Horse & Hound – 01 August 2019

1 August 2019 Horse&Hound 39

RETURNTOTRIUMPH

FORsheerconsistencyhere,youcouldn’tbeat

MeganCooksonandLouvaineRooney,who

returnedhometoCheshirewithanenviable

championshiprecord.

Afterwinningthesmallamateurhunter

final,thepairaddedtheamateur

home-producedandsupremeamateur

huntertitlestotheirtally.

Nordidthewinningstopthereastwo

dayslater,MeganandRooneyadded

anotherwinintheBSPSPrettyPolly

hunterdivisionbeforethecombination

wentontostandsupremePrettyPolly

home-producedchampions.

MeganandRooneyhaveenjoyeda

wonderfulseven-yearpartnership,thepair

earningmanywinsandchampionships.

A life-threateningboutofcolicfive

yearsagonearlyputanend

toRooney’sshowingcareer,

buttheLlanarthAlleycat

13-year-oldbounced back to

full health.

“Wegavehimanotheryearofflastseasonand

hehascomebackbetterthaneverwitha fresh

mind,”saidMegan.

“Hehassuchshow-ringpresenceandlovesto

work, and he never missed a beat all week.”

AGAINST

THE

ODDS

showponyperformance judge
DebbieGregson.

GALLOPINGTOIMPRESS

EARNING 23 markstotake
thereservespotwasAmber
ThorperidingherBritishShow
PonySociety(BSPS)open
Heritagechampion,Highland
ChiefOfTalisker.
Twostunninggallopsand
impressive fl ying changes earned

LeylaWheelwrightandher
workinghunterponychampion
StarSmokey(Colin)thirdplace
on 22 marks.
Clearroundswerecertainlyat
a premiumonworkerday,with
justtwomaintaininga zeroscore
overthreeheightdivisions.Leyla
andColinheadedtheir143cm
classwitha singleraildown.
Aftera goodnoviceseason
withColinlastyear,Leylais
enjoyingherfirstopenseason.
TheSolihullrideris benefiting
fromlessonswithKatyGreen.
“Wetrytofit ina littlebitof
eventingandColinis usedto
jumpingongrass,”saidLeyla.
“Thecoursewasquitelongand
testing,butweenjoyedit.”
PerformancejudgeJessica
Middletonwasdisappointed
manyridersdidnotrideforward
roundthetrack.
“Thishasbeena lovelycourse
torideover,butsofewridersrode
at a true hunting pace,” she said. “I

wonderhowmanycombinations

havequalifiedona surface;I

recommendriderstrytogetout

ongrassandstartridingforward.”

RubyWardwasanotherrider

to“swingalong”,andshetookthe

reserveridingNoblePeppermint

whotoppedthe133cmdivision.

Inthesupremepony

championship,MegEdmondson

usedallfourpacesofintermediate

champion Leaventhorpe Gold

Rush(Paddy)toimpressthe

judges,andtheywereduly

awarded 19 marks.

AsMegis inherlast

intermediateyear,Paddywas

boughtfromTeamAhernjust

afterHorseoftheYearShow

(HOYS)lastOctoberprimarilyto

takeMegintohackclassesnext

season,andheis fulfillingallhis

earlypromise.

Thepairqualifiedforthe

HOYSintermediatefinalfirsttime

outandtheyarealreadywinners

inhackclasses.

“Paddyis a reallittleshowman

whogetsintheringandjustdoes

everything,”saidMeg,whoworks

forproducersRachaelandJulie

Helliwell.“Heloveshisjob,but

he’salsotheidealrideforevening

hacksandrelaxation.”

CHAMPIONONDEBUT

NOTmanyridersenjoytheluxury

ofclaiminga championship

when making their debut at

Workinghunterponyvictors,LeylaWheelwrightandStarSmokey

Hickstead,butMorganRossdid

justthatwithher153cmwinner

CarnsdaleCoverStory(Bernie),

whoproduceda stunninggallop

totaketheshowhunterpony

tricolour.Theytookfifthplacein

thesupreme.

Morganis moreusedto

competinginthedressagearena,

butasheryoungersisterSafiya

does showing, 14-year-old Morgan

thoughtshewouldhavea go.

Sheis justtwomonthsintoher

partnershipwithBernie.

“Iclickedwithhimstraight

away,”saidMorgan.“Iwas

originallytemptedtotrysome

dressage,butI thinkI’llstickto

whatheknowsbest.”

OwnersPaddyandJayne

AhernfirstboughttheIrish-bred

GallantCavaliersonfrom

ShellyArgylefouryearsago

fora client.Hewasa raw

five-year-oldstraightofftheboat,

andTeamAhernhaveproduced

himthroughout.

Whenhecameupforsale,the

Ahernsboughthimtostayon

theyardandhaveloanedhimto

Morganfortheseason.

“BerniejustsingsforMorgan

—I’veneverknownhimgallop

foranyoneelselikethat,”said

producerKirstyAhern.

Thegallopcertainlyproved

crucialinthepreliminary

go-roundintheclassesasjudges

JonathanGeakeandAmanda

Gomersallrewardedthatpace

witha highinitialpull.Lily

Brennantookthereserveriding

ThistledownSeaMariner,who

toppedthe133cmfinal.

DAUNTINGTASK

HAVINGjusttakenthemini

championshipwithherfirst

riddenwinner,LittonPerfection

(Bambi), nine-year-old

‘Thechampionwasa mannerly

ponywhohadthatlook-at-me

presencefromthewordgo’

JUDGE DEBBIE GREGSON ON DRAKEMYRE PUTTIN ON THE RITZ