His decade-long career as a ridden pony culminated in the coloured of the year championship at HOYS 2019. Alex Robinson speaks to the connections of this special traditional stallion, who is set to make his debut as a veteran
DEL BOY V owned by Miss V Smith winner of the Champion Ridden Coloured, during Great Yorkshire Show held at the Great Yorkshire Showground in Harrogate in Yorkshire between 10 - 12th July 2018
Del Boy V
Age: 16 Breeding: unknown Owner/rider: Michelle Cuerden Greatest achievements: 2010, first and reserve HOYS coloured horse and pony of the year championship; 2011, first native/traditional large ridden pony RIHS; 2018, first and champion ridden coloured Royal Windsor, first and champion ridden coloured Great Yorkshire Show, King of the Ring champion CHAPS championships, first £1,000 Vanguard coloured supreme North of England summer; 2019, first and champion HOYS coloured horse and pony of the year championship.
Owner Michelle Cuerden
“The way I came to get ‘Derek’ was rather bizarre. I wanted to send a horse to Susie Shuttleworth’s yard for breaking in, but she didn’t have any space so suggested I took Derek – her 2010 Horse of the Year Show [HOYS] winner – for a while. At the time I said I couldn’t possibly take him, but he ended up coming to my yard and I fell in love. On my birthday my husband, Mark, presented me with Derek’s passport.
