Horse of the Year Show Qualifying Story 💜
“Our journey with Thistledown Hawaii Five O began with a simple telephone call to Sharn Linney. I was looking for a Lead Rein Mountain & Moorland pony for Emily and, after listening to exactly what I wanted, Sharn’s response was immediate: “You need Hawaii.”
“Intrigued, I watched the Thistledown Stud breeding programme video, where Hawaii featured as one of Sandy Anderson’s four Section A breeding stallions. The moment I saw him, I was completely captivated. The only obstacle was whether he would even be available to buy.
“What began as a simple phone call soon became the start of an incredible journey. After purchasing Hawaii, he was gelded and backed. In August 2021, Emily met him and sat on him for the very first time.
“In their first season in 2022, Hawaii qualified for HOYS Lead Rein Mountain & Moorland, then again in 2023. In 2024, Hawaii successfully made the step up from Lead Rein to First Ridden, qualifying for RIHS. This was also the year he took Emily off the lead rein, another huge milestone in their journey together.
“Then came 2025 where Hawaii became our home pony and an entirely new challenge started.
“The idea was hatched to turn Hawaii into a Working Hunter Pony, and lessons began with Susie Gibson. At our first lesson Susie asked about the backgrounds of both pony and rider and what experience they had over fences. When I explained that Hawaii had spent his career as Emily’s Lead Rein and First Ridden pony, the look on her face was priceless. After all, teaching one novice a new job is challenging enough. Teaching two novices together was never going to be an easy task.
“Over the following months, both Hawaii and Emily grew in confidence. It wasn’t long before Hawaii started showing us exactly what he was capable of over a fence. We trained, took lessons, gained experience and patiently waited for Susie to tell us they were ready.
“My only instruction was that Hawaii could not start his HOYS qualifiers until Emily had first qualified her other pony, Broadhurst Jeremy Fisher, for HOYS in the First Ridden Show Pony class. Emily was on a mission. Matthew Procter, who produces Jeremy, was put under pressure to get that ticket. Once that ticket was secured, all focus switched to Hawaii.
“Over the following weeks, Hawaii continued to improve, and Amy Caravan-Smith joined the team. With guidance from Susie, support from Amy, Matthew, and a determined Emily, all the pieces started to fall into place.
“At NPS Area 7, they won in the Cooper Family Mountain & Moorland Junior 122cm Working Hunter Pony of the Year. Qualifying for Horse of the Year Show means everything! It’s been a long journey and couldn’t have been done without the people who believed in this team and the extraordinary pony at the centre of it all.
“I don’t know many ponies that continue to deliver on the biggest stage year after year. From Lead Rein to First Ridden and now Working Hunter, Hawaii has exceeded every expectation we ever had of him.
“Not only has he had to learn a completely new job himself, but he and Emily have learned it together. For nine-year-old Emily to have produced him from home and achieved that journey alongside him makes it even more special.
“They say ponies like him are worth their weight in gold, but Hawaii is worth so much more than that. Hawaii isn’t just a pony. He’s Emily’s best friend. Or, as Susie says, “He’s husband material.”
Emily Hill riding Sammi Hill’s Thistledown Hawaii Five O qualified for The Cooper Family Mountain & Moorland Junior 122cm Working Hunter Pony of the Year at NPS Area 7