Renowned as one of the most challenging championships to win, The Price Family Supreme In-Hand Championship showcases horses and ponies of different breeds and types who have been crowned overall In-Hand Champion at a major qualifying show during the season.
Richard Miller and Meirion Davies’ homebred Welsh Section A, Heniarth Sh-Boom, was crowned the ultimate champion of champions, taking this year’s accolade with her foal at foot.
“This year marks the 30th year we’ve been breeding Mountain ponies together,” said Richard, “so ‘it’s a great celebration to win something like this – it’s really the icing on the cake.”
“She [the mare] rises to the occasion, which is great – she sits up and goes – but she’ll be pleased to go out tomorrow and get muddy!”
Richard and Meirion had three of their Welsh ponies in the final this afternoon and this was their first HOYS win. They have however had numerous successes through bloodlines at HOYS, including the Welsh A and B open winners yesterday, both of which were grandchildren of stallions they have bred.
Jill Whittaker’s homebred filly, Dakiora Royale, stood Reserve led by Ian Boylan. Jill owns her mum Raphaela JBH and she is by German stallion Kataro. She is currently in foal and hoped to start her ridden career next year once the foal is weaned.
“I knew when she was born that she was very special,” said Jill. “This is the first time I’ve been to HOYS… so I can’t tell you how delighted I am for her to win and then go Reserve.”
The second placed pony was Mrs S and Mr J Brewis & Harvey’s Elmswood Star Struck handled by John Harvey and the horse was David Shand’s Achilty Eclipse handled by Hunter Macdonald.
Amanda French’s six-year-old Irish Sport Horse, Shanaghan Velvet, won the ultimate hunter accolade – the Catplant Group of Companies Ltd. Show Hunter Championship – in his first season out with producer Will Morton. Having won the Lightweight class this morning, the dreams continued to come true for Amanda, who was experiencing HOYS for the first time this year and now owns a HOYS Champion.
“He’s my first real show horse,” said Amanda. “I saw him on HorseQuest and thought it was too far to go and look at one horse. Will then looked at it and said, ‘we’re going’!
Will, who first won at HOYS in the Search for a Star 13 years ago, added: “He’s only a novice in his first season and has done a handful of flat classes. We bought him as a novice worker last year and thought he should do some flats for experience – he’s just brilliant.
“He’s going to go show jumping over the winter and I want to try and aim him at some workers next year.”
Jill Day’s six-year-old grey gelding IJ Countryman stood Reserve with Rob Walker, topping off a fantastic day for the team, following a win in the Heavyweight section.
“I saw him [IJ Countryman] in the collecting ring at the Dublin Show as a four-year-old and I bought him there and then. He won the four-year-old heavyweights the next day but he was clearly one for the future.
“He’s so light on his feet and looked to give the judge a great ride.”
Rob’s wife Sarah won the Middleweight section, which turned out to be quite the family affair as she was accompanied by Rob in third and son Sam in fourth. Sarah made the ultimate comeback from a rotational fall last year to take her first win in a Hunter class at HOYS with Jill’s 10-year-old Irish Sport Horse, Crystal Cove II, known as Fish.
“It’s absolutely amazing, I’m quite tearful,” said Sarah. “Before last year I honestly thought I’d never ride in the ring again, but Fish has put me back to it. He looks after me, holds my hand and says ‘come on mum you can do this’.
Second place in the Lightweights was Tigbourne ridden by Hannah Horton and owned by Lucinda Freedman; the Middleweights was Ruth Flack’s Starring Louis ridden by Katie Jerram-Hunnable; and the Heavyweights was another ride for Katie, Mrs I E Shervington’s Goosey Gander ridden by Chris Hunnable in the Championship.
What an incredible first HOYS it has turned out to be for 13-year-old Holly Smith riding her Highland pony Kincardine Uist in their debut year together. The pair made the nine-hour trip down from their home in Forfar, north east Scotland, to take not one but two HOYS wins and top it off with a Championship.
On Wednesday they won the National Pony Society/ Supreme Products Mountain & Moorland Ridden Highland Pony of the Year and have now been crowned Thor Atkinson Steel Fabrications Ltd Junior Mountain & Moorland Ridden Pony of the Year Champions.
A delighted Holly said: “He’d already won the Open class, so I just thought we’ll come in here and have some fun… he has exceeded all expectations and I’m just so proud of him.
“He’s the sweetest pony and he loves cuddles. All we do is hack him at home and once a month we’ll have a lesson with my instructor Kirsty [Aird], who has helped me so much with him. She gave me a lovely pep talk before we went in the ring today and that helped!”
Kirsty has produced many different types of horses and ponies with numerous successes here at HOYS over the years.
The 10-year-old gelding, by Glenbanchor Gillebrigdhe, will now return to the Andrews Bowen International Arena on Sunday to contest the Supreme Products Supreme Pony of the Year Championship.
The Reserve title went to the winner of the Small Breeds, Lucy Richardson’s Welsh Section A Marsh Walk On By, ridden by daughter Lilly. They too have had a very good week, finishing third in the Open Welsh Section A class yesterday. This is the pony’s second HOYS win and Lilly has had him for two years. She says: “he’s the funniest character you’ll ever meet.”
Second in the Small Breeds was David Jinks’ Welsh Section A, Tromp’s Sugar Rush, ridden by Aimee Baldwin. Lauren Brill’s Chilham Pearly King stood second for the Large Breeds. The Connemara was ridden by Elicia Smithers.
ENDS
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Horse of the Year Show Press Office, Grandstand Media Ltd.
Tel: 02476 858205. Email: press@hoys.co.uk
Image credit: 1st Class Images.
