Tabitha Kyle Reigns Supreme at Pony of the Year Show
Monday 10 April 2023
vsmrvxpc6384.JPG "Tabitha Kyle Reigns Supreme at Pony of the Year Show")
Tabitha Kyle enjoyed an amazing Pony of the Year Show at Arena UK, Lincolnshire, clocking up a phenomenal eight wins from nine classes across the four days, including two championships.
“I’ve had an exceptional week, my horses and ponies have been amazing,” said Tabitha, who went home with armfuls of sashes, rugs and Easter eggs galore from this annual extravaganza.
The ultra-consistent Gangnam Style II got the ball rolling for Tabitha, winning both qualifiers before heading into the final. Course-designer Mark McGowan set a challenging 12-fence, 1.30m track for the LeMieux JA Final for the nineteen competitors forward and just four came up with all the right answers, the on-form Tabitha claiming two of them.
She set off like a rocket on TJ Hall Limited’s speedy Atomic Du Bary but clipped the penultimate vertical to finish on a very fast four faults.
“I had to set a target as first to go but he slipped on the turn into the fence and I didn’t get the stride I wanted,” explained Leicestershire-based Tabitha, 15, now in her final year of ponies.
A clear still hadn’t materialised when Tabitha entered the arena as last to go on second ride ‘GG’ and she had already got the win under her belt. Could she provide the only double clear? She did in style to also earn the leading JA rider award, the Irish-bred 14-year-old pony rising to the occasion to remain foot-perfect, albeit some eight seconds slower than stablemate Atomic.
“GG is very good in a jump-off, I can rely on him to jump clear,” said Tabitha, who also clocked up a winning streak in the Under 18 series.
She topped the initial qualifier and finished equal first over the testing course on TJ Hall Limited’s Desterly before focusing on the Final. Seven of the original 22 starters accessed the jump-off, Tabitha again in with two chances. Four faults dropped Indiana D’Aryifagne down to an eventual third, but the Tolan R x Murano 15-year-old mare Desterly came up trumps with one of only two double clears to win by an impressive nine seconds and claim the leading rider award.
Lucia Caroline was certainly living the dream with a championship hat-trick. Just three gained jump-off access in the 128cm Championship, Lucia and Lee Caroline’s 16-year-old Living The Dream (aka Tucker) taking the win by 1.14 seconds.
“Tucker is so cool and fun, he loves going to a show so much he takes himself onto the lorry,” said Lucia, who relies on advice from elder sister Lauren at home and trains once a week with former Olympic Eventer Mark Kyle.
The pony came was purchased from Carron Nicol.
""He was going for meat when Carron bought him and we didn't pay a lot for him. We discovered he's by Toulon and he's been a great servant for us - now he's got a home for life," said Lucia's mum Nicky.
West Sussex-based Lucia snatched the 11 and Under Final in the final moments with a devastatingly fast round on Liam Hall’s Sonas Barney, described as "a dream come true to ride" and another with a forever home. Six competitors reached the jump-off, the on-form Lucia, 11, claiming two of them. She left the best until last, guiding the 26-year-old 138cm pony into ever-tighter lines to win by an incredible 3.83 seconds.
“Barney is so much fun, he loves to jump and he’s so experienced he helps me out a lot at the fences,” added Lucia, who attends Lingfield College, a great supporter of Lucia in her showjumping ambitions.
The 15-year-old 128cm mare Mynyddmorfa Susanna, owned by Lucia's aunt Louisa Falzon, scored Lucia’s third win in the concluding Talentspotters Final with 0.32 seconds to spare in a 14-pony decider.
“Susanna’s got a big heart, she always tries her hardest and makes me happy,” said Lucia, on the former working hunter pony. "My ponies are all different and it was lovely to win on each one."
Raphaela Dawson, 12, saved the best until last as she maxed on her final draw in the six-pony jump-off over course-designer Lisa Kelly’s 12-fence, 1.15m track to take the 138cm title by just 0.07 seconds on Karan Dawson’s Ardnacashel Little Dreamer. The 12-year-old mare was purchased in Ireland in October through trainer Paul Kelly.
“We didn’t really click until jumping the bigger courses at Aintree’s small pony premier in January. She likes me to keep a contact on the reins – she’ll jump anything as long as I have a contact – but is much better over a bigger fence and fun to ride,” said Reading, Berkshire-based Raphaela.
Allana Clutterbuck was crowned Under 25 champion from the opening draw in a four-horse jump-off with 0.58 seconds to spare on Michael Bates’ home-bred 10-year-old Dirk IV (Nectar Des Roches x Heartbreaker).
“I want to say a huge ‘Thank You’ to Michael, I love riding every single one of his home-bred horses,” said Upminster, Essex-based Allana, 22, who started riding for Michael six months ago and has ridden Dirk for just eight weeks.
Dirk, who is out of Michael’s former International jumping mare True Love III, is a favourite of Allana’s – “He’s a gentle giant and so polite, he does everything I ask; I’m so excited about him.”
Sandy McLean, 20, from Midlothian in Scotland, topped a four-horse decider with almost five seconds in hand on Jonathan Dixon’s German-bred, Corvo sired 10-year-old Captain Sharkey to land the Under 25 B and C title.
Peterborough-based Sienna Lanni, 13, lifted the Children on Horses crown with Jill Williams’ 10-year-old Bermudez BDA (Cevin Z x Kojak), outpacing their four jump-off rivals by 1.43 seconds to celebrate their new partnership of nine weeks.
Oxfordshire’s James Lim-Goulder, 11, raced to the top to earn the 1.10m Championship title with Sarah Lim-Goulder’s Langtoftegaard Lamborghini. Thirteen from a field of 37 competitors returned for the jump-off, James and Lamborghini, a Danish-bred 11-year-old gelding he gained the ride on in September, easing ahead by 0.39 seconds.
Katie Bradburne’s racing genes inherited from parents Mark Bradburne and Gee Armitage were evident as she galloped into victory with Susan Holroyd’s Irish-bred 13-year-old 138cm Woodland Prince II in the 95cm Championship. It was always going to be about the clock as twenty-five competitors qualified for the jump-off and the lead changed several times. But Lambourn, Berkshire-based Katie, 15, was smooth and economical, executing a breath-taking turnback to the vertical two from home to secure the win by 0.31 seconds. Third-placed Isabella French’s consistency with Park Chanel paid with the 95cm leading rider award.
Surrey-based 11-year-old Keira Merriman returned triumphant in the Introductory Final. Keira claimed a handsome five seconds to spare in an 18-strong jump-off with Caroline Timmins’ Cassi De L’Abdenaie, a French-bred 11-year-old she only started competing in January.
Freya Hitchen, 14, who hails from Oxfordshire, emerged victorious in the latter stages of a hotly-contended jump-off to take the POYS Prelim Championship. Freya, outpaced her 22 rivals by just 0.16 seconds on Anna Hitchen’s 18-year-old skewbald Bearwood Maggie.
Ellin Gifford, 12, from Bishops Stortford, Essex, got the better of her 22 jump-off rivals to take the Mini Championship by 0.31 seconds on Karen Gifford’s 17-year-old HHS Lady. The pair have quickly established a partnership in their short three weeks together, relegating Eve Giannotta’s challenges to second and third with Oreo Patches and Westcoast Silver Star.
Image: Suzanne Jones
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