Horse & Hound – 08 August 2019

62 Horse&Hound8 August 2019

Pictures by Lucy Merrell

SHOWING

NEWFORESTAND

HAMPSHIRECOUNTY

30 July-1 August

NewForestandHampshire

County,TheShowground,Hants

RESULTSexceededall

expectationsthisyearfor

localproducerWillChatley,

whosesuccessesincludedthree

championships,twoHorseofthe

YearShow(HOYS)ticketsand

a covetedsupremetitle.

Therunbeganwhenhe

partneredJaneAndrew’sstunning

Connemaramare,BoyneGirl,to

heada strongriddenHorseofthe

YearShow(HOYS)qualifierand

earnherfirstBirminghampass.

But,whenthe10-year-oldgrey

thenstoodsupremeoverallnative

in-handchampionforthesecond

yearrunning—a rarefeatinitself

—thepartybeganinearnest.

“Thismareis veryfeminine

andmovessowell,”saidsupreme

judgeAnnNicholls.“Sheis an

excellentexampleofherbreed.”

AlthoughWillhasridden

andledtheYoungs’NewForest

stallionHanmerWizardto

numerousvictories,includingthe

breedtitlehere,thiswashisfirst

timeintheoverallspotlight.

“Ican’tbelieveit,”said

Forest-bornWill,whohasbeen

showinghereformorethan 25

yearsandtookoverproduction

ofBoyneGirlinApril.“We’ve

hadanamazingseason—we

qualified for Hickstead on our

Alocalshowteam

reignsonhome

turfastheyclinch

threetoptitles

andtwoHOYS

tickets

firstoutingundersaddleand

finishedjoint-secondthere.

We’veplayedbridesmaida few

timesinHOYSqualifierssoto

gettheticketonhometurfis just

amazing.However,forhertobe

overallin-handchampionagainis

somethingI wouldn’thavedared

hopefor.”

Will’spersonalruncontinued

whenheshowedforanother

breeder,LizWright,toland

thein-handcolouredtitlewith

her11-year-oldHOYS 2015

riddenplaitedvictor,Moortown

Temptation, having her first

outingsince 2016 andnowwith

hersecondfoalatfoot.

“It’snicetoknowtheycango

onanddoanotherjobafterbeing

ridden,”saidLiz.“Shehastakento

motherhoodlikea ducktowater.”

CINDERELLAWILL

GOTOTHEBALL

TEAMcelebrationscontinuedon

daythreewhenClaudiaGroves,

10,wonhershowponyclasswith

SuzanneAndrews’home-bred

128cmMeadowmarshCinderella,

tookherfirst-everHOYSticket

and then stood section champion,

ByTRICIAJOHNSON

Girl of the hour

havingfacedstiffcompetition.

Thisqualityfive-year-oldmare

earneduniversalpraiseforher

wayofgoing.

“Theponywasopen,free—

notoverbent—andcarriedits

tinyriderquitebeautifully,”said

judgeMelvinChadwick.

Claudia,alsoa successful

ShetlandGrandNationaljockey,

is inherfirstseasoninplaited

ranks,butthepairlooktohave

a brightfuture.

“They’vedoneonlya handfulof

qualifiers,butwerepulledinthe

top few each time,” commented

JaneAndrew’sBoyneGirlstands

supremeoverallnativein-handchampion

forthesecondyearrunning,now

handled by local producer Will Chatley

Meadowmarsh Cinderella (Claudia Groves) is show pony champion Vynnes Magical Edition takes the overall New Forest breed title