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The Showing Journal November 2020 13 in Nottingham that I discovered New horizons polo. I was keen to try something Lucinda Martin and Fly at home stick and balling. new with like-minded people, so I joined the polo club. However, by the end of my final year, I had become the president. I was never especially good, but I enjoyed the camaraderie, the adrenaline rush and the social life of course! I met my- now best friends, who were all at the top of their game in their own equestrian fields, ranging from junior GB show jumping and Pony Club teams to horse ball GB teams. ‘I had to give up polo when I left university to pursue my career in interior design in London, as I just did not have time to play whilst fitting in the showing, which always came first. I once missed out on a holiday to Mauritius as I wanted to compete at RIHS. Luckily, I ended up going champion in the amateur hunters with my middleweight show hunter Boss, so that made up for it! ‘I moved back to Shropshire 18 months ago, and after a chance encounter with the Shropshire Polo Club manager Major Terry Warburton, I decided to take it up again, becoming an official member of the Hurlingham Polo Association. It is now coming to the end of the grass season and Variety is the beginning of the winter arena polo season. I wanted to get some practice in with a stick and ball and my show horse Fly is the perfect the spice of life height. So, with a harrowed and rolled arena at home, I intend to keep practising through the winter. It has long been said that diverse training can improve the show horse. Now, I think that the partnership we have built up over the years in the more than ever, with the show season being cut unexpectedly short, riders are show ring has meant that he has discovering that their show animals have many hidden talents. So, is it time taken to the mallet much more to get out of the arena and take the plunge with your training? …We find out easily, because he trusts me. My from various The Showing Journal readers who have done just that… aim for next season is to continue showing Fly, who absolutely loves being the centre of attention and in front of the camera. I will also be doing some winter dressage arena — including scooping the £1,000 June with my show hunter Boss as some By Natalie Reynolds Horsfall supreme at the North Of England Show, practice before he comes out as a winning five part-bred championships in a row at veteran next season.’ rying something different, Royal Cheshire County and twice being fourth at thinking outside the box and the Royal International Horse Show (RIHS). ‘Fly trialling a variety of new disciplines is a wonderful horse,’ enthused Lucinda. ‘I had can really help your show horse’s success in my 20s showing al ion Tdevelopment and training. Exposing them to new hunters but Fly, who is at in u experiences and challenges can help to de-sensitise q barely 15 hands, has E f and acclimatise them to different situations, o even taught me to y s e helping to develop into an educated and well- t ride side-saddle r u rounded horse. o and we were c Lucinda Martin and o t her part-bred Arab Lucinda Martin’s super-versatile 15-year- unbeaten in o h champion Fly By old Fly By Moonlight (Fly) has successfully the concours P Moonlight at Royal competed in intermediate show riding type, d’elegance Cheshire 2017. part-bred Arab, small hack and side saddle at the Cherif classes, and is now turning his hoof to the sport Championships. It was Continued of polo. He has swept the board in the showing when I went to university overleaf... www.theshowingjournal.co.uk 14 The Showing Journal New horizons Photography Weller of Richard courtesy Photo of Equinational courtesy Photo Charlotte Hunkin riding Charlotte Blair’s Equador at Poplar Park ODE 2020. Jess Hardiman and Comberton Cirrus at the CHAPS Covid show 2020. Charlotte Blair purchased her multi-talented show horses are challenged in other disciplines, dressage so helpful to combat those nerves. I now show hunter Equador (Louie), now 11, from Neil as it serves to freshen them up and prevent them think of my show as a dressage test with markers. Fiddes as a five-year-old. He has had a wonderful from going a bit stale.’ This enables me to focus on the arena and plan my showing record to date, having competed Huddersfield-based Jess Hardiman’s eight-year- shows with more accuracy. successfully with Charlotte in the amateur and old coloured mare Comberton Cirrus (Puzzle) ‘Puzzle seems to have a natural flair for open lightweight hunter classes, and in the novice was purchased five years ago by her mother from dressage and has taken to it brilliantly. So far, the workers with her good friend Charlotte Hunkin. John Dodson as a 21st birthday present. judges have liked her big movement and flowing His highlights of 2019 were clinching the tests. Her sire was an advanced dressage Photo courtesy of James A Wilson courtesy Photo amateur lightweight hunter title at the Royal horse, as well as winning numerous showing Windsor Horse Show and winning both his championships, so perhaps she is following novice worker classes. Equador has also in his hoofprints. With most of the planned qualified for Horse of The Year Show (HOYS) shows in my calendar cancelled this year, we three times. ‘In late September, I passed the have concentrated more on dressage. On only a reins back to my friend Charlotte (Hunkin) for handful of dressage outings, we have managed his first one-day event (ODE) at Poplar Park, to be in the top 20 out of 85 starters on the where he finished on a dressage score of 21 and Northern Region leaderboard, resulting in us jumped a double clear to win his section,’ said qualifying for the regional finals, where we Charlotte. finished fifth! My aim this winter is to move ‘With limited shows this season, it seemed up to full BD affiliation and elementary level. a good opportunity to keep the competitive I have regular lessons with top dressage rider spirit flowing by trying something a little Becky Moody. She has really helped me — not different. Louie had taken to cross country like only in the dressage, but also in the general a duck to water, so we took the plunge into the way of going of the horse for the showing eventing world. We plan to continue his career Jess Hardiman and Comberton Cirrus at Aldham Mill BD arena. Next season I hope to continue with the in eventing alongside the showing, as it has MyQuest, where they won the prelim and novice classes. dressage and get to HOYS, with assistance been such a wonderful experience. His flatwork from Julia Moorhouse who helps me so was already there from the showing, and with him A full-sister to the successful small riding much.’ enjoying the jumping as well, it seemed the perfect horse Comberton Capriccio and half-sister Nine-year-old show cob Great combination. I also have ambitions to ride him side to HOYS, RIHS and Royal Windsor- Expectations (Nobby) has certainly saddle. He has been an absolute superstar horse to winning small hack Comberton Carbon lived up to his show name, by exceeding own since day one and his versatility has definitely Copy, Puzzle was bred by Sally and Peter all of his owner Nikki Mountain’s shone this year. I think it is important that the Hobbs. Puzzle is by Stanhopes Diddicoy dreams when taking her to HOYS. out of Comberton Chloe. He is also now proving his versatility ‘I have owned Puzzle since she by competing in dressage and was three,’ said Jess. ‘Showing going on bloodhound exercise. ‘I has always been my main bought Nobby as a newly broken aim, although due to four-year-old purely just for her age, I have only general hacking and some local shown her lightly showing,’ said Nikki. so far. We were sixth ‘Never did I think we at the Great Yorkshire would be going to HOYS! Show and my friend Photo courtesy of 1st Class Images Class of 1st courtesy Photo It was my friend and Jordan Cook was instructor Michaela Pollitt second on her at who convinced me to CHAPS last year. try some Search For A She has qualified Star qualifiers. We qualified every year for RIHS, but we for HOYS in 2018 and thanks to have not yet managed to get to Nobby, Michaela and her husband HOYS. I decided to have a go at Tony, all of my dreams came true. some dressage, as I was always very nervous in the showring when performing my individual show and Nikki Mountain and Great Expectations had started to make a bit of a mess competing in dressage at Oakley Equestrian Centre 2019. Charlotte and Equador in the lightweight hunter class at HOYS 2018. of it, if I’m honest. I have found the www.theshowingjournal.co.uk Photo courtesy of David Sharp November 2020 15 experiences. ‘I am so much more confident than I used to be and the showring seems a little less intimidating now.’ Sarah Field’s show cob The Cobfather (Bruce) arose from the Photo courtesy of SMR Photography.