Patience paid off for amateur rider Jane Hemmings and her SEIB Insurance Brokers Search for a Star (SFAS) cob and maxi cob winner The Boss 2, taking the overall Search for a Star championship at Horse of the Year Show (HOYS), sponsored by SEIB Insurance Brokers.
Jane bought the six-year-old grey gelding unbacked two years ago.
“Eighteen months ago, The Boss and I had an accident on the road with a cyclist and I ended up having a brain haemorrhage, and as he had only just been backed we had to start him all over again,” explained Jane, who was first due to compete in this final with a hunter 20 years ago, but lameness put an end to that dream.
“This is simply a dream come true, everything we have been through just makes it all the more special.”
Standing reserve in the overall Search for a Star championship was Falkirk-based Julie Flockhart with her SFAS hack winner Westcountry Lady Guinevere (Savannah). As the pair qualified via a wildcard ticket, they only had three weeks to prepare for the final.
“We tried two qualifiers last year and then two more this season, then I got the call to say we had won a wild card to HOYS,” said Julie, who bought the mare six years ago.
“I backed her myself during Covid, but I felt there was something wrong so our vet came out to examine her and found that she had a huge bladder stone. She underwent general anaesthetic to have it removed and it was touch and go during the operation, followed by a long recovery,” explained Julie.
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Julie admitted that Savannah can sometimes be nervous, but the pair coped exceptionally well with the buzzy atmosphere of the international arena. “People often say that if you can get a mare on side they will give you their heart and today she definitely did that,” Julie added.
Jack springs a surprise
Also in the overall Search for a Star championship were winners from earlier in the week.
VWH Pony Club member Charlotte Ramage and her 18-year-old gelding Jack In The Box II were the winners of the working pony title, in their first year of showing.
The pair, who mainly compete in eventing and Pony Club, won the first qualifier of the year at Hartpury College. “Cross-country is definitely our favourite thing, I didn’t think we would even get placed in the qualifier,” admitted Charlotte.
The SFAS working H=horse title went to dental implant nurse Caroline Champion with the grey cob gelding Heartthrob. He is owned by Susan Fletcher, and Caroline has had him on loan for the past six years; they are no strangers to the limelight having won the working show horse final at London International Horse Show in 2022.
Kai Wood, who works full-time as a work rider for racehorse trainer Rebecca Menzies, claimed the SFAS riding horse title with his mother Tammy Britton’s bay gelding Fridebi Timberland (Tim); the eight-year-old is by the prolific sire Tiger Attack.
Alice Kent added the icing to Jo Richardson’s birthday cake when she rode Jo’s Whistle to fight off strong competition and land a win in the SFAS hunter championship, and Zoe Clarke and Marley VI won the gypsy cob championship.
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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.
