The SEIB Insurance Brokers Search for a Star In-Hand 2022 Championships are set to be hotly contested at Your Horse Live later this month (11 November).
In the Plaited Horse or Hogged Show Cob class is Cool Eliza, owned by Chloe Knowles and exhibited by her mother, Lisa Lilley from Essex.
Lisa and Chloe were competing at the SEIB Trailblazers championships in the summer when they realised that Search for a Star was on at Stoneleigh on the same day and decided to give it a go. It proved well worth their while when they earnt a ticket to the finals.
Cool Eliza. Credit: SMR Photos
They will be competing against Port Lou Lou, who is owned by Kirsty Wilson and exhibited by Finn Williamson from Cheshire.
Finn and Port Lou Lou also qualified for the ridden Search for a Star Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) championship this year. They competed at HOYS in the Riding Horse Hack final and took sixth place.
Port Lou Lou. Credit: SMR Photos
Randall IV, owned and exhibited by Lucy Ashworth from Oxfordshire, will also be put before the judges in this class.
Lucy and 24-year-old ex international showjumper have qualified for the championships in both the plaited horse and the veteran.
Lucy was diagnosed with stage 3 cervical cancer in November last year and didn’t think she would be showing this year. Lucy said it is “just brilliant to have got her life back a bit”.
Randall IV. Credit: SMR Photos
They will be joined by Sister Act, owned and ridden by Amber Hall from Buckinghamshire.
Amber has owned the six-year-old for a few months. She said she found the Search for a Star in-hand really useful as a way of getting Sister Act out to see things.
Sister Act. Credit: SMR Photos
West Country Samurai completes the line up. He is owned and exhibited by Suzi Ayres from Blairgowrie and is just five-years-old.
He and Suzi also qualified for the SEIB Search for a Star ridden Riding Horse Hack championship at HOYS where they finished in second place.
West Country Samurai. Credit: SMR Photos
Search for a Star In-Hand Plaited Pony
The plaited pony class will see Peter Pan, owned and exhibited by Gemma Viles from Staffordshire, joining the Your Horse Live finalists.
Gemma has owned 25-year-old Peter Pan – known as Harvey at home – for 18 years. The pair have also qualified in the in-hand veteran final.
Gemma bought Harvey from Endon Riding School where she used to ride.
Peter Pan. Credit: SMR Photos
The class will also feature Rhos Elodie, who is owned and exhibited by Sam Crutchlow from Warwickshire. Elodie is a British riding pony and Sam has owned her for six months.
Sam said she bought Elodie for her daughter Phoebe to eventually compete in the children’s riding pony classes and maybe one day qualify for HOYS.
Rhos Elodie. Credit: SMR Photos
Romanno Royal Myth, owned by Victoria Bryan and exhibited by Molly Bryan from Staffordshire, have also made it to the plaited pony finals.
Twelve-year-old Molly said the Search for a Star workshop held on the previous day to their qualifier proved crucial to securing their win. Zippi, as Romanno Royal Myth is known at home, had only been owned by the Bryan’s for a few weeks before their Search for a Star qualifier.
Romanno Royal Myth
Romano Small Talk, owned by Karen Watson and exhibited by Aaliyah Watson from Aberdeenshire, is another finalist.
It will be the start of a busy day for Aaliyah who also has her other pony, Welsh section B Rosedust Class Act, qualified for the Pony Club and Mountain and Moorland finals.
Romano Small Talk. Credit: SMR Photos
Welsh part-bred Ryehall Petit Ami will also be aiming for victory in the plaited pony class. Owned and exhibited by Lisa Hayyez from Buckinghamshire, ‘Alan’ qualified for the class at Bury Farm Equestrian Centre.
Ryehall Petit Ami. Credit: SMR Photos
Search for a Star In-Hand Native and Traditional
‘Ted’ or Clickham Junior is among the in-hand native and traditional finalists. He is owned by Nicola Jordan and exhibited by Neil Jordan from South Yorkshire.
“Ted only came to the Search for a Star qualifier for the outing,” they said. Ted can be nervous indoors, so Neil and Nicola have stuck with the in-hand class with him this year.
Neil used to show Newfoundland dogs and said he is now really enjoying showing horses in-hand.
Clickham Junior. Credit: SMR Photos
Ted will be up against Milnerfield Lady Isabelle, who is owned and exhibited by Lucy Parr from West Yorkshire. ‘Izzy’ is the first pure-bred Shire to qualify for the Search for a Star Your Horse Live finals.
Milnerfield Lady Isabelle. Credit: SMR Photos
Razzle Dazzle Them joins the line up. He is owned by Sue Baker and exhibited by Brooke Baker from West Sussex.
Sue has owned ‘Harry’ since just before Christmas, when he was “completely feral” and Sue and Brooke couldn’t catch him. Brooke would love to get to the point with him where he is as calm ridden as he is in-hand.
Razzle Dazzle Them. Credit: SMR Photos
Harry will be joined by Will I Am who is owned and exhibited by Emma Watson from Aberdeenshire.
The piebald gelding, has done some some TGCA and CHAPS showing classes, as well as lots of hacking. Earlier this year they went on the Balmoral BHS jubilee ride.
Will I Am. Credit: SMR Photos
Rescue pony World Horse Welfare Paolo, owned and exhibited by Grace Willis from Essex joins the line up.
Paolo’s mum was rescued by World Horse Welfare when she was in foal with him. He was born at Hall Farm and then came to Writtle College where Grace was studying when he was a yearling.
Credit: SMR Photos
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