‘He’s a super type’: part-bred Connemara commands attention to win Royal International title

Last year’s Royal International (RIHS) and Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) runner-up came to the fore at Hickstead this year to lift the 2024 Enablelink RIHS show hunter pony championship, despite being in only his second ridden season.

The Gribbin Family’s six-year-old 153cm campaigner Rosscon Copycat was the consummate professional in the International Arena championship, guided all the way by his long-term rider Reise Shakespeare. The pair, who are based with Adam Forster and David Jinks in Cheshire, cemented their performance with a smooth yet powerful gallop.

They were called into the top spot ahead of the winning 143cm combination, Ella Eynon and her mother Rebecca Faulkner’s Stretcholt Roulette, this year’s Royal Cheshire hunter pony champion and a former RIHS and HOYS class victor.

“We liked our champion as soon as he came into the ring; he instantly said ‘look at me’,” said conformation judge Anthea Derby. “Our reserve was stunning, too. It was a difficult choice. We had to wait for the championship to see who was really going to sparkle the best, but what a lovely choice we had. We were so impressed with the winners we had; all very true types.”

Ride judge Anne Leaver agreed: “We liked every one of our championship ponies. Our champion was a super type and a proper hunter pony with a leg at each corner, but still with quality. He would have been your scaled down middleweight, and our reserve a scaled down lightweight with an equal amount of quality.”

Copycat is by thoroughbred stallion Royal Storm out of Connemara Chilham Quest. Earlier this year, he provided Reise with his first-ever Royal Windsor championship title and on his outing ahead of the RIHS, he won the £1000 pony supreme spoils at North of England summer show.

Joining in the 2024 Enablelink RIHS show hunter pony championship were the second placed 143cm and 153cm combinations, Romanno Spot Of Distinction (Maisie Durose) and Master Jack (Hollie Mcgauley).

The 133cm representatives were classes winners Sancarlo (Isabella Walker) and Parkhill Di Maria (Macie Donaldson), while top two in the 122cm class were Thistledown Galaxy (Rocco Lindsay) and Isley Walton Gold (Jodie McKay).

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