THE Katie Wyse-ridden Leave It To You retained his title as champion show hunter pony on the Saturday of the recent Balmoral Show, having earlier topped the final line-up in his 153cm class in the P&O Ferries Arena.

“He’s just the total definition of a show hunter pony,” said Wyse of Amanda’s Torrens’ 18-year-old Brief Encounter gelding, who is also a multi-championship winner at Dublin. The reserve champion, who finished second to Leave It To You in their class, was the eight-year-old chesnut gelding Captain Moonlight, who is ridden for Randalstown’s Colleen Letters by her daughter, Chloe Connon.

These ponies could clash again at home and across the water, as they are both heading to the Royal Highland (June 20th to 23rd), have qualified for the Royal International at Hickstead (July 23rd to 28th) and will be aimed at the Dublin Horse Show (August 14th to 18th), where they finished first and second in the same order last year. They could also meet at other shows here and across the water.

Amanda Torrens enjoyed another good success on Saturday just past, when her Ross O’Sullivan-trained Follow Me got up close to home under a fine ride from Billy Lee to land the seven-furlong handicap at the Curragh as the 4/1 favourite.

At the Royal Highland, Leave It To You will also contest the small riding horse class, where he will be ridden by Rachel Moore. That stylish Ballynahinch rider partnered two horses for Team Torrens at Balmoral, last year’s four-year-old champion hunter, About A Master, a bay Golden Master gelding, who finished third in his mediumweight geldings’ class to the weight champion, Masterplan, and the five-year-old OBOS Quality 004 gelding Redmays Romeo, who stood second in his ‘large’ class and reserve in the riding horse championship to King Of Clubs II.

Last May, Leave It To You took the Balmoral show hunter pony title, ahead of his stable-companion Rosegate Valentine. The latter was overlooked in the championship on this occasion but, once again, the British-bred chesnut did win his 143cm class under Fermanagh’s Sophie Cathcart. The 12-year-old gelding is by the coloured stallion Cynhinfa Crackerjack out of Rosegate Allegra (by Yealand Nemesis).

The 133cm class was won by the 12-year-old Moleview Celebration gelding Annadale Prince Charming, who was ridden for Heather Lowry by her 10-year-old daughter Esther.

“We purchased the pony last October and, since then, he has been produced by Rachel Moore and her family,” commented the chesnut’s Millisle owner. “Esther has been working hard all winter with Rachel in order to be ready to compete in these open classes. Last year was only Esther’s first year in first ridden and so this has been a huge step up for her.

“Balmoral was only their third show together and they look forward to a busy showing season ahead. In July, they will compete at the Royal International having qualified, and taken champion show hunter pony, at the IPS spring championships in Mullingar, their very first show together. After the Royal International, the next big show they will aim for will be Dublin.”

Starter Stakes

Riding her mother Eileen’s British-bred gelding Bunbury Suarez, Casey-Lee Millar won the starter stakes class, where the 18-year-old Welsh Section B gelding Yrenfys Llwynog finished second in the hands of owner Shauna Brolly’s daughter Coralie. The winning combination also featured in the show’s overall starter stakes championship and then went reserve supreme, which you can read about elsewhere in this page.

Durrow’s Kate Lawlor landed the sole show pony class (123cm to 148cm) on her father Brendan’s British-bred Roseberry Make Believe, a 10-year-old daughter of Chiddock Timelord. This combination campaigned extensively on the British circuit last season, but did compete at the Irish Pony Society’s championships in Mullingar towards the end of August, when the black mare was crowned overall show pony champion.

M&M

Returning to the schedule this year were two ridden Mountain and Moorland classes (part-breds and Connemaras were not eligible), which attracted seven entries apiece. Champion and reserve, both black Dales geldings, came from the large breed class, where they had stood first and second.

The new Balmoral Mountain and Moorland champion is Brian Lewis’ Waterside Last Edition (Piper Lewis Copeland), an eight-year-old son of Griseburn while Kathryn Smiley’s Copleylane Ringo (Charlotte Smiley), a 17-year-old son of Lowside Noble John stood reserve. Anthea Steele won the small breeds class on the Shetland pony Ronelle Ebony, an eight-year-old black mare by Eynhallow Lewis.