More golden tickets have been won for the SEIB Search for a Star finals at Your Horse Live, as well as partnerships gaining coveted qualification to the Horse of the Year Show championships later this year. On 7 July qualifiers for the SEIB Search for a Star and SEIB Racehorse to Riding Horse 2024 took place at Greenlands Equestrian Centre in Carlisle, Cumbria.
The team of judges, Richard Ramsay, Nicki Taylor, Helen Dunwell and Hannah Horton were joined by Michaela Bowling and ex-racehorse trainer, Jonathan Geake.
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The first winner of the day, Anna Higgins and her bay gelding, Millmount Maestro made the trip over from the Isle of Man. The pair won the Working Horse class and then went on to take top spot in the Show Hunter class as well.
“He’s a great traveller, it takes about four hours on the ferry to get to the mainland,” said Anna. “He just sleeps and eats his haynet as he goes. I’m so excited that now our next trip over will be for HOYS. On the Isle of Man our horses need to be good all-rounders as there aren’t too many specialist shows.
“We both really enjoy showing and jumping. We travelled over competed at Aintree yesterday and here today, he’s qualified for the London Horse Show too in the Working Hunters so its proving to be an exciting season.”
As Search for a Star competitors are only able to compete in one of the HOYS championship classes, Anna made the decision that she and Millmount Maestro will go forward to the Working Horse Championship.
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Winning the Working Pony class was Ruby with Hannah Johnstone’s, Double Trouble.
“Its going to take a while to sink in,” Hannah said. “It was a great class and we are delighted with how the showing is going. After a trial in the Autumn, we got Double Trouble at Christmas last year for Ruby to concentrate on some showing. Before this year, Ruby had done grassroots showing at our local showing club. They have now qualified for the Royal International in the Pretty Polly Show Pony class and now HOYS in Search for a Star.”
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In the Riding Horse Hack class at Greenlands, Lexi McSherry riding Sylvia McSherry’s chestnut, Lindeth Quote, took first place.
“I’ve always enjoyed showing – my mum and granny introduced me to it,” said Lexi. “We got Boris, as he’s known, when he was five. He’d just been in the field and its taken lots of time, we started off in-hand and recently have been to Somerford camp and we are now getting on great.”
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In the Show and Maxi Cob class, grey gelding, Darrowby Ajax took first place with his owner and rider, Carla Hainsworth. Darrowby Ajax is known as Murphy at home.
“Its been such a journey and this is just our first Search for a Star qualifier,” said Carla. “I sent him off to be backed by a professional and they sent him back saying he is going to be difficult. It’s taken a long time to get there, but he is a real people person and loves it now.
“We decided to try Search for a Star, but as it’s our first season showing thought we wouldn’t get there this year. I had a show cob 13 years ago and after he was sadly put down I then decided to get a young cob to bring on and he’s turned out to be the best ever.”
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Morean Hamilton’s Rich Man Poor Man won a competitive SEIB Racehorse to Riding Horse qualifier with Kirstine Douglas. Rich Man Poor Man was formerly in training with Philip Kirby.
“He’s still maturing and gets better every year,” said Kirstine. “He’s won the Great Yorkshire twice, was overall Supreme Hunter at the Royal Highland Show and has also been the Scottish Tattersalls Champion twice. This year so far he was Champion Hunter at the North East Counties Show and Champion Racehorse at the Dumfries and Galloway Show.
“All the racehorses are so different, they like – and cope with – different things and each one has to be treated like an individual.”
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In the Traditional Cob HOYS Search for a Star qualifier at Greenlands, Charlotte Harker riding Caroline Harker’s, Charlies Brown Boy took first place.
“My mum bought him to be her hack,” said Charlotte. “She’s owned him for four years and its taken plenty of time for him to get going. We’ve only started showing this year and this was our fifth show. We will go to TOYS and then have a chilled time for the rest of the summer.
“I’ve competed in eventing and dressage before and we decided it would be good fun to have a go at something else. I lost my old horse and wanted a dun, when I found out his name was Charlie – the same as my old horse, I knew he was the one.”
Your Horse Live qualifying classes
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A dun Highland Pony won the Your Horse Live qualifying Search for a Star class at Greenlands, he was Orkneyinga Norseman owned and ridden by Amanda Barton. Orkneyinga Norseman is known as Norrie at home.
“We thought we’d give Search for a Star a go as we’ve done a bit of showing alongside some dressage – he’s qualified for the BD Area Festival,” said Amanda. “I’ve owned Norrie for a year and have had Highlands for a while. He came from Scotland and we also do plenty of hacking.”
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The SEIB Search for a Star Open Ridden Veteran class was won by former Search for a Star Show Hunter Finalist, Silver Dream Spirit and ridden by Alanah Finlay. Silver Dream Spirit is known at home as Sylvester and is owned by John Wilson. He took 6th place at HOYS in the Search for a Star finals back in 2017, he is now 18-years-old. The pair also took the In-Hand Veteran class.
“Sylvester was great today, I’m thrilled to be riding him,” said Alanah. “He does in-hand classes, ridden ones, and loves going on common rides.”
The SEIB Search for a Star Pony Club qualifying classes included a trial for a new training angle for the Pony Club classes. Show producer and Search for a Star judge Hannah Horton took time to offer each Pony Club rider the opportunity to have a run through of their individual show followed by feedback and tips. After this, each combination completed their show again with Hannah judging to decide the final placings.
Ali Oliver, the parent of the First Ridden winner said: “The training made the day for us, Hannah’s tips were amazing, she is a great ambassador for the series. My daughter was so chuffed to receive praise from the judge, it really encouraged her.”
Hannah said she really enjoyed helping the children. “We have several ponies that I produce from my yard and I am delighted to be a part of this new training side to Search for a Star, its wonderful to see the children doing so well,” she said.
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In the Lead Rein class at Greenlands, six-year-old Dottie Tucker and her pony Thistledown Pop Idol, known as Ollie took first place.
“I really enjoyed the experience today and I’m in Cumberland Farmers North Pony Club,” said Dottie.
The First Ridden class went to eight-year-old, Lucy Oliver and Telaid Peter Pan, owned by Ali Oliver. They are members of the Morpeth Hunt Pony Club.
“We have done a little bit of showing before, he is the perfect pony for the first year off the lead rein and Lucy also enjoys hunting and cross country with him,” added Ali.
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Emilia Stone of the East Cheshire Pony Club and Brynseion Montague took top place in the Open Pony Club class. Monty as this chestnut Welsh section B pony is called has been owned by Emilia’s mother Sarah Stone for two years.
The Search for a Star In-Hand Plaited Horse and Hogged Show Cob went to Tracy Breeden and her grey Irish Draught mare, Rosehill Noirin, known as Willow.
“My daughter Josie and I share Willow, she is only just seven, but as good as gold,” said Tracy. “We do local shows and she has won a few Irish Draught classes. Josie does working hunter, showjumping and hacking with her. A few friends said we should give Search for a Star a go and the qualifier was local so here we are. Josie did the Show
Hunter class this morning on her and the judge gave her some lovely feedback.”
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In the In-Hand Plaited Pony Class, grandfather, Geoff Storey took the win with his riding pony, Barkway Sansara. This nine-year-old bay mare has been competing in lead rein classes with Geoff’s granddaughter.
“When my first grandchild was born, I bought two pony foals,” he said. “I’ve always been keen on showing. However, my granddaughter has become a bit less keen and so I’m doing some in-hand classes now. We’ve already qualified for STARS in-hand and I’m now looking forward to these finals.”
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Megan Wright and her own Traditional Cob gelding, Jock Ellis won the In-Hand Native and Traditional class at Greenlands.
“We’ve been showing for two-years now,” said Megan. “I fell in love with him when we got him as a two-year-old, Jock Ellis has so much character about him. We drive and go showing in-hand – we’ve also qualified for STARS.”
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The In-Hand Mountain and Moorland class went to Saffron Loasby and her Welsh Section D mare, Coldwell Victora.
“This is our third attempt at Search for a Star, I’m delighted we’ve qualified,” said Saffron. “We came second at the last qualifier at Vale View, so I’m very pleased we came back again. She can be a bit quirky and is lightly backed and doing some hacking so this series is perfect for us now.”
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The British Riding Clubs (BRC) Search for a Star class also took place at Greenlands. This class is open to members of BRC Affiliated Riding Clubs that are also amateur showing riders. The class was won by Hayley Fell and her own Appaloosa mare, Hendrefawr Razamatazz. Hayley and India, as the mare is known, are members of the Cumbria Riding Club.
“I really liked the look of Search for a Star as there aren’t very many showing opportunities for Appaloosas,” said Hayley. “India also loves jumping and mountain rides. I’ve owned 14-year-old India for two years. Her old owner Jade Oxley came to support us at Greenlands on the day.
“Jade owned India for 10 years before me, between us she has her own support club. We have become friends through India. I have wanted to do Search for a Star for ages and then when we saw there was a Riding Clubs class this year – and a qualifier relatively nearby we had to come and give it a go”.
SEIB Search for a Star organiser, Nicolina MacKenzie said: “We haven’t been to Greenlands for a few years now and what a truly wonderful day we had in Cumbria. The unique spirit of SEIB Search for a Star and SEIB Racehorse to Riding Horse was in full flow.
“Thank you to all our fabulous competitors who joined in, supported and celebrated the winners and each other. The working in was orderly and polite and our team and those at Greenlands pulled together. Thanks to Jonathan Geake for stepping in to help judge and we wish Jerome Harforth a speedy recovery.”
Lead image by C Helm Photography
