The North Herefordshire Pony Club have shared the secret to their Prince Philip Cup winning performance at Horse of the Year Show. It was their second victory at the show in consecutive years, having also taken the title in 2022.
The team in blue won all but one of the competitive heats, taking place from Thursday afternoon through to Sunday, with a total of six sessions.
Winning team member Codie Beachus celebrated their success.
“It’s the best feeling in the world to have won again!” he said. “I’m incredibly lucky to be here back-to-back years and to win here again. Me and [fellow team member] Heidi are on our last year here, so it means a lot.”
Codie shared his insight into how the team did so well.
“We manage to keep our cool; it’s not all about ability it’s having the mentality as well to stay calm,” he said.
The ponies also had no problem rising to the occasion, and were not phased by the exciting atmosphere.
“They love it, the louder the crowd, the faster they go!” added Codie.
Credit: 1st Class Images
The North Herefordshire Pony Club team are trained by Iain Hopkins and 17-year-old Sam Hopkins.
“We do lots of practice through the winter which takes great dedication,” said Sam.
The team are made up of the following combinations:
- Jasmine Willis age 14 riding Merlin
- Edward Queen age 14 riding Flash
- Heidi White age 15 riding Cuba
- Lottie Beachus age 13 riding Vee
- Codie Beachus age 15 riding Paolo
- Ellie Simcock age 13 riding Tabby
The second placed team were Atherstone Hunt Pony Club, Lanark and Upperward took third and Oakley Hunt (West) placed fourth.
Sponsored this year by Thistledown Developments, the Pony Club Mounted Games have been a much-loved part of the show since its introduction in 1957. The idea behind the games was to give children the opportunity to have fun whilst competing without the need for an expensive showing or jumping horse.
Lead image by 1st Class Images
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