A young show pony has been crowned de la Hey family supreme pony at the 2019 Royal International Horse Show at the All England Jumping Course, Hickstead.
The six-year-old 138cm campaigner Drakemyre Puttin On The Ritz (Alfie) was piloted by India Till into the top slot, giving the young rider her first ever Hickstead supreme title.
The pair had qualified for the supreme after winning the show pony championship earlier in the day and in the final show down, they pulled off a faultless show with mannerly transitions to lead a quality field of pony champions.
Alfie — who is owned by India’s mum Henrietta and produced by Katy Carter — has had a fantastic run up to Hickstead, landing championships at Three Counties and The Great Yorkshire, to name just two. They also took the £1,000 supreme part-bred title at North Of England.
Alfie hit the headlines last October when he won the show pony of the year title at the Horse of the Year Show at the tender age of five. As India had qualified two ponies for the championship, stand in jockey Emily Bettany took the ride.
At Hickstead, however, India and Alfie secured the top spot with a score of 27 after landing three nines from the judges.
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Reserve for the supreme pony title was the Heritage ridden champion, Amber Thorpe and her six-year-old Highland stallion Highland Chief Of Talisker, who had already made two main arena appearances on Wednesday and Thursday after winning respective mountain and moorland open and young rider classes.
Last term, the Highland stallion Benbrec Of Croila made history when he became the first native to ever take the coveted title.
For all the latest equestrian news and reports, don’t miss Horse & Hound magazine, out every Thursday. This week, catch the full report from the 2019 Royal International Horse Show as well as other show reports and opinion pieces.
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Former H&H showing editor and deputy features editor
Born and raised in the Lake District, Alex has grown up on the showing scene. She has qualified and competed ponies at the Royal International, Horse of the Year Show and Olympia and has first-hand knowledge of the current issues in the showing world as well as the horses, ponies and riders who compete in the sport. Alex joined H&H in January 2018 as showing editor, cementing its place as the leading equestrian publication for both showing reports and current showing news in the UK. She moved on in October 2024 to pursue other opportunities, but continues to write for us on a freelance basis.
