Horse & Hound – 01 August 2019

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