Doctors, students, a farmer and others off to HOYS in SEIB Search for a Star

Working Pony and Mountain and Moorland
Osbaldeston provided a ‘double whammy’ of a result for 19-year-old Ella Smith and her black, Welsh section D gelding, Gobell Idwall. The pair won both the working pony class – qualifying the pair for HOYS and the Search for a Star Mountain and Moorland class – qualifying them for the brand new SEIB Search for a Star Mountain and Moorland final at Your Horse Live.

Ella, who is on a gap year before going to study Equine Science at Myerscough College, said: “I have wanted to qualify for HOYS since I was a little girl and now I have finally done it! Jim, as Gobel Idwall is known at home, and I came 2nd in Search for a Star last year and we just missed out on qualifying. We thought we had better come back and give it another go. I just can’t believe we have qualified for two of the biggest horsey days out of the year! I went to Your Horse Live in 2017 and it was brilliant. It is so exciting to get the opportunity to ride there.”

Ella is using her gap year to learn as much about the equine industry as possible, she has been helping out doing unpaid work in several livery yards – from mucking out to hacking out jumpers and youngsters. She continued: “I want to get a real taste of how the equine industry works and taking part in both HOYS and Your Horse Live will give me a totally unique learning experience. Lots of people have helped me and Jim, not least my mum Heidi Smith who drives us to shows, grooms and helps with the turnout.” Ella has owned 12-year-old Jim since 2014, she set out to buy a Welsh section D and went to several Welsh studs, but then a friend of her neighbour put her in touch with Jim, “As soon as I saw him I knew I had to have him” Ella added.

Working Horse
Dr Hannah Moore, a forensic science lecturer at the Defence Academy and her grey mare, Follow Her Home, took the working horse class at Osbaldeston. Hannah bought Follow Her Home who is known at home as Cilla – to show and to compete in some British Eventing and British Dressage classes. Hannah said: “I have had years of heartache with horses, I had an eventer who had to be retired at 14 and then a lovely coloured mare who had to be put down due to a neurological disorder. I bought Cilla last December as a second chance at horses. This is the first show we have been to and it is just amazing to have qualified for HOYS.”

Hannah has a very busy schedule fitting in working in Wiltshire and living in Staffordshire. She continued: “I generally get three days in the saddle each week and then I rely on the team at the yard where Cilla is kept to lunge her a couple of times. Cilla’s temperament is so good and we will aim to compete in some working hunter classes throughout the summer before we start preparing for HOYS.”

Riding Horse Hack
Senior research fellow and Clinical trials manager, Dr Charlotte Hall and her mare, Carrhouse Dark Silk won the riding horse hack class at Osbaldeston. Charlotte and her identical twin sister, Sophie Hall own and ride, Tabitha as Carrhouse Dark Silk is known at home. Charlotte said: “This is the first time we have had a go at Search for a Star. I have wanted to go to HOYS since I was a little girl. We have owned Tabitha since she was a two-year-old, and Sophie and I juggle riding and looking after her with work, we have no arena at home so we spend plenty of time going off to hire arenas and going to the gallops. Sophie’s polo player boyfriend, Henry Browne also often takes Tabitha to the gallops too.”

The Hall sisters bought Tabitha from the Carrhouse stud in Lancashire and she acquired her stable name as she often twitches her tail.

Tony Smith, riding Rachel and Stuart Evans’, Bowland Winner took 2nd place to qualify for HOYS in the riding horse hack class. Tony said: “We are delighted, this was only his third show and the standard in the class was really high.” Tony who lives in Cheshire travels up to Stuart and Rachel’s yard near Skipton two or three times a week to ride the horse.

Show Hunter
The hunter class winner at Osbaldeston, Coolboy Brazen, is a real allrounder and has had plenty of success in varying classes with his owner rider, Cherry Boothroyd from Yorkshire. The pair have competed in ridden hunter classes and novice working hunters in addition to jumping in British Showjumping classes. Cherry, who is a farmer, said: “We were at the Goresbridge sales and my husband, Andrew – who knows all about cows, but nothing about horses – spotted him trotting up and said that he would be perfect for me. Bob as the horse is now known has a bit of a following in the local pub. My late father-in-law was called Robert and so Andrew’s mum and the locals are always keen to find out how Bob has been getting on.”
Paediatrician, Sunaya Hirani was absolutely delighted to take 2nd place in the hunter class with her own Glenomra Duke. She said: “I am so surprised we came second and qualified. Duke and I had a bit of a rough start – I bought him eighteen months ago and not long after, he jumped on my foot and broke it which resulted in a good few months off. Osbaldeston is the first show we have been to where it has felt like everything is coming together”. Sunaya is planning to take Duke on plenty of outings between now and HOYS, she continued: “Riding is my way to wind down after long days – and night shifts at work”.

Mountain and Moorland
In the exciting new Mountain and Moorland SEIB Search for a Star championship, three ponies from each qualifier go forward for the final at Your Horse Live. The classes are judged 50% on conformation and 50% on performance.

Philippa Dawson-Coates riding Amanda Batey’s 10-year-old Dales pony, Westwick Sam took the runner up spot in the M&M class at Osbaldeston. A delighted Philippa saw details of this new Search for a Star class on Facebook and decided to give it a go. “I didn’t expect we would qualify at all, we have been mainly competing in novice M&M workers and have only really started concentrating on flatwork recently. Amanda has owned Westwick Sam since he was a foal and she has done lots of pleasure and endurance rides on him, but doesn’t enjoy competing so I have been lucky enough to be riding him for three years now. It is going to be a big trip down to Your Horse Live!”

Third in the Mountain and Moorlands was Connemara pony, Thunderbolt Bairy Robin Bambi for mother and daughter team, Megan and Suzanne White. Fifteen-year-old Megan has brought on Robin who was bought as a four-year-old just over from Ireland. Suzanne said: “Megan is so dedicated with Robin, he is totally home produced. We love everything about him, although we were a bit put off by his rather long, slightly feminine name to begin with!” The pair have had success in BSPS classes and are planning on going to several county shows this year.

Cobs
A busy cob class resulted in Gillian Purgac and her own, Ballygar Joker taking the top spot. Gillian has owned this black cob gelding for eight months and Search for a Star is the third show the pair have taken part in. Gillian, who works as a manager at B & M Bargains in Chorley, said: “I bought Ballygar Joker to gain some confidence after a bad fall. He is just fantastic and I intend to enjoy going out to do a bit of everything with him over the next few months before concentrating on preparing for HOYS. The riding fits in really well around my job and several people from work are planning on coming up to HOYS to cheer us on!”

The second cob to qualify was Jodie Evans’ Morrows Oreo. Jodie said: “We’ve been to the Search for a Star three times before, the first time we went we were unplaced and we tried again in 2016 where we were placed third and so just missed out on qualifying. We were unable to try again last year due to injury so I made it my goal for 2018 to qualify for HOYS. Oreo is the least cob-like cob in the world, he is wimp when it comes to the cold and wet weather and he’d rather stand in the stable all day instead of being out in the field with his friends.”

Traditional Gypsy Cob Association Prize
The winner of the Traditional Gypsy Cob Association (TGCA) prize at Osbaldeston was Lucy Austick and her brown mare, Maisy. The pair took 4th place in the working pony class. Maisy is unusual for a TGCA pony as she is solid brown and not coloured. Lucy said: “I was absolutely thrilled to be pulled in fourth. There were so many people in the class that it was split, Search for a Star is definitely the biggest thing we have done yet!”

Class 1A Working Pony
1st Ella Smith riding Gobell Idwal
2nd Nieve Goldrick riding Embers Rockafella
3rd Maie Ozon riding Harry XII
4th Lucy Austick riding Maisy (also highest placed TGCA member)
5th McKenzie Holloway riding Bailey’s Nightcap
6th Mia Eggleston riding Tommy

Class 1B Working Horse
1st Hannah Moore riding Folloow Her Home
2nd Emma McDonald riding Ballymacashen Maeve
3rd Daniele Forsey riding Chance Encounter
4th Joanne Bradshaw riding Dino’s Pudding
5th Shelley Johnson riding Poppy Lady
6th Jacqueine Brown riding Silken Gold

Class 2 Riding Horse/Hack
1st Charlotte Hall riding Carrhouse Dark Silk
2nd Tony Smith riding Bowland Winner
3rd Christine Bowdler riding Orlando Envoy
4th Sophie-Anne Cartmell riding Stanley Grange Regal Consort
5th Becky Edge riding Solitair’s Jack of Diamonds
6th Alicia Matthews riding Makers Military Brave

Class 3 Show Hunters
1st Cherry Boothroyd riding Cool Boy Brazen
2nd Sunaya Hirani riding Glenomra Duke
3rd Alexandra Naylor riding Shirley’s Downtown
4th Lesley Brown riding Pictus Aristocrat
5th Hannah Moore riding Follow Her Home
6th Louise Hilton riding Pride of Carrabawn

Class 4 Mountain & Moorland
1st Ella Smith on Gobell Idwal
2nd Philippa Dawson-Coates on Westwick Sam
3rd Megan White on Thunderbolt Fairy Robin Bambi

Class 5 RDA Showing
1st Kayla Pratt riding Hunky Dory
2nd Karen Dunne riding Blaze

Class 6 – Show and Maxi Cobs
1st Gillian Purgac on Ballygar Joker
2ndJodie Evans on Morrows Oreo
3rd Nichola Mountain on Great Expecttions
4th Louise Whiteley-Guest riding Red Robbin III
5th Elaine Drewery riding Bob On
6th Sarah Field on Deards Gold N’ Silver