Hacking has helped a ‘elegant and stylish’ mare secure the Coloured Horse and Pony of the Year Championship at Horse of the Year Show (HOYS).
Living up to her name, Wot Perfection rose to the occasion to stand champion in the class sponsored by CHAPS (UK). Ridden by Richard Telford, the nine-year-old made sure she captured the attention of judges Sue-Helen Shuttleworth and Gillian Wright with her “impressive elegance and style”.
“That was the best feeling in the world,” said Richard. “She just lit up in there and felt incredible.”
The show producer has mostly worked with mountain and moorland ponies and show hunters so was delighted to bag his first win in the coloured championship. He explained that hacking played an important role for the talented mare.
Credit: 1st Class Images
“We’ve had her since she was five, but we haven’t shown her a huge amount as she took a while to mature,” he said. “Instead, her owner Lindsay has done lots of dressage work with her and general hacking. She’s really come into her own this year and gave a lovely performance in there today.”
Owner Lindsay Mccullough, who works full-time as a lawyer, describes her as a real family horse.
“I fell in love with her from the moment I saw her, and I knew she had star quality,” she said. “She’s not only a HOYS champion but she really looks after me in the saddle. I am the most nervous rider, and she is an absolute gem. I hack her out and do some dressage with her and then Richard works his magic – it’s all thanks to him.”
Credit: 1st Class Images
Lead image by 1st Class Images
