist last year after standing supreme at Royal Bath and West.
“We’ve just been playing around with him during lockdown,” said Sam, who will aim Onid for the Picton final at the NPS summer championships next year.
“He just oozes showmanship. He thinks he’s god and loves an audience. He moves as well under saddle as he does in-hand, which is rare.”
Sam also took the young pony championship with Belinda Pennington’s five-year-old Welsh
section C Menai Velocity, and the overall NPS silver medal championship with Owen and Val Dibdin’s home-bred New Forest gelding Ashley Rancher.
“I was by myself today with three ponies but the timed classes meant I was able to make it work,”
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.
