Twilight is at dawn of bright era

But consolation arrived at this month’s National Hunter Supreme Championship Show with Barley and Twilight Dream flying the White Rose flag high.

Boroughbridge-based Barley returned to Yorkshire with a host of rosettes and trophies from the Buckinghamshire event with three-year-old filly Twilight Dream the undoubted star of the show.

The youngster was named Champion In Hand Hunter Filly by winning the Walker-Okeover Cup as well as Champion In Hand Young Hunter Sired by a SHBGB Stallion for which she scooped the ‘Longcross’ Challenge Cup.

The success did not end there with Twilight Dream also forming a triumvirate of Barley horses to win the Progeny class for 3 In Hand horses sired by the same stallion.

That accolade was scooped by Steve and Josie Knowles’s York-based stallion Classic responsible for Twilight Dream as well as Classy Mel and Drummatic.

Classic – who stands at Beechwood Grange Stud in York – has now won the progeny class at the event four times in the last six years and his showing capped a fine event for Yorkshire as a whole.

A brilliant one for Boroughbridge’s Barley as well, who can finally put the annoyance of losing this year’s Great Yorkshire Show to bed knowing that the Buckinghamshire nationals provided ample compensation.

“The show season has been a bit hit-and-miss this year with things being cancelled and we’ve lost five quite good shows including, of course, the Great Yorkshire Show which is the main one,” Barley told the Yorkshire Post.

“But, after the Great Yorkshire Show, this is the next big one so to go down there and do as well as we did with three horses by Classic, who is based in York, was really good. It kind of almost made us forget that we went to the Great Yorkshire Show.

“To win the Progeny class was also really nice especially with all three being bred from the same stallion in York.

“We try and keep Yorkshire on the map – we are quite proud of being from Yorkshire and it was nice to go down there and beat all those southerners.”

Barley says her Buckinghamshire achievements were on a par with her 2010 Great Yorkshire Show heroics but the task now is of breaking in this month’s star Twilight Dream.

The Yorkshirewoman hopes her three-year-old has an exciting future.

“When they are young you don’t know what they are going to make but it’s exciting,” said Barley.

“Twilight Dream has finished showing for the year now but we are breaking her in and then she will do some dressage.”

No doubt about Barley’s long-term target, though – the 2013 Great Yorkshire Show.

“All being well we will be looking good for that with both mares and foals at that one,” said Barley. “That’s the big one as it’s where you have all your friends, and even your non-horsey ones.”

A new title sponsor has been announced for next weekend’s Bishop Burton Horse Trials.

Yorkshire-based Coopers Marquees have put their weight behind the ever-popular trials, which take place next Saturday and Sunday (September 29-30).

Organisers report a full entry and say the British Eventing regional final has been scheduled for Saturday rather than Sunday, so no one will face the disappointment of being balloted out.

Kim Knightley, Bishop Burton’s equine director, says the trials always attract a healthy band of “real enthusiasts.”

“We are thrilled with our new sponsor; the marquee business and the kind of events Coopers attend tie in especially well with the equestrian scene,” said Knightley.

“People always comment that our horse trials – we hold one in Spring and then this one later in the year – are really friendly and well-run.

“A lot of credit has to go to our students who get stuck in with helping and learn such a lot in the process.”

Jonathan Cooper, of Coopers Marquees, which covers the whole of Yorkshire and Humberside, said: “We have previously supplied marquees to Bishop Burton College for events and celebrations and it seemed a natural progression to take the reins as the title sponsor.”

For further information visit www.bishopburton.ac.u