Welsh ponies dominated the NPS/Baileys Horse Feeds Mountain & Moorland Ridden Pony of the Year Championship on day two of Horse of the Year Show (HOYS). This prestigious Championship is a culmination of nine class sections, which have been split.
Although small in stature, Zoe Holmes’ Welsh section A, Glebedale Mumbo Jumbo held his own among a fantastically strong field of winners and second placed ponies from all sections. Wonderfully ridden by Essex’s 11-year-old Isabella Sharifi, the pony was brimming with style and presence all the way round the ring.
This was Isabella’s first time in an open class at HOYS, and the pair had no problem stepping up a gear after their fourth place in the Brineton/Kare Plus Mountain & Moorland First Ridden Pony of the Year yesterday. Sharn Linney who has produced the grey gelding for the past two years, said: “It’s amazing! They’ve started with a bang!”
Sharn now has two ponies in the Ruckleigh School Supreme Pony of the Year Championship on Sunday following Thistledown Van-der-Vaart’s win in the Brineton Colne Mountain & Moorland Mini Pony of the Year Championship yesterday. “They’re both amazing,” she said. “We can only hope they perform to their best, but we’ll be happy whatever the outcome.”
A homebred Welsh section C took the Reserve Champion title. Linda Atkinson’s stallion Danwood Llewellyn won the breed section with Hannah Atkinson in the saddle ahead of 23 other fantastic Welsh section Cs. The seven-year-old bay pony had presence in abundance to catch the judges’ attention in such a strong field.
Based in North Essex, Baileys Horse Feeds have been manufacturing top quality feeds since 1982 and have a long association with showing. They’ve supported top producer, Lynn Russell, for over 30 years and been involved with this NPS Mountain & Moorland Ridden Championships for 25 years. Their range now includes; Ease & Excel and Performance Balancer, two of the leading feeds suitable for horses prone to Gastric Ulcers, which help horse owners provide a balanced yet appropriate diet to help in the management of susceptible horses.
Image credit: 1st Class Images
