A HOME-PRODUCED horse secured his Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) ticket before capturing the overall coloured section championship.
Lancashire rider Gemma Neville has owned 10-year-old Oakfield Valdecaz (Yogi) since he was a just-backed three-year-old, and while he’s a regular face at the NEC, this was the upstanding 17.2hh gelding’s first HOYS tricolour. Yogi was bought from Reid Finlay, whom Gemma had previously sourced cobs from.
“I wanted a big, rangy horse as I’d had previously, but with plaits in,” said Gemma, who qualified Yogi for HOYS for the first time at Stoneleigh during his debut season under saddle. “He’s the perfect amateur horse and is the yard favourite. He loves a grass ring so I’d been hanging offa bit this season until the ground was just right for him.”
Gemma works full-time in the accounts and admin department for a small family-run business and juggles horses in between.
“I hope I can prove that home producers can do it,” Gemma added. “You can’t take your foot offthe pedal and while it’s hard to keep up with the professionals, fellow coloured competitors have been hugely supportive of Yogi’s journey and have encouraged me to keep going with him.”
BETTER THAN EVER
WINNING 133cm Warleigh Blushing Groom (Joey) and Daisy May Allen secured the show hunter pony accolade for producers Kevin Cousins and Christina Gillett and Daisy May’s parents, Jodie and Gavin Allen.
Denne historien er fra July 22, 2021-utgaven av Horse & Hound.
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Denne historien er fra July 22, 2021-utgaven av Horse & Hound.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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'Sorry, but I wasn't feeling it'
Fresh from the opening meet, Tessa Waugh hasn't quite yet been bitten by the hunting bug. Without the crisp autumnal air and cheek-pinching cold she hoped for, it's a sluggish start
New pair pull off a win
A former European Championships pony is on form with his new rider, while elsewhere former showjumpers and eventers take ribbons
Lording it over the rest
Horses who have returned from injury, a second generation homebred and a long format specialist score on the final weekend of the British season
Smith hits flying form
A \"her way or no way\" mare helps Zoe Smith to an impressive ribbon haul and a rider beats his own boss to the top spot
Jankorado hits the jackpot
Paul Sims is triumphant despite his interrupted jump-off preparation and a borrowed horse comes up trumps
Peanut
From \"dangerous, scary\" to hedge-hopping brilliance, hunting has been the making of this unstable but very lovable equine character
She's a corker
Communication, says long-standing and highly respected Belvoir master Lady Sarah McCorquodale, is the key to all, as Catherine Austen discovers
Access all areas Cavalier Centre
The Cavalier Centre is a fully accessible, state-of-the-art equestrian centre designed to improve lives through horse-based activities. Ellie May Forrester pays a visit
'Use it or lose it'
Not everyone wants to reach for the pipe and slippers at a certain age. Becky Murray speaks to some veteran horse-and-rider combos for their secrets of human and equine longevity
A new way forward
Worm control in horses is vital, but established methods will not remain effective for much longer. Tim Mair FRCVS explains why and how we need to change
