78 Horse&Hound1 August 2019
SHOWING
MID-HERTSCOUNTRY
(BSPSAREA 15A)
21 July
Mid-HertsCountry(BSPSArea
15a),CollegeEC,Beds
A TRIOofcatchjockeyscovered
themselvesingloryandreaped
handsomerewardsforJustine
Armstrong-Small’steamatthis
ever-popularshow,wherethemix
ofnoviceandqualifyingclasses
againdrewexcellententries.
TopofthelistcameWill
Morton,whopartneredthe
O’Keeffefamily’ssuper-mannerly
largeintermediateRosemore
MidnightRendezvousforthefirst
timeina ringtowin,qualifyand
heada strongchampionship.
“Hisusualrider,Sophie
O’Keeffe,wasinjuredinan
accidentattheHicksteadDerby
meetingandendedupwitha
massive,painfulhaematomaon
herthigh,”saidproducerJustine.
“Willhasriddenformea few
timesbefore, so we asked him to
step in.”
Chanceridesexcel,TeamHolderrevelinsupremesuccess
and the smallest combinationis topofthehunterponies
LocalriderGraceClarke
deputisedsuccessfullyfor
holiday-boundFlorence
Cunningham-Brycetopartnerthe
firstriddenshowponyRoyalview
Candymantostandarea
championinthetinytotsdivision.
PoppyBaxter-Daviesrespondedto
a latecall-uptogainanexcellent
placingina marathonHorseof
theYearShow(HOYS)firstridden
class—againforFlorence—with
ShilstoneRocksNevada.
“Thisreallywasa last-minute
substitution,”explainedJustine.
“Myoriginalstand-injockey
couldn’tcome.I managedtofind
a replacementat9pmyesterday,
onlyforthemtohavetopullout
whentheirownponygotstungat
home.I askedMichelleBaxter-
Daviesif byanychancePoppy
might be available and thank
goodnessshewas.Shedid
a fabjob.”
Justinehadherownmoment
inthelimelightwhenmakinga
winningdebutwithDannielle
Ioannou’s newly-arrived
ByTRICIAJOHNSON
Rendezvous leads
show team’s charge
colouredponycampaigner,
Sunrise,headinga strongRoyal
International(RIHS)classand
standingsectionchampion.
“Heonlycametomelast
week,sothiswasmyfirsttime
intheringwithhim.I couldn’t
havebeenmoredelighted,”said
Justine,whoalsopartneredthe
formerracehorseSaintAreto
standsecondinthenoviceriding
horsesandfieldedtheplaited
colouredponyvictors,Leah
BrunkerandRumpelstiltskin.
ONTHEWINNER’SSTAGE
EMMAHOLDERfinallyhadher
chancetostandinthesupreme
spotlightforthefirsttimeherself,
landingtheoverallareahorse
titlewithVirginiaRussell-Wood’s
home-bredsmallhack,Royal
Stage(Queenie),anintermediate
winneratRIHSlastyear.
Despitebeingonlysix—andin
herfirsttermasa hack—Queenie
collectedherRIHSticketwith
a winandtitleatNationalPony
Society(NPS)Area14.Another
superbperformancehereearlier
hadbroughtHOYSsuccessatjust
thepair’ssecondattempt.
“Sheis sucha beautifulanimal,
buthastakentime.However,she
is certainlyprovingnowthatit
hasallbeenworthit,”saidEmma,
whohasproducedseveralpast
supremewinnershere,buthad
nevertakenthetitleherself.
“She’llneverbesold.When
she’sfinishedshowingshe’llgoto
Virginiaforbreeding,”sheadded.
“Herdam,StageWhisper,was
second in the HOYS Cuddy final.”
GryngalltPageTootopsthe122cmline-upbeforegoingontostand
show hunter pony champion, ridden by Harry Edwards-Brady
TheO’Keeffefamily’slarge
intermediateRosemore
MidnightRendezvous
standschampionwith
stand-in jockey Will Morton