Yorkshire duo sign off in style at leading show

The final day of the show on Sunday was an emotional one for the 11 champions who were crowned in front of a capacity crowd. Two of them were from Yorkshire, competing at different ends of the spectrum.

Sannan Valley Bounce, ridden by Alice McCullagh, from Northallerton, took the Underwood Working Hunter Pony of the Year title. The pressure of competing at HOYS can be intense but Alice kept her cool to complete what was described as a spectacular round.

Also enjoying the atmosphere of the main arena, to win the Shire Horse of the Year, was Metheringham Upton Hamlet, belonging to Paul Bedford, from York.

Saturday night’s puissance always draws huge crowds and after a thrilling five rounds it ended in a joint victory for Huddersfield’s Joe Clayton and Douglas Duffin. The pair shared the spoils with Duffin riding puissance debutant Volcano and Clayton, jumping the big red wall for the first time on the experienced Leonardo. “I knew I could trust him – he has all the confidence so I just needed confidence in myself,” said Joe.

He is a cousin of the Whitaker family and is based with Michael Whitaker in Nottinghamshire.

Saturday was also a good day for Michael Whitaker, who won two of the international classes. Riding Nick Ward’s Wild Rose II he had the only double clear in a class of 24 to win the Sky Sports Trophy. He followed this up with victory in the accumulator with Viking V, although barely a second separated the top five.

The new NPS Baileys Horse Feeds Mountain and Moorland Supreme Championship was won by Sarah Challinor riding the Yorkshire-bred Dartmoor stallion Pumphill Buckthorn. Buckthorn also won the PRP Rescue Services 122cm working hunter pony and was reserve champion in his section.

Pumphill Bennett, ridden by Jack Starkie, was third in the NPS Baileys Ridden Dartmoor section and Springwater Legato, bred by Nicola and Philip Tyler, from Pickhill, ridden by Kashia Bhogal, was ninth in the Colne lead rein class.

Claire Carroll, from Cawood, made a welcome return after 20 years to finish ninth in the in the NPS Baileys Ridden Welsh B section, riding her mother Gill’s hom-bred stallion, Pittybeck Prince Charming.

Matthew Lawrence, riding Tower Clyde owned by Gemma Stanford, from Hull, won the ridden Highland section and Hannah Atkinson, from Stokesley, was seventh riding her Welsh cob, Natyymynydd.

Charles le Moignan, from Doncaster, had a successful week which included winning the Equimax and Equabell Lightweight cob and reserve championship riding Joanne Graham’s grey gelding Ton Crean of the Antarctic.

Other placings included seventh in the heavyweight cob with Mark Wilkinson’s Orion III and fourth in the large riding horse with Peter Bowdler’s Unlimited. He also took fourth place in the TopSpec lightweight hunter with Peter Bowdler’s Sutton Place and was fifth in the middleweight with Sam Dalrymple’s Military March. Riding Claire Cooper’s Whalton Razamatazz, he was fifth in the large hack class.

Jerome Harforth, from the Stanley Grange Stud at Great Ayton, had several placings in the Cuddy in Hand championship. David Russell, showing the seven-year-old stallion Stanley Grange Cocksure, finished second in the pony section. David Dixon, with his own and Mary Harforth’s three-year-old Dance All Night, was fourth and Simon Charlesworth finished sixth with Anita Millington’s Barrdene Belle de Jour. Simon also showed Diane and George Breton’s mare Catwalk (last year’s champion), finishing third.

Nigel and Sue Cowgill’s Hawlmark Classic Twilight, shown by Peter Richmond, from Ripon, finished in sixth place in the horse section of the Cuddy.

Former Yorkshire rider Simon Reynolds was on top form to win the Leeman Family Maxi Cob, a new competition this year, with Heather Boden’s Hallmark XI.

The CHAPS Coloured Championship produced a win in the non-native pony section for Alexandra Hollings, riding Snaafi Bright Spark, owned by Martin Wood, from Burstwith. Sarah Ambler, from Sowerby Bridge, was runner-up in the non-native horse section with the 14-year-old Endeavour by Ed King Hill.

Phillipa Hill, from Liversedge, was third in the non-native pony riding GW Dubya, owned by her fiance, Jim McTiffin. James Hunton was placed eighth with Turbo HH owned by L Sheppard. Callum Potts, from Westerdale, on his first outing to HOYS, was ninth in the Kathleen Wood Riding Ponies riding Willowhill Forget Me Not.

The SEIB Racehorse to Riding Horse Championship was won by Katie Jerram, riding the nine-year-old Night Prayers by Night Shift. The horse was formerly with North Yorkshire trainer Bryan Smart, whose wife, Vicky, was sixth on Chivola. Heather Hume, from near Malton, was seventh with the 11-year-old Bond Playboy, another horse to have been in training with Smart.

Heather was competing for the first time at HOYS, as was Huddersfield’s Jane Laurie, who, on Bozley, was third in the SEIB Search for a Star Riding Horse Hack class.

Additional reporting by Malcolm Bewsher.

Results

Northern Heavy Horse Society annual ploughing match – High Cut: 1, J Elliott – Prince/Tom; 2, M Bingham – Mornay Alison/Mornay Seth.

General Purpose: 1, G McKay – Clove/Loftie; 2, J Taylor – Prince/Beauty; 3, S Glavin – Picasso/Pacific.

Best Working Pair: S Glavin. Best Turned Out: M Bingham. Ladies Prize: Miss E Worthington. Decorated Harness: 1, R Bloom & CW Waind – Scoboro Ronnie; 2, J Joyce –- Titan; 3, Mr & Mrs D Heap – Bill.