Sevenoaks rising star, Daisy Lewis, steers Maserati to big win at Hickstead
Thursday 22 June 2023
 BootsandHoovesPhotography Jun 2023r8dpu73nuk44.jpg "Sevenoaks rising star, Daisy Lewis, steers Maserati to big win at Hickstead")
Sixteen-year-old Sevenoaks showjumper Daisy Lewis took a decisive victory on the first day of competition at the Al Shira’aa Hickstead Derby Meeting (22 June).
Daisy, who grew up riding with the West Kent Hunt Pony Club in Meopham, was one of just seven riders to leave all the rails in the cups across the two phases of competition in the Hickstead Novice 1.10m championship.
“It was just amazing,” says Daisy, who was riding her mother Penny’s Maserati T.V. “I went into the ring and as I got going, I had a look at where the jump-off portion of the course started – and as soon as I got there, it was like Maserati just knew as well. He didn't pull at all – he just kept going. He always knows, as soon as it's a jump-off, he covers the ground and turns as tight as anything.”
Maserati is Daisy’s first horse after several years successfully riding ponies, but the Carrera VDL 6-year-old gelding was something of an accidental purchase – Daisy, who was just 13 when she first started riding him as a favour for a friend, still had three years in the pony classes and wasn’t in the market for a horse at all. But she swiftly fell in love with the talented horse, and when the time came to send him back to his then-owner to sell, she and her family decided to take the plunge.
Now, the pair are climbing the rankings – and tackling increasingly big fences – together on their way to the upper levels of the sport. “I’ve had him since he was a three-year-old, so we’ve learned together,” says Daisy. “He’s a lovely horse in the stable, and whenever I ride him, he always makes me happy.”
The Al Shira’aa Hickstead Derby Meeting takes place from 22-25 June at Hickstead in West Sussex. Tickets are available online or at the gate, and the action will also be shown live on Hickstead.TV and ClipMyHorse.TV.
Image: Boots and Hooves Photography
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