‘He’s super cheeky, but in all the best ways’: cute duo freshly off the lead are Windsor mini champions

With a fourth class added to the roster and a quality field, the 2026 Royal Windsor mini championship was hotly contested.

The trip south from Yorkshire was made worthwhile for producer sisters Alex Ahern and Kirsty Pickles when Kirsty’s tiny eight-year-old daughter Arabella Pickles rode their father Paddy Ahern’s Cosford Valour (Val) to the tricolour having won the first ridden en route.

Val has been a member of the Ahern team since he was three years old.

“We backed him, then Arabella did two years on the lead with him,” explained Kirsty. “This is the pair’s first season off the lead so what a place to win.”

They have hit the circuit running this term, with successes including standing challenge mini champion at the British Show Pony Society (BSPS) championships.

The six-year-old Hollybush Lord Of The Dance gelding is described by Kirsty as “super easy”.

“He’s really good. He’s super cheeky, but in all the best ways. He’s Arabella’s fun pony too, she does everything with him. They know each other so well; they’re loving being off the lead – we think he prefers it off the lead actually.”

Arabella echoed her mother’s sentiments: “I was a bit nervous going in but he was such a good boy; he just took me round.”

A fellow Yorkshire-based team finished reserve for the 2026 Royal Windsor mini championship. The Sara Parrott and Craig Elenor-produced Westgrove Dark Secret nine-year-old Derw Dream Boy (Dave) topped the lead-rein division with his owner Heather Clay’s daughter Sienna Clay in the saddle.

A formidable trio, Craig, Sienna and Dave are no strangers to success and made headlines in 2024 when they swept right through their card at Horse of the Year Show to stand supreme.

This year, they are already Hickstead-bound once more.

Team Gillett/Cousins took a win in the first class of the section – the lead rein of hunter type – with Christina Gillett’s own Annandale Line Of Fire ridden by her son Lewis Cousins.

Finally, Lila-Rose Scudellaro won the first ridden of hunter type class with Zoe Reddings’ 14-year-old Golden Girl.

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