“A real ‘wow’ horse” – ride judge Sarah Kate Coward commends the eye-catching novice cob winner and eventual section reserve, Randalstown Aristocrat, pictured with Jayne Ross.
Sarah Kate Coward shares her views on judging Royal Windsor’s novice and amateur cobs
My experience ride judging at this year’s Royal Windsor Horse Show was wonderful. My co-judge, Lucy Penrose, and I were on the same page throughout and we were treated to strong classes of both novice and amateur cobs.
The novices were particularly strong and the winner and section reserve, Randalstown Aristocrat, caught my eye from the moment he walked in. He was a real “wow” horse and was streets ahead. In the Castle Arena championship he rose to the occasion and it was a pleasure to pull him forward as reserve. The championship was of such a high standard and I feel so honoured to have co-judged it.
Fit not fat
The majority of the cobs I rode were beautifully schooled and had been well prepared. As I regularly hunt, I like to see a toned, fit horse that goes through the bridle, goes forward and really takes me over the ground. Thankfully, none of the horses presented were overweight and I think the recent push for show horses to be fit not fat is working. Additionally, each rider was suitably mounted on a horse of the appropriate size; they all looked fabulous.
Some of the novices were perhaps a bit flat during the ride. It’s a hard balancing act trying to make an inexperienced show horse look impressive for the duration of the class. They can switch off and a couple of them were a bit hard work to get going, though I was aware that they’re novices and took this into consideration.
The amateur cobs was a lovely class. The main thing I noticed was how much each jockey loved their horse and how every single animal in the ring had its ears forward and looked happy in its job. There were some young, up-and-coming riders in this class, too, which was positive to see.
“You must show your horse off”
In the novice class, we moved up a combination right from the bottom of the line into third place. The horse hadn’t stood out on the go-round, but it gave an adorable, comfy ride, and when stripped it revealed itself as a really smart animal.
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It was wonderful to bring him up the line, but I encourage riders to realise that the class starts from the moment you set foot into the ring. It’s essential to show your horse off the best you can and make yourself noticeable. The initial pull might not seem as important as the ride, but first impressions are essential in showing.
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(Image credit: Royal Windsor Horse Show / Peter Nixon)
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Sarah Kate Coward is a judge who is on the main ride and ladies’ ride panels for the British Show Horse Association as well as the Retraining of Racehorse panel. She has judged at HOYS and the RIHS. She regularly hunts with both the Wilton and Portman.
