Equestrian Life Magazine September Issue 220 | Page 99

Freya & Jack 8-year-old Freya Wilson from Norland, Halifax, West Yorkshire has come from a horsey background, growing up around mum, Rachel’s horses. She is very dedicated at such a young age, riding her homeproduced ponies after school and competing at weekends. They have recently joined the BSPS (British Show Pony Society) to compete at county level and they qualified on their second outing for the Longines Royal International Horse Show at Hickstead on 3rd August. They qualified at Area 2B Lancashire Championship Show in Preston and also won the Novice M&M Lead Rein, 3rd Open M&M Lead Rein and took Champion that day. Freya has also qualified for Equifest, BSPS Championships, Ponies UK and the North West Showing Championship. Freya qualified on her pony Jack, Bronycoed Popstar, a 12-yearold Welsh Section A Pony and this is his first year (they only started training him in March) as a lead rein pony as he is an Open ridden/Working hunter pony but they have worked very hard with him and he has excelled all expectations of him so far. They travelled down to the RI on 2nd August, the journey taking 8 hours to find there were 24 in their class, ‘Pretty Polly Leading Rein Championship’. Said Rachel “We did not expect to get anything as it is still all new to us, we got pulled in 8th from the initial trot-up which we were over-the-moon with. Then we did our show and went before the conformation judge. I was hoping to stay in the same place but I didn’t think we would be that lucky as there were some amazing ponies there competing against us, many of which have done it for years and qualified HOYS already. Jack was an absolute saint as always and stood there soaking up the rays, falling asleep. When the steward called out the 1st and 2nd places I was even more so hoping to stay where we were but then he called out our number and I could not believe it, even now it amazes me how well we did! He is such a special pony and he is never a minute’s bother at home or at a show. He is extremely mannerly and we love him to bits. To say he was a stallion until he was 7 and sired 3 foals, you really would not tell as he is such a gentleman.” Freya & Jack Photo from Lancs Champs by Real Time Imaging Jo Ball is back in action I had a very bad accident in July 2011 at Buckminster Show where my horse and I fell at a fence, the ambulance men took great care of me not sure of what I had done but must have known not good, they were fantastic, as it was a very hot day and we were stuck on the ground for a