Standard of Search for a Star entries continues to rise, says top judge

By Joanne Bednall

General news

13 August 2008 10:53

Conformation judge Richard Ramsay has praised the high standard of turnout at the third qualifiers for the 2008 South Essex Insurance Brokers Search for a Star and Racehorse to Riding Horse Championships.

The renowned show horse producer, who was joined by ride judge David Bartram and assistant Matthew Maher-Burns at Addington Manor Equestrian Centre in Buckinghamshire, said: “Each year the standard of turnout gets better and better – a lot have no experience of showing and the numbers that come forward are phenomenal. There was a good competitive attitude among the entries.”

There were more than 100 entries across all classes, which included riding
horse/hack, cob, ponies, riding club show horse, show and working hunters as well as the increasingly popular racehorse to riding horse class.

Winner of the working hunter class was Stephen Hague’s 18hh bay gelding, Cyrils Brigade, ridden by his 25-year-old son, Christopher, who farms in Stockport. “Cyrils Brigade has a lovely disposition and great jump,” said Christopher’s mother, Karen.

Runner-up was eight-year-old 17hh grey gelding, Winterstorm, owned and
ridden by veterinary student, Emma Nettleton, from Driffield.

“Winterstorm is a big naughty boy – very in your face,” said Emma’s mother, Mary. “He would come inside the house if we let him!”

Also booking her Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) place was Vanessa Lawes with her six-year-old grey gelding, Roulade, who scooped the riding club show horse title. “Roulade is a sweetheart – he hasn’t got a bad bone in his body,” said Vanessa, from Northchapel, West Sussex. “He will make a very lovely eventer as he is so comfortable and has a super scopey jump. He hasn’t put a foot wrong – he is my dream horse!”

Nine-year-old Seafield Harry, owned and competed by riding instructor Danielle Gowrie, from Cheshire, took second place. “He is cheeky in the field and annoys the other horses but does love to eat,” explained Danielle, who’s worked hard with the 16.2hh chestnut gelding.

In the ponies class, 17-year-old hairdresser Rachel Eaton from Hertfordshire, rode her mother Sheena’s Rosevean Romany Song to victory after already coming third in this year’s Search for a Star qualifier at Towerlands.

“The whole family hack him out, even my 14-year-old son who can’t ride – he is a one in a million pony!” said Sheena.

Giselle, owned by Sally Skier and ridden by her 16-year-old daughter, Rozanna, from Aylesbury, were runners-up. “Giselle is a fantastic little person – in the field she is always looking at you,” said Rozanna.  “She does odd little things but is always happy.”

Jessica Cook, a Derbyshire student, scooped the cob class with Mill House Animal Sanctuary’s five-year-old chestnut Spartacus, known as Charlie at home. “He is a real mummy’s boy and loves having a brush,” explained Jessica, who added that the 15.1hh gelding is following in the hoofprints of his dam, Calamity Jane, who won the Search for a Star cob championship at HOYS last year. “Until February this year, he was a happy hacker!”

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