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‘He’s a natural, he just carries himself so lovely’: exciting young talent shines in novice hunters at Royal Windsor Horse Show

Celeste Gall Celeste Gall

    • Robert Walker secured back to back hunter championships at Royal Windsor Horse Show, this time taking the novice hunter with Jill Day’s eye-catching gelding Kief Dreamcatcher (Chicken).

    The five-year-old dark bay gelding was spotted by Robert in Ireland. They went back to see him as a two-year-old and purchased him from Desmond Gibson, from whom they also purchased his open hunter champion Greenhall Treasure Island.

    Despite finishing second in the novice lightweight division to Will Morton aboard Rosamund Lane’s five-year-old Red Valentine II, Chicken rose to the occasion in the championship to come out on top.

    “He had a little hump with the judge in the class,” admitted Robert, who added: “I went back to the lorry feeling very excited for his future, but when we came back for the championship he turned the judges’ decision around.

    “I’d say if you want a 16.1hh lightweight hunter then he is every bit of that. Ever since we backed him he is just a natural, he just carries himself so lovely,” said Robert, who already claimed the novice hunter title with him at North of England in April.

    Royal Windsor Horse Show reserve novice hunter champion

    Alice Homer landed the novice heavyweight class and went on secure to reserve championship on the six-year-old black gelding Gunpowder Plot.

    He is owned by Georgina Dunne, who only purchased him last autumn and has been riding him while Alice enjoyed six months of travelling in Australia and New Zealand.

    “Hopefully he will make a lovely middleweight, but we would really love for him to make a worker; he has a fantastic jump,” said Alice.

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    Celeste Gal
    Celeste Gal

    Freelance showing reporter
    Celeste is an experienced equestrian journalist based in Cornwall, specialising in native breeds and carriage driving. She has been reporting showing for Horse & Hound since 2012. Celeste brings a lifelong passion for ponies to her reporting. She competed both plaited and native working hunter ponies up to her teenage years, then taught herself to carriage drive in 2018 and has successfully competed and won at county and national level.
    Celeste Gal

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