HOYS ROUND UP - Wednesday 9th - Day 1
Wednesday 09 October 2013
Smirnov toasts his first HOYS success among first of 2013’s Champions
Philip Spivey is no stranger to collecting the Champion’s spoils at Horse of the Year Show. In 2005, he won the Horse & Hound Foxhunter Championship with Romanov and this year he claimed the EquestrianClearance.Com Senior Newcomers title with Smirnov, the son of his previous Champion.
“He’s a home-bred horse, who was then sold to my groom, Charlotte Briggs,” said Philip. “He’s a lot like his father, who went on to become a successful international horse and is now being competed by Ireland’s Bertram Allen.”
Guy Williams, one of the show’s British international riders, started off his week at HOYS with a national win in the Addington Manor Talent Seekers incorporating the 7 Year Old Championship with Zaire.
“It’s always good to start off the week with a win,” said Guy. “It keeps your enthusiasm up!”
Zaire is nine years old, so it was runner-up Global Van’T Braunerhof who took the bonus, donated by Brightwells, for the highest placed seven-year-old horse for Ireland’s David Simpson.
Newcastle’s Melissa Gair, 21, claimed the British Showjumping Amateur Classic Championship with Bowes Calvaro, whom she has owned since he was a novice horse five years ago. Meanwhile, another youthful competitor, Chloe Aston, 19, also enjoyed a win, this time in the Young Riders Championship of Great Britain.
Chloe’s ride, Quiet Easy 4, was ridden by World Number One Ben Maher MBE for owner Quainton Stud until March of this year. Chloe and Quiet Easy will be competing against Ben at Horse of the Year Show in the International classes, which begin tomorrow.
There is plenty still to come during the week at HOYS. National showing and showjumping championships will take place every day alongside world-class international showjumping. There is also the Virbac 3D Worming Pony Club Mounted Games and Osborne Refrigerators Double Harness Scurry to look forward to, as well as the two very special displays: The Musical Drive of The King’s Troop, Royal Horse Artillery, presented by Home Farm Hothorpe and the Mulbrooke Stud, and Luma the Lion, the small pony ingeniously disguised as a big cat. Visitors can also enjoy educational and fun activities in the Parelli Interactive Savvy Area located in the famous Retail Village. Sunday’s very special gala evening performance will feature a fantastic finale complete with a performance from Military Wives Choirs and three very special equine guests: Arko III, Beckside Little Toff and Holme Grove Prokofiev.
