A bridesmaid has finally had her moment in the spotlight by taking the 2025 riding horse of the year spot at Horse of the Year Show (HOYS), sponsored by Alan Marnie and family.
Vicky Smith and Jane Davies’ home-bred Timolin seven-year-old Tremarl Timpani (Kate) took the 2025 riding horse of the year title having stood reserve at both Royal Windsor and the Royal International earlier in the season.
“She’s so young and she’s only in her second season,” said Vicky, “So for her to have been so consistent all year is amazing. She’s won the Royal International twice, she’s won Windsor, so now that she’s won here it really is fantastic. There were two horses in the championship that beat her at those fixtures, so it’s lovely that this was her turn here.
“I’m also just delighted for her breeder, Jane. She bred Kate with her mum, Olwyn, who’s now 87. Jane’s here to see Kate, and for these small studs, it’s great just to be here, but to be here and go champion is magical.”
And next year?
“There’s no fixed plan for her yet,” said Vicky. “It’s more a case of having some fun with her. She’ll go out in the field now with her mates for the winter and we’ll see about going again next year. Long term I know Jane wants to keep her as a future brood mare but until then… we’ll see.”
Kate is not the first champion Vicky has bred for Jane. Kate’s full brother Tremarl Timber – owned by Vicky’s mum Angela Smith – was overall champion in the Price supreme in-hand final in 2023, shown by Simon Charlesworth on Vicky’s behalf.
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“I’ve her full brother taking his first season in his stride and hopefully has big thighs coming; hopefully they’ll be quite the force to reckon with in the future.”
Jane said: “After what her brother did, and now this here, it’s quite overwhelming. Her mum came to the Price final on her mum, so hopefully in the future it would be nice to think we can carry on that legacy with her as a brood mare.”
Reserve for the 2025 riding horse of the year title goes to first home bred
Reserve for the 2025 riding horse of the year title was Jayne Ross with Danni Radford’s home-bred Ladies Man (George), winner of the Alan Marnie and family small riding horse of the year final.
Jayne has enjoyed a “fabulous” season with the nine-year-old son of sport horse stallion Tiger Attack, out of a former hack mare of Danni’s, Looking Glass Image.
“He’s only done three classes this year,” said Jayne. “He was champion at Royal Windsor, champion at New Forest and Hampshire, and now he’s here.”
Before this year George was campaigned successfully as a small hack and Jayne explained more about the swap: “We decided to move him up into the riding horse classes because he’s got such a really big, scopey step and he loves to cover the ground.”
Jayne added: “He’s so reliable in a situation like [today]. He’s lovely, absolutely lovely and he’s not spooky in the slightest. He’s a big scopey mover even though he’s only a little horse, so you have to just go with him, but you can ride him to the bridle and away you go.”
With umpteen championship appearances at HOYS – not to mention at other big shows around the country – what does this mean to Jayne?
“You never stop getting a buzz from riding in a championship like this, especially when you’re on a lovely horse that you can relax and enjoy,” she said. “ Sometimes you go in there slightly wondering whether the horse will stand or what he’ll make of the crowd – but that’s just not the case with him. It was absolutely delicious.”
Proud owner and breeder Danni was “absolutely over the moon” to be ringside watching George, her first and only home-bred in the Andrews Bowen International Arena.
“I never dared breed another! I bought his dam when I was younger and did a bit with her – I actually sold her a couple of times but she kept coming back to me because she was a little bit tricky. So then I put her in foal when I left school and started working and George was the result.
“I never thought he’d do all this, I just thought I had a nice horse. He definitely got his movement from his dad!”
Jayne added: “Danni and her family do him from home most of the time and he comes to visit me every now and then. He’s very much their family pet and – apart from their daughter – he’s the love of their life. It means a lot to them to win here.”
Also in the 2025 riding horse of the year championship were second-placed small riding horse Times Square II, owned by Guy Mears and ridden by Danielle Heath, and second placed large riding horse, Debbie Harrod’s King Of Clubs and James Smyth.
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Bethan joined Horse & Hound as showing editor in January 2025, after spending two years as Editor for Showing World. Having adored ponies since childhood, she started showing as a teenager and has enjoyed wins at major shows up and down the country, including Royal Highland, New Forest, and the Royal Welsh, as well as HOYS, RIHS and London. She is particularly passionate about Welsh breeds and is also a Welsh language commentator.
