Guy Landau and the outstanding lightweight hunter Statesman III

Preliminary judging took place in an outside ring with four judges - 2 for the ride and 2 for conformation. Each judge worked alone and the total marks were carried forward to the evening performance, where the contestants performed their individual shows and were marked spontaneously by the judges, who displayed the results in ice skating fashion with numbers held aloft. This was designed to involve the crowd in the competition and it succeeded! The horses with the highest marks from the preliminary judging performed last, which brought the whole affair to a rousing conclusion - one that repeated the Hunter Championship result from Thursday's programme.

It was the showmanship of David Tatlow that won the day as he and Bill Smith's heavyweight hunter, Imperial Imp, thundered around the ring - David lifting his hat to the judges at the time despite a rather hasty exit! They surely couldn't have had much in hand over John Dunlop's superb quality lightweight, Statesman III, also ridden with masterly showmanship, and who similarly produced a spectacular gallop. If the decision had been left to the crowd, it might have been the latter who returned home with the big prize, but even so, £1,500 was some consolation.

Novice Hunter Champion Robert Oliver and Hornblower

Robert Oliver took the Novice Hunter Championship with Roy Bacher's five year old heavyweight Hornblower. This horse was a winner at the Dublin Show before being brought over last year. David Tatlow had to settle for Reserve in this Championship with the winner of the lightweights Kelanne Stud's Mister McEvoy.

John Dunlop may well have been disappointed but he has something to look forward to in the shape of Sister Rose, who won her Yearling-In-Hand class. By the ex-racehorse Arzanni, her dam was the renowned Ballyard Bess, who sadly died earlier in the year. Perhaps Sister Rose will one day breed many outstanding horses of her own - she certainly possesses the quality to do so. Some nice Hunter brood mares stood up before the judge, Mr Tory, with their foals at foot. He preferred the dark mare Broadstone d'Elegance over Mrs Welch's grey, Giordina, but when he assessed their foals he reversed the places. Giordina's foal was by Atlantic Dancer and had twice the size of bone of any others in the class - surely a heavyweight in the making!

Champion Novice Show Pony - Kingsford Diana

It is interesting to note the popularity over the years of certain categories of showing at Windsor - which no doubt reflect a national pattern. Ten years ago Hacks and Hunters reigned supreme and there were huge classes for the Show Pony classes. Now the entries for the latter are not nearly as numerous as for the non-ridden classes, for example, but there are still some exquisite ponies to be seen. The quality remains as high as ever in both open and novice classes.

The Champion Novice was the 148cm winner, Kingsford Diana, who was bred by Mrs Downie and is by Kilvington Scoundrel (see 'The Whalton Stud' this issue). Kingsford Diana is a four year old chestnut mare with all the quality and presence of her sire and was beautifully shown by Gemma James. The Open Champion was also won by the winner of the 148cm height class, Jackets Maydream, ridden by Melanie Packham.

Siskin leads the line-up

The virtue of the larger rings was very evident when the ridden Mountain and Moorland classes lined up before the judge, Mrs Morgan, who had a very demanding day. The different breeds were broken into five sections according to height and type and in all there were 128 entries! The resurgence of interest in our native ponies is most encouraging - hopefully this is a 'trend' that is here to stay… Mrs Morgan seemed to prefer the larger breeds because she chose as her overall Ridden Champion the Connemara, Ballymore Seamus, and Reserve was Claire Evans' palomino, Welsh Section D, Yswain Saul. Mrs Webb's outstanding Exmoor Stallion, Siskin, won his ridden section and also reached the final six of the In-Hand Mountain and Moorland Championship.

One of his progeny went on to win at the Devon County Show the following week, so it is good to know that he is passing on his quality. Siskin is one of the few ponies who show with equal success in-hand and under saddle. He has already qualified for both championships at Wembley, but his owner is aiming further still by trying to qualify him for the Working Hunter Moorland and Mountain Championship and for Olympia - whereupon he will probably rest on his laurels and retire from the ring - hopefully to sire many more offspring.

The Dales Champion - Dartdale Peter Boy

Martin and Jenny Crane's Skeldale Jeffrey, a superb Fell Pony stallion, took the In-Hand Mountain and Moorland Championship from a line up that had quality in depth. Reserve went to a Highland, Whitefield Lord Anthem, who had won his class at this Show the previous year. Another most striking pony in the final six was Roger James' stunning dapple grey Dales stallion, Dartdale Peter Boy.

Nowadays most Dales ponies tend to be hard colours so he is something of a throwback - it will be interesting to see his full brother who has already commenced his showing career.

To see the Castle arena filled with such a wonderful array of native ponies was one of the highlights of the Show.

Continues........

Photographs © Sue Wingate

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