Coco Bongo proved that her presence under the spotlight is as compelling as her jump when she beat off all the other pony Champions from across the week to be crowned the Ruckleigh School Supreme Pony of the Year 2019. Ridden by Chloe Lemieux, the 10-year-old grey mare is owned by William Calder, and HOYS was their fifth show together. Chloe is riding the pony in 133cm Workers while William’s daughter Jessica is currently in Nursery Stakes classes with her. After a very busy and even more successful week at HOYS, Jayne Ross added to her HOYS story when the stunning Heavyweight Hunter, Twinshock Warrior, was crowned Supreme Products Supreme Horse of the Year. Jayne had four horses qualified for the Supreme final and this was her seventh Horsae of the Year Show Supreme title. In the Showjumping arena, it was Irish rider David Simpson who claimed the Leading Showjumper of the Year title. Speaking after his win with Gentleman VH Veldhof, David said: “To win the final track of Bob Ellis’ time at Horse of the Year Show is a real honour. He is a great friend of mine and what he has brought to our sport is unbelievable.”
Robert Whitaker, blew away the opposition in the first international showjumping class of the day at Saturday’s Horse of the Year Show to win the Accumulator, a class which sees riders collect points for each fence jumped, with the winner claiming the most points in the quickest time. Also setting a quick time was Glain Watkin-Jones who jumped to victory in the Pony Foxhunter Championship with Trevor H. Snaking around the turn to the last line, the crowd were right behind the pair as they flew to the last.
Friday 4rd October saw Chlow Lemieux and the gorgeoust mare Coco Bongo produce a foot perfect round to take the National Pony Society/Snuggy Hoods Working Hunter Pony of the Year title, a win that would set them on their journey to eventually claim the Supreme Pony of the Year title in Sunday’s final performance. Friday also produced some great competition in the showjumping arena with Wiltshire-based Toby Fry and Zucan V taking the Leading Pony Showhumper of the Year title, while another young rider, 20-year-old Georgia Tame partnered Quintella to take the £10,000 prize in the NAEC Stoneleigh Stakes.
The first day of competition at the Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) on Wednesday 2nd October 2019 saw champions crowned from showing to showjumping. Always a crowd-pleaser Lucy Richardson’s Welsh Section A Pony Thistledown Van-Der-Vaart, ridden by her daughter Lilly, made HOYS history by winning the Colne and The Feed Shed Mountain & Moorland Mini Pony of the Year for the fifh year on the trot. Continuing the record-breaking trend during the evening performance was Nicole Pavitt, who became the first show jumper to win the Senior Newcomers Championship for the fourth time.
The British Pony Team, competing under the title sponsor banner of Team LeMieux, won the FEI Jumping Nations Cup™ Pony Final on 29th September 2019 in Opglabbeek, Belgium and they did so in convincing style. Read more
Laura Jackson, a former Badminton competitor turned show jumper pulled off a great win in the Voltaire Design CSIAm-A Platinum final at the Equitop Bolesworth Young Horse Championships on 17th August 2019. Read more
Annabel Lomas was the delighted winner of a fast-paced Equerry Horse Feeds CSIAm Bronze final at a sun-kissed Equitop Bolesworth Young Horse Championships on 17th August 2019. Read more
A dramatic Team Final unfold at the Pony European Championships in Strzegom, Poland on 16th August 2019 with all three medals having to be fought for in a third-round jump-off. Read more
Louise Simpson and Unex Cognac IV saw triumph over adversity after a difficult year for the 11-year-old Unex Cognac IV who had an eye removed eight months ago. Read more
