Big performance from Tiny Dancer

Despite low entries in the plaited ranks, there is quality in abundance and top-class combinations lift major titles

LEEMAN family fortunes continued to improve when their delightful home-bred 128cm victor Kellythorpes Tiny Dancer (Gillie) gave stand-in jockey Macie Donaldson a first Royal Windsor win before taking the open Martin Collins Enterprises show pony championship.

The seven-year-old mare was a big winner in-hand and has continued this trend under saddle, produced by Craig Elenor and Sara Parrott. This was also the Leemans’ first pony title here, although Gillie – named in memory of the legendary Chiddock pony breeder Gillie Davies – has won at the Royal International (RIHS) and Great Yorkshire. She is also through to Horse of the Year Show (HOYS), having finished fourth in 2019.

Macie, 11, was deputising for the pony’s usual rider Cate Kerr, who was on showjumping duties, and it was her first Royal Windsor sash, too. She admitted her aim had just been to complete the class and not fall off, as she did from another pony on her only other visit here. However, she need not have worried as this exquisite mare never missed a beat, carrying her beautiful manners through to the championship.

Numbers were down in most of the plaited pony classes, but there was quality in abundance. The show pony reserve went to Libby Grota with the Morgans’ home-bred Cusop Dimension five-year-old 148cm, Excelcis Omnia Ducem. Celebrations were already underway as this pony’s full-brother, Excelcis Laudamus, had earlier headed the novice 138cm class.

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