Equestrian Life Magazine September Issue 220 | Page 4

The Showing
Register Gala Show
Great Fun for Everyone!
It was the first TSR Gala show
and no one knew what to
expect but from the moment
you arrived you felt welcome.
With goody bags of treats
for the riders and ponies, it
certainly set the theme for
the day! The organising team
certainly filled their brief of
affordable fun for everyone!
With so many classes it was a busy
show from the outset and riders
from across the country turned
up in their droves to compete
and take advantage of the cheap
entry fees. TSR Members were
in abundance enjoying the
members benefit of one free
entry. Plus the TSR Members
Sashes went down a storm, with
riders of all ages unable to hide
their delight at receiving a sash!
The TSR Riders Championship
classes were held over two
days. Riders could qualify at
affiliated shows and ride any
horse/pony in the final. The
new Judging format of marks
for riding ability, performance,
turnout and conformation went
down well with exhibitors. The
first day featured the TSR Riders
Horse Championships and
judge Robert Parker-Jones had
a ring full of quality animals for
the final Supreme. After much
deliberating it was Juanna Hunter
from Abergele North Wales who
won the Supreme Title on her
middleweight hunter, All Cut Up.
Juana had been talent spotted
earlier in the year and is a TSR
pathway rider. She also contested
the Pathway Ride-Off for the TSR/
HOYS Showing Master Class.

hand championship and a HOYS
Cuddy qualifier. The entries varied
in number between rings full of
quality animals to only a handful
in the Welsh classes. Over 30
came forward for the Amateur
Supreme and a similar number
for the Cuddy Qualifier which was
dominated by producer Steve Pitt
who produced the top 5 in the
final line up. This saturation of Pitt
animals was helped along by such
poor entries in the Welsh and M
and M classes.
The Breeders’ Guide Amateur
Champion & £500 was awarded
to the spectacular mover, Ballagh
The Buck. Buck is home-bred out
of D’abernon Diva by Bluehaven
Requiem, owned by Tim and Julie
Hall, beautifully handled on the
day by Tim. He is a 4-year-old
stallion who will be coming out
in ridden classes next season.
Having travelled all of 10 minutes
to the showground, Buck comes
with Henry, his little unregistered
Shetland friend, as he doesn’t like
being on his own! He even has a
mirror in his stable to keep him
company.
Reserve Supreme & receiving
£250 was Shane Bride’s Cusop
Just a Gem. She was bought
by Shane as a foal, by Cusop
Dark Secret out of Cusop Julie,
and is 7 years old. She has been
lightly shown and is gaining
success being shown from home
whilst Shane works full time as a
catering manager – he has to fit in
getting her ready after work.
Shane said “We were shocked
that she got reserve champion

out of all these quality horses
and ponies. We are lucky to
even be here, as we broke down
on the way to the show today,
and were waiting for one and
a half hours for the roadside
assistance! Gemma, who works
with me was getting her ready
in the back whilst I carried on
driving to the show!” At home,
Gemma says “Gem does think
she’s a princess, She runs
around everywhere putting on a
performance making sure all the
other ponies can see her!”
Judge Deborah Holt Atkinson
said that it had been a tough
decision and there were several
in contention right up to the final
minutes of the competition.
Party Time! Instead of an
evening performance TSR held a
party which was free for anyone
staying on the showground .
Wendy produced a fantastic
first anniversary cake and the
chocolate fountain was kept very
busy!

Five Amateur
Riders Have their
Dream Come True!
One ring was devoted to the
selection of the TSR Pathway
riders for the TSR/HOYS Showing
Master Class. Tensions were high
as this was the culmination of
months of work for many of
the riders and at stake was the
opportunity to ride at Horse of
the Year Show.
Since January 2013, The Showing
Register talent spotted for riders
from over 50 training clinics
throughout the entire country,
looking for talented riders and
their ponies/horses. TSR clinics
are open to everyone and offer a
great opportunity for amateurs to
gain experience and advice from
top professionals.

At the clinics, Amateurs who
fulfil the Pathway qualification
criteria are ‘talent spotted’ and
put forward to the TSR Talent
Club. There were over 140 riders
spotted and after sending in
applications just 39 riders were
selected for the Pathway in one
of 5 Master Class categories
– Ridden horse, Ridden pony,
Ridden coloured, Working hunter
and M&Ms. The Pathway riders
once selected were then given
a mentor – a top judge - who
spends 8 weeks preparing them
for the final Ride-Off.
After helpful training sessions on
the Saturday for the riders, the
Ride-Off took place on Sunday
and this created much interest
with its unusual selection format.
With three selectors to impress
there was everything to ride for.
After completing a go round and
show five delighted amateur
riders were selected to ride in
the TSR / HOYS Master Class in
October. It was clear that you had
to produce the performance of
your life to be selected as each
of the sections were brimming
with talent and in several cases
it was a very close call! All the
riders received two tickets to The
Horse of the Year Show and the
selectors hoped that the runners
up would keep up their training
and have another go next year.
The final five riders to have
their dream come true to ride
at Horse of the Year Show were
Ellie McDonnell just 8 years old
from Nrth Ireland on her 122cm
SHP, Gabby MacDonald 17 yrs
from Southport, Lancs on her
153cm WHP, Emma Peel from
Buckinghamshire on her Riding
Horse, Gillion Dixon Jackson
from Cheshire on her Traditional
Coloured who is also celebrating
her 50th birthday this year and
Charlotte Smiley from Nrth
Ireland on her Connemara.

On Sunday the TSR Rider Pony
Championships were hotly
contested and the Supreme was
ably judged by Mrs Ann OvertonAblitt who found her winner in
the Intermediate, Wyld Amethyst
ridden by Danielle Crooks .
It was unusual to see so many
different classes going on at
once, at one point a huge HOYS
Qualifying class of 148cm ponies
was looking on in a bemused
way as in the next ring the free
fun classes were starting with
everyone having a great time in
classes such as pony / dog combo
and prettiest mare!
Apart from the ridden classes
there were over 70 In Hand
classes all held on the Saturday
culminating in the Breeders’
Guide Amateur Supreme £500 In

4

Gilly in the Master Class Ride Off
with the selectors

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