Equestrian Life Magazine September Issue 220 | Page 14

Equestrian Life
Championships
August 2013

Supreme Champion Shane
Bride and Cusop Just A Gem

Photos by Trafford Photography
Held at Barleyfields
Equestrian Centre, Etwall in
Derbyshire for the first time,
the championships were
the culmination of a year of
qualifiers at shows throughout
the region in the East Midlands
and North. Hundreds of horses,
ponies, riders and handlers
qualified. Going through to
the Supreme Championship,
judged by a new judge for the
evening, Elaine Lewis, were
all the section champions and
reserves.
The ridden champion was 8-yearold Sky Weston riding Star Jewel
II. Sky has been riding for just a
few weeks and won her lead rein
class. At their first outing earlier
in the season, they were mini
champions at Molyneux Farm.
Sky and ‘Wizard’ took reserve
supreme. The in hand champion
who went on to take the Supreme
Championship, was Cusop Just A
Gem shown by 29-year-old Shane
Bride from Leicestershire. Shane
said “Gemma has been owned
by myself and my mum, Theresa

Brown, since a foal, purchased
from the Cusop Stud, bred by
Sue Keylock. It had always been
a dream of ours to own a Cusop
pony and in 2006 that dream
came true and what a star she
has turned into! Gemma is
shown by me around working
full time as a catering manager.”
Another to have a good day
was Rachael Holmes saying
“Pipers Royal Sonata is a
home-bred by our beautiful
mare, Pipers Prelude, his sire
is Kings Composer owned
by Angela Wise at Dalcotes
Stud in Cornwall. ‘Darcy’ has
been shown this season very
successfully as a yearling in
the riding horse and sports
horse classes. He is doing
us very proud, and is so well
behaved. We see him following
his mother’s footsteps more
each day, proving to be a true
showman. Proud doesn’t even
come close at Equestrian Life
championships, I was a little
worried how he would sit in
the classes with them being

Ridden Champion & Reserve
Supreme Skye Leah Weston
on Star Jewel II

Reserve ridden champion
Sunset Breeze & Paula Rigley

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