Riding horses at the 2018
National Shire Horse Show.
|
During the first class of the show I lost my heart. The horse in question was Richard Green's five-year-old stallion, Acle Supreme, ridden by Vicky Eggleston. A bright bay, he is yet another winner from the formidable stud of Bryan Banham. and was awarded a premium next day in the senior stallion class. By Dothan Buscot, he's out of the Bodernog Master mare Acle Sabrina.
After two years at stud, Supreme's education under saddle began last December. “He's quite sharp, so I didn't think he'd take to being ridden as well as he did,” said Emma Green.
Surely a champion in the making; he has enormous presence. From the ringside I couldn't fault his conformation, but it was his movement that really caught the eye. As conformation judge Tony Bull said: “He's got the X Factor!”
Emma owned and rode the second-placed novice, Westfield Calendar Girl, a black four-year-old bred by Paul Clayton. “She doesn't like other people going for a ride without her – she just wants to do the job,” said Emma. Calendar Girl (whose famous namesake achieved more honours later) is by Bickers Court William, sire of Admergill Archie, who won last year's reserve championship with Emma.
More experienced horses from the open class won the ridden championship and reserve. Champion was John Anderson's striking sabino Gautby Arclid Flashman, who qualified for HOYS (the Horse of the Year Show) here in 2017.
By Hainton Eardswick Ernie, he was bred by Susan Cosgrove, whose sister, Sarah Ford, showed his dam, Hainton Midnight Sensation, in hand. Success runs in his bloodlines; Midnight Sensation is half-sister to Hainton Charlie Girl, 2009 Shire Horse of the Year and ridden champion at the 2015 Spring Show.
Having passed through Tony Bull's hands, Flashman was bought by John Anderson. In August 2015, John sent him to his present rider, Morag Snow. "His first ridden show was here in 2016, after which he was champion or reserve at local shows, but his first big win came when he qualified for HOYS here last year,” said Morag. “Then he enjoyed a very quiet summer before coming fourth at HOYS. This show was his first this year.”
Flashman has big white body markings. “Many more people love the white on him than hate it,” said Morag. “He has a huge fan club that hails him as a superstar, but he'll never be for sale!”
Reserve champion was Gairloch Challenger with his Dutch owner/rider Antoinette Van Oortmarssen, who repeated last year's success in the concours d'elegance as well as winning the dressage class.
Long dresses draped over the horses' hindquarters were the favourite attire in the concours d'elegance. Antoinette looked stunning in turquoise, with Emma Green, riding her Calendar Girl and looking elegant in red and black, finishing second of the seven forward. Third-placed Chloe Tee, on Hainton Penelope, looked great in maroon.
Second to Challenger in the dressage class was Karen Whittaker's Kings Flower of Scotland, by Cotebrook Bed Macdhui out of Leverton Lady Luck. Since Matthew Gregory King gives horses names that reflect his opinion of them, the namesake of his great Cotebrook Flower of Scotland, National Champion in 2011, must be a horse of enormous promise! It's taken a while for the younger Flower to settle down, but now the schooling she's received from Karen, who used to ride the outstanding Chew Mill Shady Lady, is paying dividends.
Winners of the HOYS qualifying class were Emma Green and Supreme's look-alike, Ringston Rueben, at only his second show. Next day the four-year-old scored a remarkable double by finishing second in-hand in the stallion classes; the horse who beat him being none other than King George V cup winner Landcliffe Charlie! I was disappointed that Rueben didn't come forward to contest the reserve championship. Bred by Margaret Threlfall, he is by Knutsford O C out of Ringston Purdy, by Walton Supreme's son, Hillmoor Double Coin, and whose female line includes Cubley Charlie.
“Rueben's very sweet,” said Emma. “He nuzzles you for love and kisses, and he was one of the easiest to break.” Within a week of husband Richard, who drives Thwaites Brewery's team of black Shires, selling Archie, Emma had Rueben walking and trotting. ”He's easy and comfortable to ride, with a clockwork rhythm,” added Emma. “He's like a good husband; he does enough to keep you happy and not get nagged... He's at stud with a premium if people want to use him.”
Reserve qualifier was the mare who won the first ever HOYS qualifying class two years ago at this show, Gentle Giant Shires' Catwg Black Velvet, ridden by John Fletcher's daughter, Stacy. Now a 10-year-old, Black Velvet (BV) was bred by Kerry Tanner. Stacy’s father John liked her when he saw her as a foal, and obtained first refusal.
BV was broken when three and started competing when four; John has driven her as agricultural tandem leader, but now, because of her brilliance, she specialises in ridden classes. In her native South Wales she's even being crowned supreme champion of all horses, in hand and ridden. According to Stacy she's a show-off – her favourite part of a show is the lap of honour to music.”
“She's a quality mare,” said conformation judge Tony Wass. “However I thought Rueben should win, and marked him 49 out of 50.”
“The top six were all really comfortable, but the stallion gave me the most lovely balanced ride,” said co-judge Miss Kelsa Sears.
Yet we hadn't seen the last of the ridden horses – the cup for the most successful exhibitor of the show went to Antoinette Van Oortmarssen in gratitude for dressage displays with Challenger over the weekend. Previous displays by him have scored over 100,000 hits on Youtube. Antoinette comes from one of the world's top dressage nations where Dutch warmbloods with thoroughbred ancestry are the breed of choice. Challenger, a 12-year-old by Moorfield Ted, has reached a more advanced level than any other Shire in history. Performing to music from “Pirates of the Caribbean”, he demonstrated paces to rival any warmblood.
Originally published in
Heavy Horse World,
Britain's biggest equestrian magazine specialising in heavy and working horses.
Results
Pure-bred Ridden – Judges, ride, John Conifey; conformation, Tony Bull (novice), Mrs Norah Willis (open) –
Novice (4 & 5-y-o) – 1, Mr R S Green's Acle Supreme; 2, Ms E Green's Westfield Calendar Girl; 3, Mrs E Graham's Woodhouse Candy.
Open (6-y-o & over) – 1 & ch, J Anderson's Gautby Arclid Flashman; 2 & res ch, Mrs A J Van Oortmarssen's Gairloch Challenger; 3, C Wilton's Elian Lady May the Second.
HOYS ridden qualifier – Judges, ride, Miss Kelsa Sears; conformation, Tony Wass.
– 1, R S Green's Ringston Rueben; 2, Gentle Giant Shires' Catwg Black Velvet; 3, N Bray's Lockley Sir George.
Concours d'Elegance – Judge John Conifey – 1, Mrs A J Van Oortmarssen's Gairloch Challenger; 2, Ms E Green's Westfield Calendar Girl; 3, Miss C Tee's Hainton Penelope.
Dressage – Judge Andrew Bennie – 1, Mrs A J Van Oortmarssen's Gairloch Challenger; 2, Mrs K Whittaker's Kings Flower of Scotland; 3, Miss L Charlton's Fellview Bertie Wooster.
Back to the National Show's main page.