These are the class results, but they may not all qualify for HOYS due to passport irregularities or at the judge’s discretion or where the same rider has qualified twice or where the horse or rider do not meet all eligibility requirements.
Working Hunter
1st Delphy’s Beach Boy, owned and ridden by Emma Gage from Nottinghamshire
2nd The Weatherman, owned and ridden by Tamsin Malone from Essex
Riding Club Show Horse
1st Naphtalia De Layne, owned and ridden by Helen Forster from Coventry
2nd Stallone, owned and ridden by Amy Walsh from Altrincham
3rd Woodbridge, owned and ridden by Katherine Huke from Nottinghamshire
Show Hunter
1st Oat Lane Ninja, owned by Barbara Beercock and ridden by Robert Sham from East Yorkshire
2nd Aturio, owned by Adrian Lupson and ridden by Claire Lay from Hertfordshire
Ponies
1st Hideaway Jamaica Inn, owned by Beverley Taylor and ridden by Natasha Taylor from Cheshire
2nd Fielden Rumba, owned by Maria Hancox and ridden by Alishia Fritchley from Derbyshire
3rd Royal Park Peters Dream, owned by Kathryn Farrow and ridden by Morgan Farrow from Burnley
Riding Horse Hack
1st Red Leprechaun, owned and ridden by Caroline Cooper from Essex
2nd Kimberley, owned and ridden by Tracey Bonner from Essex
Cobs
1st General George, owned and ridden by Hayley Shippey from Cambridgeshire
2nd Harvey Nicholls, owned by Michaela Pollitt and ridden by Claire Cryer from East Yorkshire
3rd Regents Park, owned by Mrs M Cracroft-Eley and ridden by Caroline Heard from Lincolnshire
4th Beanz, owned by Katherine Wild and ridden by Chloe Emmerson from West Yorkshire
Report
The 2012 South Essex Insurance Brokers Search For A Star Championship qualifiers concluded at Vale View, Leicestershire, on Saturday 28th July, where strong entries competed for the chance to attend The Horse Of The Year Show finals, held at the NEC Birmingham in October. The judges for the day were Richard Ramsey, David Bartram, Ian Smeeth and Matthew Maher-Burns.
Working Hunter
There were just two clear rounds over the testing Working Hunter course with five being bought forward to the final judging. First place went to Delphy’s Beach Boy, owned and ridden by Emma Gage, who was delighted with a win on her 26th birthday. Emma has owned Delphy’s Beach Boy, known as Hooly, for eight years. The pair have mainly done show jumping and Hooly accompanied Emma to Nottingham Trent University, where she studied Equine Sports Science. “He got his stable name as he was quite a hooligan when I first got him” explained Emma, who has worked as a groom for the Master of the Grove and Rufford Hunt for the last two years. “He fits in well with my job and he is regularly hunted as field master’s horse with my boss. His job is now hunting, and we decided to try some working hunter classes with him. This is his first season and we were 5th at Osbaldeston”, said Emma. The pair have also contested some open working hunter classes, “but it is hard to beat the professionals”, she said. The pair will now compete at Equifest before heading to Horse of the Year Show. “He might be banned from cubbing until after HOYS”, laughed Emma, who is already starting to get horses ready for the coming hunting season. Emma, based near Southwell, Nottinghamshire, moved from Eastbourne, in Sussex and her parents had come up for the day to support.
Second place went to The Weatherman, owned and ridden by Tamsin Malone, 34. “He is called Bobby at home, but got his proper name because he had a shed in his field and as a foal would stand and look at the weather before coming out” said Tamsin. Bobby stands at an impressive 18 hands, but Tamsin describes him as a gente giant, “He was only 16.2 hands as a four year old but just kept growing!”. The pair have done everything together, including affiliated show jumping and hunting. Tamsin has had two children over the past two years, so Bobby has not done a lot recently. “I started riding again in March, and in June I decided to have a go at Search For A Star. I had done some working hunter at local level, and when I read about Search For A Star I thought it would be lovely to go to Horse of the Year Show. This is our third qualifier and he has got better each time. He went really well for the judge this time, and by HOYS he will be transformed – he is going better on the flat and I am feeding him up so he will be chunkier”, says Tamsin, who has a busy time fitting in her two young children, riding and working as a corporate finance manager in the city.
Riding Club Show Horse
First place went to Naphtalia De Layne, owned and ridden by Helen Forster, 32. Helen has owned the bay mare, known as Amie at home, since she was 4 years old. They qualified for the Pavo Event Horse 4 and 5 year old finals and were placed in the Riding Club Horse Trials Championships, finishing in the top 10 in the intermediate and open sections. They have competed in elementary dressage and have show jumped to Newcomers level. Then in 2009, Amie broke her Accessory Carpel bone in her near fore in a freak accident when a pole came up and hit her when she was show jumping. She was given lots of rest and she spent 2010 in the field and then in 2011 she had a colt foal which Helen has kept, hoping that he will become Amie’s replacement. The mare came back into work this year and they came 8th in the BE100 at Draycott Horse Trials. “Then rain stopped play and we were looking for something to do so we came showing”, explained a delighted Helen. The pair have also qualified for Ponies UK. “She is kept at Bungalow Farm livery yard in Brinklow, so this is very local for us. I saw something on a forum about Search For A Star and so I looked up the website and thought we should have a go. We just wanted a day out”, said Helen, who trains with event rider, Laurence Hunt. “When she was injured the vets gave a guarded prognosis, but we have given her time and she has come right. She is also a cracking broodmare, so when she can no longer compete then she will have another foal”, said Helen, who works as a programme assistant for an electronics company and fits in doing horses around work. “That means 5.30am starts every morning, but it is worth it”, she said.
Second place went to Stallone, owned and ridden by Amy Walsh, 33. Amy has owned the 12 year old bay gelding for 5 years and she combines riding with looking after her two children, Lilly, 6 and Alfie, 3. Amy bought Stallone with the aim to do showing and working hunters and the pair have also done a lot at riding club level and won on several occasions. He is kept at home with the children’s pony. “I wanted to do Search For A Star as the step up to the next level; it is our aim for this year. We have also entered the amateur class at Cheshire show and my aim is to move up the levels. I could have cried, getting to HOYS is my dream” said Amy, who is a full time mum, whilst partner Jonathan Brooks is a farrier. This is the pair’s third attempt at Search For A Star this year. Sadly, after a 4 hour journey to the Bury Farm qualifier, Amy discovered Stallone’s passport was not in order so they had to get it updated and then came to Vale View to try again.
Third place went to Woodbridge, known as Rocka at home, owned and ridden by Katherine Huke. Kathy has owned the 9 year old bay gelding for 5 years. “He is a proper Riding Club horse, he does British Dressage and riding club team show jumping for Blidworth Equestrian Riding Club”, explained Katherine. Two years ago, the pair went to the Riding Club show jumping championships and last year they qualified for the British Dressage Area Festival. They have qualified for the British Dressage regional finals for the last 2 years and plan to try to qualify again this year. “A friend did Search For A Star and qualified, so I decided to give it a go”, said Katherine. “We will definitely do more showing now. Search For A Star gives really good feedback and I thought if we did not do well it would help to understand why. It was too good an opportunity to miss!” said a delighted Katherine, who works in healthcare. “I started to wonder if it was meant to be yesterday when my lorry would not start”. Thankfully, friends Louise Dobson and Victoria Watters were on hand to help out and all ended well. “I am so grateful for their help, and also for all the help I get from my trainer, Robyn Wetherall, who has helped me with my dressage”.
Show Hunter
First place went to Oat Lane Ninja, known as Fudge, ridden by Robert Shaw, 28 and owned by Barbara Beercock. Barbara has owned the chestnut gelding since he was 5 years old, and he has hunted for 8 seasons with various packs in the north east. “He has also done some eventing at Novice level, and dressage, but hunting is his main job”, explained Robert, who has worked as a hunter groom for Barbara for the last 12 months and could hardly believe he had won. “My boss asked me if I would like to have a go and we managed to get a late entry here. We did a working hunter at Newark show but this is his first showing show. I thought it would be nice to have a chance to qualify for Horse of the Year Show, but mostly it was just a dream. I am over the moon that we got in, especially for his age, it is a nice thing for him”, said a delighted Robert. “He gave the judge a good ride. Lots of people come and ride him during the hunting season, so he is used to different riders. He will love Horse of the Year Show, nothing fazes him and he is such a poser. He’s going to have to wait until after Horse of the Year Show before he can go out hunting again!”.
Second place went to Aturio, known as Rio, owned by Adrian Lupson and ridden by Claire Lay, 28. Adrian has owned the 9 year old grey gelding for 5 years, but has done very little except hacking. “He may have done a bit of hunting and showing with his breeder when he was young, but since then he has been a bit of a pet”, explained Claire who has been riding him since last autumn. “My own horse was lame and I met his owner, Adrian, in the pub and he said I could start riding Rio. We started eventing in March and were placed at BE90 level at Milton Keynes. We were ready to go at BE100 level when everything was cancelled due to the rain, so we decided to go showing instead”. Claire had done some showing in working hunter pony classes when she was young and she did Search For A Star with her own horse last year, so decided to have a go with Rio at the Bury Farm qualifier. “He was very green but we were 4th, so we put in some practice and decided to have another go to try to qualify for Horse of the Year Show”, she said. “Adrian will be surprised and his children, who show jump, will be ecstatic! I have got three events lined up this season, but then Rio will be wrapped in cotton wool and got ready for Horse for the Year Show”, said a delighted Claire, who works as a marketing co-ordinator and does horses until 10.30 every evening in order to fit everything in.
Ponies
First in the Show and Show Hunter Ponies class was Hideaway Jamaica Inn, known as Jimmy, ridden by Natasha Taylor, 14, and owned by mother, Beverley Taylor. The 14.2hh chestnut gelding was a Christmas present last year as Natasha had outgrown her 13.2hh pony. Jimmy came from Cornwall and had done nothing for 12 months. The pair have done BSPS and NCPA shows this year, winning the Spring Spectacular, standing 3rd in the Part-Bred Arab class at Cheshire and then coming to Vale View. “We tried Search For A Star 2 years ago with Natasha’s 13.2hh pony, so we decided to have another go. It is so well organised and gives amateurs a chance to get to Horse of the Year Show. It has been Natasha’s dream since she started riding when she was 3 years old”, says Beverley. “I am kind of speechless!” said Natasha. “He behaved so well, he knew he had done well”, she said. The pair now plan to get out to more shows and hope to contest some evening performance classes in preparation for Horse of the Year Show. “We will do Pony of the Year at the NCPA championships, but we don’t want to over-show him”, said Beverley. Jimmy is kept close to home at the Dean Valley livery yard and Natasha does all the work herself after school. She has riding lessons with Tony French and attends Marple Hall School in Stockport.
Second place went to Fielden Rumba, known as George, owned by Maria Hancox and ridden by 14 year old Alishia Fritchley. Maria bought George, an unbroken part bred Arab, 18 months ago as a project for her daughter, Sammi, with the intention of producing him to show. Sammi is now too old for show pony classes, so Alishia rides him in novice and open classes including Royal International and Horse of the Year Show qualifiers. The team had a successful day at the NCPA Newark and Nottinghamshire show recently, where George won the PBA class and the Bright Stars Open Riding Pony Class with Sammi, as well as coming second in the Open Show Pony class with Alishia. He also won the PBA and stood reserve champion at Hambledon with Sammi, and came 3rd in the Show Pony class with Alishia at Rutland show. George, who is kept at home with Maria and Sammi, has Fieldon and Rotherwood bloodlines. Unfortunately, he may have to be sold next year as Sammi goes to university and Alishia will be too old for show pony classes. “I can’t believe it – this is the first qualifier he has done, so he was in at the deep end” said Maria, a financial director. “We all work or are at school so we have to fit in horses around that”.
Third place went to Royal Park Peters Dream, known as Peter, owned by Kathryn Farrow and ridden by her granddaughter, Morgan Farrow, 13. Kathryn has owned the 6 year old chestnut gelding for 3 years, having bought him unbroken. Last year Morgan and Peter did some novice classes, but Morgan then broke her arm and so they missed much of the season. They came back this year and went to Osbaldeston for the Search For A Star qualifier but missed out on qualification and shortly after that Morgan broke her other arm. She had the cast taken off the week before Vale View but luckily the pony is not sharp and lunging had kept him ticking over. “She had just 1 week to ride before this show. He went really well, and Morgan knew she had ridden well, she gave us the thumbs up”, said Kathryn. Morgan will be taking a holiday before the pair go to Equifest and then they will concentrate on preparation for Horse of the Year Show. “He should be fine at Horse of the Year Show, he is not a spooky pony”, said Morgan. Peter is also sometimes referred to as ‘Peter Pit Pony’, as the lady who bred him had old mines under her land. One day he was found with just his head above ground having fallen into a mine, he had to be rescued by the fire brigade.
Riding Horse Hack
First place went to Red Leprechaun, known as Shaun, owned and ridden by Caroline Cooper. Caroline bought the 7 year old chestnut gelding two and a half years ago for her daughter but she lost interest and so Caroline decided to keep Shaun for herself. “He has done everything, dressage, show jumping, arena cross country. He is seldom out of the ribbons competing at elementary dressage but this is our first attempt at showing”, explained a delighted Caroline, who has previously done a bit of showing with a coloured horse. “I am really shocked; there was a nice selection of horses in there. I am very pleased with the way he behaved, and he gave the ride judge a nice, safe ride. I am really proud of him”. Caroline, who is a part time secretary, was not sure what to expect and only got her passport back the day before the show, having had to send it away to have her address details updated. “My dressage horse is on box rest after having surgery in March, so I am just having fun with Shaun. I nearly didn’t come, but this was the last qualifier so I thought we would give it a go”. The pair will continue having fun this season and go to the workshop before heading to Horse of the Year Show. “If my dressage horse comes sound, I will then lend Shaun to a friend to do Pony Club. We have had two disastrous years, so this is fantastic”, said Caroline.
Second place went to Kimberly, known as Dippy at home, owned and ridden by Tracey Bonner, 41. Tracey bought the mare as a 4 year old and describes the next 5 years as “extremely difficult”. “I bought her to show as a riding horse, but actually she is bred as a show jumper. She is a very tricky horse and has not been straight forward at all. She needed to settle in her mouth and learn to move forward”, explains Tracey. The pair have competed regularly since the mare was a 5 year old and have done Ponies UK and Equifest. The pair were third at the Wellington Search For A Star qualifier earlier this season, just missing out on qualification, so they decided to give it another shot. “I can’t believe we have qualified, out of all those horses!” she exclaimed. The pair have a busy schedule between now and Horse of the Year Show, with shows at Ponies UK, Equifest, Royal London and they have qualified for the Grass Roots at National Show Horse Association National Championships. They will also be making time for extra lessons with their trainer, Ben Martin. Tracey works as a part time nail technician. She also has a semi-retired middle weight hunter that she has competed side saddle and she hopes that Dippy’s next job will be to carry a side saddle.
Cobs
The judges decided to award four Horse of the Year Show tickets at Vale View, the first went to 7 year old General George, owned and ridden by Hayley Shippey. Hayley has owned the dark bay gelding for 3 years, having bought him with the hope that he would make a show horse. They qualified for the Royal International Horse Show this year and came 6th in the Amateur Class. “We have been building up to this. He also jumps, goes hunting and does unaffiliated dressage, and I hope we will do working show horse classes next year”, explained Hayley, who had tried Search For A Star 2 years ago but finished 3rd and just missed out on qualification. George is kept at home on a working farm and is happy to go out checking the crops and doing potato picking. “He has to fit in around the farm and my 4 year old daughter, Lilly. Everyone has to muck in on the farm”, said Hayley.
Second place went to Harvey Nicholls, owned by Michaela Pollitt and ridden by Claire Cryer. Claire used to own the 17 year old strawberry roan but a family illness caused her to sell him in 2007 to a friend. Michaela bought him in 2010, but not having a lot of confidence to show him herself, she decided to give the ride back to Claire. “I wanted Claire and Harvey to find their way back, she deserves it”, said Michaela. Harvey had previously been shown as a show hunter pony and has competed at BSPS and Royal London and has also done working hunter pony and cross country. He was 4th in a Search For A Star qualifier in 2006, missing out on a Horse of the Year Show ticket. “This is the first season we have shown him as a cob”, said a delighted Claire. The pair will compete at Ponies UK in the Kempley Cob championship before heading to HOYS. Harvey is quite the family pony, acting as nanny to Michaela’s sister who is learning to ride. “Horse of the Year Show has always been my target. I said I would never go to watch until I could ride there. This is beyond my wildest dreams”, said Claire, who works in facilities management. “He has given us all so much and looked after us all, he deserves it”, said Michaela, who runs her own business, Equisign, making cross country colours and stable signs. The trip to Horse of the Year Show will now be a family affair as Claire’s brother, Henry Marriott, who shows pure bred arabs in hand, is a finalist in the Showing Council Young Handler of the Year awards.
Third place went to Regents Park, known as Reggie, owned by Mrs M Cracroft-Eley, and ridden by Caroline Heard, 30. Mrs Cracroft-Eley has owned the 9 year old dark bay for 18 months, having bought him as a hunter. Caroline works for her as a hunt groom and in a rash moment she told the owner that she would take him to Horse of the Year Show. “We have done a couple of shows and qualified for Ponies UK and Equifest first time out. He also does show jumping and eventing and we were on the team for the inter hunt relay at Peterborough”, explained Caroline. “Normally the hunters are rested in the summer but I prefer to keep them up and doing things. He lives out 24/7, even before hunting. He will go autumn hunting but he can have a day off for Horse of the Year Show, then it will be back to hunting”, she added.
Fourth place went to Beanz, owned by Katherine Wild and ridden by Chloe Emmerson, 30. Katherine has owned the 11 year old dappled grey gelding since he was a 4 year old. He has been shown at county level and hunted, and did a Search For A Star qualifier at Osbaldeston as a youngster. He came to Chloe on loan 18 months ago and the pair have been concentrating on showing in lightweight cob classes. “So much has been cancelled due to the weather. We came 3rd at Osbaldeston in May and thought we should give it another go. Getting to HOYS was our aim, although I didn’t really believe I might get there. We had a 3 hour drive to get here but it was definitely worth it”, said Chloe, who has weekly lessons with riding instructor, David Lannon. “He has helped me a lot. There are not many shows left to go to but we will go to the North West Championships and have more lessons to keep ticking over before Horse of the Year Show”, said Chloe, who works as a customer consultant with the Yorkshire Building Society. “He is a lovely sweet horse who wants to please. I am really lucky to have him. His owner, Katherine, leaves everything to us but I am sure she will want to come and support us at Horse of the Year Show”, she added.
