Rider preparing for A-levels clocks historic Royal Windsor working hunter pony double

Ruby Ward posted a historic working hunter pony double when she produced champions in both the native and plaited working hunter pony ranks at Royal Windsor Horse Show, with Lady Dublin of Corderry and Noble Banksy respectively.

Ruby, who is about to take her A-Level exams, jumped a super clear over Lisa Kelly’s testing intermediate track aboard her mother Kelly’s super eight-year-old chestnut gelding. Usually shown in the 153cm ranks – of which they finished highest of those who had a pole in fourth this time – Banksy won here in that section last year and took the reserve championship.

The pair also finished second at Royal International Horse Show (RIHS) last season in what was Banksy’s first worker season.

“The course was big and technical, and cleverly built – it rode and jumped brilliantly,” said Kelly, whose sister Louise Lyons represented Ireland as part of the eventing team in the 2008 Olympics.

Ruby has now won every section of the plaited workers here with Noble Peppermint (133cm), Noble Ronan (143cm), Lady Dublin of Corderry (143cm), Woodfield Hazy (153cm) and twice with Noble Banksy in both the 153cm and intermediate ranks.

Eventer crowned Royal Windsor reserve WHP champion

Reserve champion went to young eventer Lily Brennan and the 153cm victor Granite Des Iris (Milo).

“We just came for a lovely day out as Royal Windsor is one of our favourite shows and I can’t believe we won – he tried his absolute heart out,” said Lily, who took the British Show Pony Society Burghley Gold Cup championship with Milo last season.

The pair have been placed at RIHS and have qualified for Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) the past two seasons, but their real passion lies in eventing, in which they compete up to two-star and have posted two top-10 finishes in the under-18 events this season.

Ollie Rowlands was not to be outdone by his sister Poppy – who won the not exceeding 122cm native workers on Delami Bravado earlier in the day – when he secured his own Royal Windsor win in the 143cm class with Dunran Love In The Mist (Lottie).

Owner Avril Kelly flew over from Ireland especially to watch the pair compete today and they did not disappoint, having also picked up their RIHS qualification in the native ranks earlier in the day. The 10-year-old Connemara mare is by the prolific sire I Love You Melody and contested her first BE100 event at Eland Lodge last month finishing a credible fifth on her dressage score.

The final winner from the section was the 133cm victors, Bluebell Beechey and Annandale Cufflink, who only started contesting the working hunter pony qualifiers last year, but ended the season jumping at HOYS.

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