A mixture of youth and experience took the championship honours on Friday evening at Horse of the Year Show, as Sue Brewis and John Harvey’s four-year-old Rhos Emblem clinched the Charlotte Morgan pony of the year title, and Sarah Gallagher’s 13-year-old Out of Sight was crowned Cuddy working hunter of the year before a capacity crowd at the NEC.
Bought as an unbroken three-year-old, the Derwent Rainbow Bandit sired Rhos Emblem, who topped the 148cm line up, has enjoyed a brilliant debut season, winning most recently at the BSPS summer championships.
“For his age, he’s a very chilled pony, who rises to the occasion” said his joint owner and producer John Harvey, whose niece Rebecca (Harvey) gave Rhos Emblem another wonderful ride. Taking the reserve title, were the 128cm winners Katie Roberts riding Debbie Thomas’s Kolbeach Hollys Diamond.
After another wonderful season, Out of Sight produced one of his best jumping rounds to clinch a second Cuddy working hunter win for Louise Bell. A winner here in 2002, the English bred bay gelding is in his eighth season with Louise. “He’s won over 100 championships, and is the horse of lifetime” said Louise.
With Kate Dobie riding the working hunter winner Gillian Dobie’s home-bred Jumbo-sired ten-year-old Jet Stream, and flat hunter victors, Becky Chapman and Blackmoor Mac Rua completing the list of finalists for the SEIB Search For A Star final, eight winners came before Marjorie Ramsay and Robert Oliver for the last time in the international arena.
Overall champions of this popular series were Ciara McKibbin riding her mother Aislinn’s riding club show horse winner Welton Archer. “A very worthy winner” said Marjorie Ramsay. The Welton Crackerjack 10-year-old gave a lovely mannerly display. Taking the reserve was the show hunter pony winner Kristie Short riding her mother Kim’s ‘rosette machine’ Chinook Paprika.
Results Friday 10 October
Charlotte Morgan 128cm (K Pole & J Ryde-Roberts) – 1 & res, D Thomas’s Kolbeach Hollys Diamond; 2, Jago & Carvosso’s Chinook Easter Magic; 3, L Curbishley’s Moluccas Saffron Surprise. 138cm – 1, R Cambray’s Derwent Soldiers Tale; 3, J McCluskey’s Rhos Virtuoso. 148cm – 1 & ch, Harvey& Brewis’s Rhos Emblem; 2, Mrs Hughes-Jones’s Chinook Morning Light; 3 Thomas & Jones’s Crafton Touch of Gold. SEIB search for a star hunter (M Ramsay & R Oliver) – 1, B Chapman’s Blackmoor Mac Rua; 2, R Wells’s Streetwise II; 3, S Sharples’s Last Light. SEIB working hunter – 1, G Dobie’s Jet Rocket; 2, L Scorgie’s Daydreamer; 3, J Nunn’s Kulons. Cuddy working hunter of the year (M Low & I McKie) – 1, S Gallagher’s Out of Sight; 2, L Cooke’s William Bonney II; 3, D Griffiths’s Signor.
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