There are few more emotive moments in the equestrian show ring than clinching that ever-elusive golden ticket to compete at the Horse of the Year Show.
Self-proclaimed as the world’s most famous horse show, it is quite simply the flagship event for the UK’s equestrian industry – and riding on the hallowed surface inside the Birmingham NEC arenas is something most riders can only ever dream of.
This year, dreams came true – in a truly spectacular fashion – for Fife duo Jo Jack and Elinor Steven, who have both qualified to make the 360-mile round trip south from Largoward, to ride side by side in the Highland Pony final of HOYS’ Mountain and Moorland championships early on the morning of Wednesday, October 5.
Uniquely, the pair – who are both friends and also work alongside each other at the Royal and Ancient Golf Club, in St Andrews – have shared the common goal of reaching this final for quite some time.
“It’s Jo’s fault that I got into Highland ponies in the first place, because I rode one of hers – Coney of Carrick – when she was away one weekend. That was more than 20 years ago now,” explained Elinor.
For Jo, the native breed has been ingrained in her life since the beginning of the 1980s, when her father’s involvement with the Scout Hut at the Dalbrack Estate, in Glen Esk, led to an opportunity for Jo to ride Gordon and Nancy McIntosh’s pony Tresta of Dalbrack at the Royal Highland the following show season.
“They gave me Rona of Dalbrack to back and bring on under saddle and she qualified for Olympia in 1986,” Jo recalled.
It wasn’t until Jo got the opportunity to ride Rona’s half-brother, Dunedin Harris, that she got her first taste of the magic and lights at HOYS. They first qualified for the finals in 1999 – the year they also won at Olympia – before repeating qualification in 2000, when Harris became (and remains) the only Highland Pony to win the HOYS M&M working hunter pony championship title.
This year Jo shares the magic with Carly Rafferty at Glentruim, riding her dun mare Margaret of Meggernie, more commonly known as Pegs or Peggy. This eight-year-old, which was bred at the Meggernie Estate, Glenlyon, is out of Riona of Croila and sired by Tower Clyde.
Elinor, in turn, returns to Birmingham to pilot her own 11-year-old Highland gelding Glenbanchor Somerled, sired by Moss-side Iain Mor and bred by Sally Leslie-Melville, of South Cantray, Croy, out of Glenbanchor Lady Fiona.
Known affectionately as Bo, this pony is responsible for truly cementing the ladies’ friendship, and proving himself utterly unique and versatile, he has already taken Elinor to HOYS – winning an eighth placing in the 2012 championship final of the Private Driving – but is equally adept with a deer saddle, side saddle and in the dressage arena.
“I can’t quite believe how lucky I am to have Bo,” said Elinor, who purchased the gelding from Jo when he was rising six. At that point, Jo, who had herself bought Bo from his breeders as a three-year-old, retained the ride and the pair have spent the last few seasons coming tantalisingly close to getting him to HOYS under saddle – finishing in second place on more than one occasion.
After finishing third at the Royal Highland in the non-qualifier class, Jo and Peggy progressed to pick up a relatively early ticket to HOYS with a win at the Highland Pony Breed Show at Brechin Castle, at the start of July.
By taking this golden ticket, Peggy notably became the only mare from all 22 of the qualifying shows to reach the 2016 HOYS final.
“We travelled to the Scottish Horse Show at the Royal Highland Showground a few weeks later, but as I had been busy with the Open at that time I wanted Jo to keep his ride,” Elinor explained.
“I was there to watch every moment unfold from the side-lines,” she added. “It was all so amazing, but such a blur that I can’t even remember what went through my mind. The support we have received has been overwhelming.
“I can’t quite believe what Bo has achieved; I get so emotional every time it comes to mind.”
Jo added: “It sounds so cliché, but gaining the qualification was like buses…you wait for years to win even one and this year two came along in succession.
“There’s just nothing quite like it. It’s certainly a once in a lifetime.”
equestrian@thecourier.co.uk
