The South East Arabian Horse Group Spring Show 2014
The South East Arabian Horse Group’s 2014 Spring Show was held on 27th April at the Merrist Wood College Campus near Guildford, Surrey. This has become the regular venue for this show with its superb indoor arena and extensive spectator seating. The weather was changeable this year with some heavy downpours amidst plenty of glorious sunshine. The arena was divided into two rings allowing the early classes to run in parallel and was opened up to use the full area for the HOYS Ridden classes.
All the championships at this years show were very generously sponsored by AL MUAWD STUD, Saudi Arabia with cash prizes being presented to the successful exhibitors.
With entries being taken on the day complementing those already received support was strong again this year. The ridden classes attracting good entries being early qualifiers for HOYS for the Pure Bred Ridden Arabs and Cherif Championships for the Ridden Anglo’s and Part Bred Arabs.
The change to the qualifying rules for HOYS means only one horse can qualify at a show, this coming from the championship of the qualifying classes. Ridden judge Miss Stephanie Turner presented this honour to Mr & Mrs Warner’s chestnut stallion PATROS HB (Psytadel x Padisha Ibn Estopa) capably ridden by Clare Fitch. The runner up in the Open Ridden Championship was awarded to Lee Bennett’s beautiful liver chestnut mare IANTHE (Shaka x Lady Jane Grey) ridden by Harriet Podd.
The Pure Bred Novice Ridden classes produced the largest class of the day with 17 forward in the mares and geldings. The winner and Novice Champion was Ms S Robinson’s grey gelding AJA BENRAZ (WH Justice x AJA Beneja). Second and Reserve Champion went to Natalie Pix’s chestnut gelding TAROUB (Spearmint x Tamira) ridden by Vikki Court.
Anglo and Part Bred Ridden classes were hotly contested with nearly all entries coming forward giving ridden judge Alison Embleton a difficult task. These classes attracted late entries of a high standard with some of these taking high placings. The novice winner was Virginia Russell-Wood’s home bred dark bay gelding MUSIC MAN (Chestnut Park All That Jazz x Stage Whisper), the 148cms and under winner was Evita Gonzalez’s CHASEFORD SPARKLE with Mandy Burr and Maria Pook’s well-known skewbald gelding PERRYLAND POLITICIAN (Harroway Mr Harliquin x Morning Magic) heading up the over 148cms and going on to take the Championship. Championship runner up was Mrs Shawyer’s bay gelding LENMARS SHANDY REFLECTION (Cranleigh Swift Reflection x Headsnook Shady Shadow).
It was wonderful to see the Young Riders class with ten of the eleven entries forward all hoping to qualify for the Midland Young Riders Championship. The worthy winner was Jevon Gilham riding Gill Bryan’s lovely veteran mare ALKAFF (Nazim x Ytsia) aged 23 years young. Jevon has progressed to the ridden discipline having excelled in Young Handler classes in the South East as well as at the AHS National Championship Show. Miss Imogen Rodgers was hot on Jevon’s heels riding LOWLANDS TALISMAN.
In-hand classes for registered Pure Bred Arabians and Anglo & Part Bred Arabs were judged by Mr Ryan Jones. There were Crabbet classes for those Pure Bred Arabs with a minimum on 75% Crabbet breeding kindly judged by Mrs. Joyce Smith. The Anglo & Part Bred In-hand classes attracted increased entries this year. Judge Ryan Jones found his champion Anglo & Part Bred in the gelding class with Mr & Mrs Bourne’s pinto SAS I FEEL FRISKY (KF I Feel Rowdy x Medekaya) with the late entry Mrs R Devrakuma’s SENTIMENTS ROYAL ELEGANC in the 2 & 3 year old class taking the reserve.
In the Pure Bred In Hand section the geldings produced the largest class with the Hon Mary Ann Wragg’s chesnut gelding MIRV (Psadisho Ibn Esstashan x Mirwana) taking the red rosette. Ryan Jones found his Pure Bred In-Hand Champion in the winner of the mare class Lee Bennett’s NASZEEMA (Narismma x Saszarta). The Reserve was awarded to John Brewster’s fabulous 2 year old colt AAREMIS (Aazari x Bey Sheba) who also won his Crabbet youngstock class judged by Mrs Joyce Smith. Other winners in the Crabbet classes were Patricia Morris’s SILVER BUGAL (Silver Highwayman x Dahshana) in the 4 and 5 year olds with Lorna Ewin’s FAIRWINDS JEDI (Kasadi x Silvered Rosebud) taking the senior class. The Crabbet classes were very generously sponsored by Reimore Arabians and C J Arabians.
The In Hand Champion of the Show was awarded to the Pure Bred Champion and Reserve, Lee Bennett’s NASZEEMA and John Brewster’s AAREMIS as disappointingly the Anglo and Part Bred Champion and Reserve did not come not forward.
This show was also a qualifier for the CHAPS (UK) Championships for both In Hand and Ridden sections and was open to non-Arab horses. Miss Susan Holliday kindly judge these classes where there was a variety of types forward. Miss Holliday’s In Hand winner was Cindy Smith’s DUBLINS MA AJMALA (Hombres Boston Chico x Elahsaan) with Mandy Burr and Maria Pook’s PERRYLAND POLITICIAN (Harroway Mr Harliquin x Morning Magic) being winner of the ridden section.
Pippa Bowles
on behalf of South East Arabian Horse Group
