Davinia Johnson’s emotional victory in the National Pony Society/Supreme Products Mountain & Moorland Ridden Exmoor/ Shetland Pony of the Year final at the Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) with her own 17-year-old Exmoor gelding Stowbrook Red Kite left her speechless.
“I haven’t got any words. It is the dream to come here and win, but those things don’t happen to people like me,” said Davinia, who nursed the son of Blackthorn Sea Poacher back to health two years ago after he spent a week in intensive care at Rainbow Equine Hospital having shown signs of colic.
“His creatine levels were off the chart at over 300 and he was rushed to hospital where he stayed in intensive care for a week and scans showed his left kidney had reduced function,” explained Davinia.
“I even did a retirement post on Facebook as the vets advised his ridden career would be over and that his life expectancy would be reduced.”
After several weeks of antibiotics and Davinia’s round the clock care, blood tests showed a improvement. By Christmas they were given the green light to start hacking out again, having missed competing at London International Horse Show (LIHS) and a return to the show ring wasn’t on the cards.
“We went back to Rainbow just after Easter 2024 to check his bloodwork. The vet was astonished that his creatine level was 40 and said we could bring him back into full time work and continue doing everything we usually did,” added Davinia, who also took home the best gelding rosette at HOYS.
Finishing second was five-year-old piebald Shetland stallion Olivier VD Kortenhof, owned by Claire Connor and ridden by producer Aliya Khan, who is in his first season under saddle and was making his HOYS debut.
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Aliya had taken a win on the first morning of HOYS with Andrea Baybutt’s Pricklegate Brown Owl in the National Pony Society/Supreme Products Mountain & Moorland Ridden Dartmoor Pony of the Year final. The 11-year-old gelding last enjoyed a spin in the championship here in 2022 on his first visit to the show.
Grey stands out to take Dales title at HOYS
Jess Talbot bucked the all-black trend with the sole grey Dales representative Highcroft Romany to take the National Pony Society/Supreme Products Mountain & Moorland Ridden Dales Pony of the Year final – the first time a grey has won this title. Owned by John and Julian Talbot, the six-year-old is in his first open season and shone like a diamond to impress judges Heidi Davis and Gillian McMurray.
Despite having produced HOYS winners before, Aimee Devane had never ridden one until today when she headed the National Pony Society/Supreme Products Mountain & Moorland Ridden Fell Pony of the Year aboard Paul and Jane Steeples’ exquisite mare Greenholme Kate. The nine-year-old by Greenholme Warrior finished fourth at Royal International Horse Show this season and claimed her pass to LIHS at Royal Windsor Horse Show in May.
Opening the showing action in the TopSpec arena at 7am was the National Pony Society/Supreme Products Mountain & Moorland Ridden New Forest Pony of the Year final, which went to Lauren Brill aboard her own Trenley Trinket. The eight-year-old mare, who finished fifth here last season on her debut, also secured the best of breed sash at LIHS last December and took home the best mare award here.
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Celeste is an experienced equestrian journalist based in Cornwall, specialising in native breeds and carriage driving. She has been reporting showing for Horse & Hound since 2012. Celeste brings a lifelong passion for ponies to her reporting. She competed both plaited and native working hunter ponies up to her teenage years, then taught herself to carriage drive in 2018 and has successfully competed and won at county and national level.
