TROTTING down the centre line after securing one of the supreme horse or pony sashes during Sunday night's closing evening performance at the Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) is an ambition many riders strive to achieve over their careers. That position under the spotlights is the ultimate aspiration on many producers and breeders' bucket lists, too, but with only one horse and one pony of the year crowned each season, it's a dream that will never be a reality for the majority of people.
Sophie Staveley had been riding at HOYS for 21 years before she joined the elite few who have their name etched onto the Timberwolf Trophy awarded to the overall pony of the year winner. Her victory in the 2023 Supreme Products supreme pony championship was something of a surprise as her ride was a novice five-year-old making her debut in Birmingham.
Swan Lake (Can Can), an elegant bay mare bred by Jerome Harforth and David Dixon, had clinched the part-bred tricolour earlier in the week, which had marked Sophie's first-ever HOYS win.
"I still can't believe it happened," says Sophie, 33, two weeks after the win. "A friend recently asked what it was actually like to ride under the spotlight in the supreme with all the clapping and cheering from the crowd, but to be honest I didn't even realise what was going on. I had complete tunnel vision and in the moment I was just focused on the job at hand."
SOPHIE is no stranger to the major championship shows, having qualified for both HOYS and the Royal International (RIHS) on many occasions in various classes. Her first HOYS ride came in 2002, with Pippa Kirby's home-bred coloured pony Monivea Magic Rainbow.
Showing has always been somewhat of a secondary passion for Sophie, who has successfully worked as a rider in the racing industry for many years. On leaving school she went to work for Pippa's husband, racehorse trainer Philip Kirby.
Denne historien er fra November 30, 2023-utgaven av Horse & Hound.
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Denne historien er fra November 30, 2023-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.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
'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
