‘Everyone still sees me as the young one’: Rider cements her name in horse ranks by taking supreme riding horse sash
Eileen Jenkin was there to witness her home-bred small riding horse Buriana Larkrise (Bert) triumph in the De La Hey Family supreme riding horse championship at the 2021 Royal International Horse Show with his producer Hannah Horton at the helm.
The Up With The Lark eight-year-old is out of Elieen’s Ricardo Z mare Buriana Cashel, and the gelding’s athleticism and movement passed down through the generations came into fruition in the championship.
“I bought his dam as a yearling, initially to show in-hand and sell on,” explained Eileen. “I don’t really breed but I got too attached to her so I decided to have a foal from her as she needed to do something. I also have Bert’s full sister at home.”
Hannah was equally delighted. Recently, Hannah and her parents have taken over the reins of Richard and Marjorie Ramsay’s showing yard. The team now show under the Ramsay-Horton banner. As well as producing animals for the show ring, Newbury-based Hannah is an up-and-coming talent on the event field.
“Richard and Marjorie are so supportive and have both won so much over their careers; all I want to do is carry it on and continue the run,” said Hannah. “It’s taken time to get here, as everyone still sees me as ‘the young one’ of the team in a way.”
Hannah is riding Bert — who is off to the Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) after standing champion at Stoneleigh — during his second season as an open campaigner:
“We always knew he had something special about him,” she added. “And he’s gone from strength to strength this year.”
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Arguably making the 2021 RIHS ‘his’ show was Wayne Thorneycroft, who rode his own large winner First Man to stand section reserve. The bay gelding was a winner of the £1000 ridden horse supreme at the North of England in June and was also champion at both Cheshire Premier and the British Show Horse Association spring show earlier in the term.
Neither the champion or reserve were pulled top in their respective classes in the morning, though judges Moggy Hennessy (conformation) and Lesley-Anne Webb (ride) were both in agreement over the quality of their championship leaders:
“Our champion was so true to type,” said Moggy. “Conformation plays a massive part in this class, and after Lesley had ridden each animal we had a discussion and moved things around. The little horse was pulled in the top five but deserved to come up and take the class. We judged what was in front of us on the day.”
“He (Buriana Larkrise) gave me a beautiful ride; he was balanced, mannerly and everything I’d want in a riding horse,” Lesley added. “In the championship we both agreed that all four of the contenders looked a picture.”
Second placed large was Darren Crowe on his own Diamond Geezer:
“I particularly liked him,” said Moggy. “He is next year’s horse. He is a baby but he is a lovely type. In all, we ended up with four horses who came good.”
Justine Armstrong-Small and Rosemore Midnight Rendezvous landed second place in the small class.
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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.