The sun was shining for the AGA Pony Bronze League 148cm Final which launched the start of the new pony National Championships in the Grand Ring on 12th August. Claudia Moore from Brentwood, Essex with her mother Katrina’s 18 year-old palomino gelding Shalom Gigalo emerged triumphant in a field of forty-five combinations.
The Pony Bronze League is one of two new pony National Championships introduced by British Showjumping in 2015. This league is run across eight counties throughout the country and aims to recognise pony and rider combinations that are competing successfully and consistently at a regional level.
The competition proved intense early on with only a few riders managing to successfully complete the course with no faults. Claudia took an early lead with a time of 40.97 seconds and it seemed, as the class continued, that few could come close to catching her.
However, the last rider of the day, Drew Wainwright from Lowdham, Nottinghamshire riding Michelle Lomax’s 18th bay mare Chocolate Supreme III, put in an impressive round finishing with a time of 40.98 seconds narrowly missing out on first place.
Claudia was delighted with her performance saying “I felt really scared (watching the other riders) but I knew my pony would do it.” Ten year old Claudia has been riding Shalom Gigalo for only one year and already the partnership is proving a force to be reckoned with.
Claudia was surrounded by her family and friends as she left the ring victorious saying “I would like to thank my family”.
Photo: 1st Class Images
