Heavyweight packs a punch at HOYS
Heavyweight hunter Otter Point wins Show Hunter of the Year at Wembley after an impressive season
David Tatlow riding Alan Newell’s impressive Otter Point, took the McCusker Show Hunter of the Year Championship at the Horse of the Year Show.
The early morning preliminary judging saw nine from each section go through to the afternoon’s final. Jethro Enterprise’s, Meynall Tumbler ridden by Robert Oliver won the lightweight section and Justine Armstrong-Small’s Snap Judgement was second.
The middleweights was the most hotly contested class of the day, ride judge Mary Gordon-Watson and conformation judge John Downes stood in deliberation for some time before finallycalling the delightful Enigmatic forward to win with Mr and Mrs John Rawding and Mrs Wilson’s Reaction second.
The heavyweight saw the eventual champion, Otter Point winning. This 17.1hh, seven-year-old gelding has had an impressive year winning at the East of England, Three Counties and Thame. Mrs Gibson’s impressive bay gelding Shelford Rupert was second.
The evening’s championship was keenly awaited, especially as middleweight horses had largely dominated the summer’s championships. Otter Point took the judges’ eye with a ground-covering gallop, with the true to type, Enigmatic who was foot perfect all day, taking reserve.
Speaking of his win, David Tatlow said: “It has been a funny year with foot and mouth causing problems with qualifiers, but god willing we will be back next year to defend this title.”
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