Daughter’s horse gives her father top place

He was riding the heavyweight hunter, Major Moilaw, owned by Alan and Isobel Hall from Newcastle. The horse is usually ridden by Mrs Homer, but this year her father fancied taking the ride at the Great Yorkshire Show.

He was thrilled to win, but said: “I feel so guilty as this is Lorraine’s horse, she has produced him. It’s only the second time I have ridden him in the ring.”

Last year, the horse was novice champion at the Great Yorkshire Show and won the heavyweight class, ridden by Mrs Homer. Yesterday, she won the lightweight hunter class riding Temple Mill, owned by Trea Newell from Worcester.

Reserve in the Ridden Hunter Championship went to Yorkshire-born Allister Hood who was riding Potters Ace, owned by Andrew and Mary Bowie from Scotland. He won the middleweight class with the six-year-old gelding which he said was “a great thrill”. Mr Hood grew up near Wold Newton in East Yorkshire and is now based in Norfolk.

He claimed that returning to home ground to compete at the Great Yorkshire Show is always a special occasion, particularly this year when the hunter classes are so well supported. “This is as good a class as you can get and so it was a big achievement. I have always had faith in the horse,” Mr Hood added.

The excitement of parading around the main ring was all too much for one horse in the heavyweight hunter class. A rabbit popped up causing Lindsay Wallace’s horse, Cheerio, to spook and they parted company, although without any further mishap.

The first class of the day proved to be a winner for Jayne Webber and the five-year-old gelding, Academy Award, in the novice ridden hunters. They took the lightweight class and went on to win the championship, which also qualifies them for today’s TopSpec Supreme Ridden Championship.

Mrs Webber, who is based in Maidenhead, has been riding the horse for just over a year for the owner, Christian Kwek.