An amateur triumphed with her all-rounder coloured horse at the London International Horse Show. Dawn Birdsey, riding her own Splashdown Lenny, headed the BSPS Performance Coloured Native/Cob/Traditional Horse/Pony (unplaited) class.
Skewbalds and piebalds filled The New Horizon Plastics London Arena and judge, James van Praagh, took his time scrutinising the 21 entries before selecting Splashdown Lenny as the winner.
“I can’t believe that he’s done it, it’s amazing!” said Dawn. “It’s the first time we’ve been to London.”
Dawn has had Lenny, now 12, for four years and describes him as an all-rounder. She produces him from home and says she is a “true amateur”. The pair raised the bar in the BSPS Performance Coloured Championship, taking the title ahead of Eleanor Lancaster’s Atkins Silver Storm.
Credit: London International Horse Show/Real Time Imaging
There were 19 entrants in The New Horizon Plastics BSPS Performance Coloured Non-Native (plaited) Horse/Pony class, which was won by Charlotte Merrigan Martin and Solaris Dwenqua, a 15-year-old who “came out of retirement” this year to do some showing after a break.
The mare last competed in 2019 and had a foal in 2021. Their showing campaign this year has included Royal Windsor Horse Show, where Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s stud groom Terry Pendry placed them to win. Charlotte’s mother is Clare Martin, owner of the multi-garlanded coloured Merrigan, who helped put coloured show horses on the map.
Lead image by London International Horse Show/Real Time Imaging
