A YOUNG amateur rider from Lymm, Emilia Stone and her pony, Scotgate Spot On have qualified for the prestigious Horse of the Year Show in October.
Emilia and her mother Sarah’s Dartmoor pony, made the trip to Stoneleigh Park in Warwickshire for the SEIB Search for a Star qualifier on May 25. They will now go on to compete under the bright lights of the HOYS Arena at the NEC in Birmingham in early October.
The pair competed in and won the Working Pony class under top judges Sam DeCaprio and Louise Gaunt to earn their HOYS qualification.
Thirteen-year-old Emilia said: “He’s been a bit cheeky at the last few shows so we were hoping he’d be happy to be here today! I came to Search for a Star last year and got to the Your Horse Live finals in the Pony Club class so we thought we’d come back this year and try a HOYS qualifying class!”
Sarah said: “We’re moving to France in August for my husband’s job so we will have to make a plan now for HOYS! We won’t be able to take our ponies there and will be living in central Paris. We will ride at the Ecole Militaire – the Military College – near the Eiffel Tower!”
SEIB Search for a Star organiser, Nicolina MacKenzie said: “Search for a Star is all about the journey and learning and improving over time. Our team of judges and stewards are all invested in providing support and encouragement to help competitors and their horses and ponies perform to the best level they can.”
See www.seib.co.uk/competitions for updates. To enter visit www.seib.co.uk/competitions/schedule
