‘I’ve waited 36 years for my Windsor win’: rider’s joy as ‘sublime’ horse is champion

Within a 10 minute window, two horses from the same yard landed both side-saddle titles on offer at the 2024 Royal Windsor Horse Show. Stealing the show in the 2024 Royal Windsor ladies’ hunter class was Charlotte Clark riding her own and her mother Elizabeth Trembath’s lightweight gelding Harbour Master II (Marley).

The Harlequin Du Carel eight-year-old is based with Jayne Ross, a side-saddle icon herself who has won this accolade numerous times on the likes of Hello Dolly and Time2Reflect.

“I just love riding at Windsor, though while I’ve been coming here for 36 years this is my first-ever win here,” said mum-of-three Charlotte, who has been based with Team Ross for eight years. “Adding to this, Mum and Dad’s KBF Stackton Tressel won the novice heavyweights this morning. So, we’ve waited over three decades for a win here, and we get two in one day!”

Earlier today, Marley finished third in a hotly-contested lightweight class under Jayne. Marley came over from Ireland originally and Charlotte and her parents bought him as an unshown four-year-old.

“He’s just turned eight now and he’s in his prime,” Charlotte added. “We’ve been here in the ladies’ three times so I think we’ve finally hit the nail on the head. He rose to the occasion today. He’s quite a busy person and he likes the spotlight; he’s definitely an attention seeker, though when he gets it right he’s sublime.”

Jayne was not to be outdone by her students, though, as she held onto a top initial pull in after the go-round to win the British Show Horse Association (BSHA) ladies’ show horse honours with Diane Stennett’s KBF Lucia, the reigning Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) ladies’ champion.

The Free Spirit seven-year-old is also a multi-garlanded ridden coloured show horse who has won HOYS twice with Jayne astride, too.

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