The Frogmore Arena hosted the working hunter pony classes, which saw young riders attack the 12-fence course with gusto
THE working hunter pony championship provided a wonderful spectacle of young, talented jump riders and their versatile ponies, but catching the eyes of judges Paul Cook and Pat Sterling was 143cm winner, Charleville Farah, a 14-year-old bay Connemara ridden by her partner of three years, Bea Wheeler.
The Irish-bred mare delivered a forward round followed by a show-stopping championship performance. Section reserve was the charismatic intermediate Veuve Cliqout and his owner/rider Olivia Minihane.
“Farah hadn’t done much before we bought her three years ago,” said 17-year-old Bea. “It took me a couple of years to get together with her; this season feels like the first time we’ve been fully in sync, which makes any with with her all the more rewarding.
“The course was great; we took a few flyers at the start but we got our composure back towards the end, though we really took a really big flyer at number seven!”
Bea’s Royal Windsor preparation didn’t involve massive amounts of practice, as the rider was isolating.
“I wasn’t able to ride her for two weeks, but managed to get a ride in on the weekend,” she said. “It obviously worked as she performed her heart out for me today.”
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Other results included:
Nursery stakes:
1st Annandale Captain Splash (Imogen Philp)
2nd Killaughey Golden Cascade (Lucia Stanley)
3rd Corries Jack In A Box (Chloe Chan)
4th Precious Gem (Beatrice Bailye-Hawkins)
5th Barney IX (Samuel Laity)
133cm
1st Captain Foley (Florence Drewitt)
2nd Hanmere Maverick (Willow Docker)
3rd Annandale Captain Splash (Imogen Philp)
4th Precious Gem (Beatrice Bailye-Hawkins)
5th Corries Jack In A Box (Chloe Chan)
143cm
2nd Allandy Gold Spark (Georgia Aungier)
3rd Noble Sir Prize (Isabella Stanley)
4th Woodfield Jovial Joker (Mollie Jeffrey)
5th King Brian Boru (Willow Docker)
153cm
1st Cloughrae Hill Billy (Alice Cowie)
2nd Fivale Indian Art (Scarlett Vaux)
3rd Makers Laugh (Eve Reading)
4th Bowland Undercover (Imogen Rodger)
5th Springwind Da Vinci (Sasha Lawes)
Intermediate
2nd Randal (Jessica Taylor)
3rd Abbeys Grey (Leyla Wheelwright)
4th A Kind Of Magic (Ella Wheeler)
5th Notley Queen Bee (Sophie Lawes)
6th Carnsdale Blarney Oak (Chloe Dawson)
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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.
