True Blue III, owned by Gemma Beal, is enjoying a gentle retirement back home in East Yorkshire after a career that finished on a high note when he came second out of 36 competitors in the Large Hack of the Year Championship at the recent Horse of the Year Show.
Gemma, who lives near Hedon, says the Horse of the Year Show was a "dream come true" event for her as she watched True Blue and rider Simon Charlesworth from the Stanley Grange Stud, achieving second place against strong competition.
"Back in 200
5 when we decided to purchase a horse, True Blue was the first one I went to see and it was love at first sight," said Gemma.
"For a year, we attended local shows where we won a few ridden classes and then in 2006 True Blue was spotted by the successful local breeder Jackie Thompson."
She suggested he went to Jerome Harforth in Middlesbrough for a lesson. He took the horse on full livery and his yard manager and professional showman, Simon Charlesworth, rode him to victory in the Novice Hack class at BSPA Area 4B.
Gemma made her own major show debut on True Blue at the North of England Show, winning the novice hack class. They went unbeaten for the rest of the year and then won both the Novice Hack Championship and the Classic Supreme Hack at the BSHC and RHA and came third at HOYS.
Gemma and True Blue qualified for this year's HOYS by winning at the East of England Show. They were also reserve champion at the Longines Royal International Horse Show for the second year running.
Gemma said: "The Horse of the Year Show is every rider's dream. I went to watch it as a little girl and never imagined I would have a horse competing there one day. I believe every horse lover has a horse of a lifetime and True Blue is mine."
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