Hunter contenders are out in force, a novice worker makes a winning debut and a young rider triumphs over a tough track
BSPS Area 6 flat and working hunter training show, Dallas Burston Polo Club, Warks
It was a battle of the greats in the hunter championship as Claire Oliver and Cudlic Spartacus (Sparky) took the overall title over Jayne Ross and Bloomfield Greystones. Sparky – a sport horse by Foxcourt Andante – is in his second season with Team Oliver, who have had him since his owner, Susan Granger, bought him as a raw, unbroken four-year-old from his breeder Lucy Williams.
The upstanding middleweight was one of last term’s top novice candidates, landing the novice supreme at the National Hunter championships. “He’s a proper middleweight and we really do rate him,” said Robert Oliver. “He’s the right type to go really far. We hope to hunt him with the Ledbury this season.”
{"content":"PHA+SmF5bmXigJlzIHJpZGUgd2FzIHRoZSBmaXZlLXllYXItb2xkIENyb3NzdG93biBEYW5jZXIgc29uIEJsb29tZmllbGQgR3JleXN0b25lcywgd2hvIGlzIG93bmVkIGJ5IGhlciBodXNiYW5kIEFsYW4uPC9wPgo8cD5UZWFtIFJvc3MgYWxzbyBsYW5kZWQgdGhlIGNvYiBjaGFtcGlvbnNoaXAgd2l0aCBCb21iYXJkaWVyIHdoaWxlIEFsaWNlIEhvbWVyIGJlY2FtZSBpbnRlcm1lZGlhdGUgY2hhbXBpb24gd2l0aCB0aGUgcmVpZ25pbmcgSG9yc2Ugb2YgdGhlIFllYXIgU2hvdyAoSE9ZUykgcmlkaW5nIGhvcnNlIG9mIHRoZSB5ZWFyIENhc2lubyBJSUkuPC9wPgo8aDM+4oCcSGXigJlzIGEgcGxlYXN1cmUgdG8gb3du4oCdPC9oMz4KPHA+T25lIG9mIHRoZSBjaXJjdWl04oCZcyBtb3N0IGNvbnNpc3RlbnQgd29ya2luZyBodW50ZXIgcmlkZXJzIHByb3ZlZCBzaGUgaGFkbuKAmXQgbG9zdCBhbiBpbmNoIG9mIGhlciBnYW1lIG92ZXIgbG9ja2Rvd24sIGFzIHNoZSB0b29rIGJvdGggbm92aWNlIGFuZCBvcGVuIHdvcmtpbmcgaHVudGVyIHBvbnkgYWNjb2xhZGVzLjwvcD4KPHA+PGRpdiBjbGFzcz0iYWQtY29udGFpbmVyIGFkLWNvbnRhaW5lci0tbW9iaWxlIj48ZGl2IGlkPSJwb3N0LWlubGluZS0yIiBjbGFzcz0iaXBjLWFkdmVydCI+PC9kaXY+PC9kaXY+PHNlY3Rpb24gaWQ9ImVtYmVkX2NvZGUtMzEiIGNsYXNzPSJoaWRkZW4tbWQgaGlkZGVuLWxnIHMtY29udGFpbmVyIHN0aWNreS1hbmNob3IgaGlkZS13aWRnZXQtdGl0bGUgd2lkZ2V0X2VtYmVkX2NvZGUgcHJlbWl1bV9pbmxpbmVfMiI+PHNlY3Rpb24gY2xhc3M9InMtY29udGFpbmVyIGxpc3RpbmctLXNpbmdsZSBsaXN0aW5nLS1zaW5nbGUtc2hhcmV0aHJvdWdoIGltYWdlLWFzcGVjdC1sYW5kc2NhcGUgZGVmYXVsdCBzaGFyZXRocm91Z2gtYWQgc2hhcmV0aHJvdWdoLWFkLWhpZGRlbiI+DQogIDxkaXYgY2xhc3M9InMtY29udGFpbmVyX19pbm5lciI+DQogICAgPHVsPg0KICAgICAgPGxpIGlkPSJuYXRpdmUtY29udGVudC1tb2JpbGUiIGNsYXNzPSJsaXN0aW5nLWl0ZW0iPg0KICAgICAgPC9saT4NCiAgICA8L3VsPg0KICA8L2Rpdj4NCjwvc2VjdGlvbj48L3NlY3Rpb24+PC9wPgo8cD5FbWlseSBHYXlub3ItU21pdGjigJlzIG5vdmljZSBjaGFtcGlvbiB3YXMgYSBuZXcgZmFjZSwgdGhlIGRhcmsgYmF5IGludGVybWVkaWF0ZSBHcmFmdG9uIFN0cmVldCAoUm9ubmllKS4gVGhlIGZpdmUteWVhci1vbGQgSXJpc2gtYnJlZCBnZWxkaW5nIGlzIGJ5IHRoZSBzaG93anVtcGluZyBzaXJlIENvbmRpb3MgYW5kIG91dCBvZiBWYW1waXJlIFNsYXllci4gSGUgd2FzIGJvdWdodCBqdXN0IHR3byBtb250aHMgYWdvLjwvcD4KPHA+SW4gdGhlIGNoYW1waW9uc2hpcCwgUm9ubmllIHdhcyByaWRkZW4gdG8gdmljdG9yeSBieSBHZW9yZ2lhIEF1bmdpZXIgYXMgRW1pbHkgb3B0ZWQgdG8gcmlkZSBoZXIgMTVoaCBub3ZpY2Ugd2lubmVyLCB0aGUgY29sb3VyZWQgZ2VsZGluZyBSYWNoYW4gV2VzdGNvdW50cnkgVG9vLjwvcD4KPHA+4oCcV2Ugd2VyZSBsb29raW5nIGZvciBhbiBpbnRlcm1lZGlhdGUgYW5kIE11beKAmXMgb25seSBjb25kaXRpb24gd2FzIHRoYXQgaXQgd2FzbuKAmXQgZ3JleSwgY29sb3VyZWQgb3IgYSBtYXJlLOKAnSBzYWlkIEVtaWx5LCB3aG8gdHJhaW5zIHdpdGggaGVyIG1vdGhlciBDYXRoZXJpbmUgVGF5bG9yIGFzIHdlbGwgYXMgZXZlbnRlciBNaWNoYWVsIE93ZW4uIOKAnEhlciByZWFzb24gd2FzIHRoYXQgaWYgd2UgaGFkIGEgYmFkIGRheSB0aGVuIGF0IGxlYXN0IHdlIGhhZG7igJl0IHNwZW50IGhvdXJzIHdhc2hpbmcu4oCdPC9wPgo8ZGl2IGNsYXNzPSJhZC1jb250YWluZXIgYWQtY29udGFpbmVyLS1tb2JpbGUiPjxkaXYgaWQ9InBvc3QtaW5saW5lLTMiIGNsYXNzPSJpcGMtYWR2ZXJ0Ij48L2Rpdj48L2Rpdj4KPHA+RW1pbHkgYWxzbyB3b24gdGhlIG9wZW4gYWNjb2xhZGUgd2l0aCBFbGxhcyBNZWxvZHkuPC9wPgo8cD5MaWx5IFJpY2hhcmRzb24gdG9vayB0aGUgbWluaSB3b3JraW5nIGh1bnRlciB0aXRsZSB3aXRoIHRoZSBXZWxzaCBzZWN0aW9uIEEgRWxiZXJyeSBTdWlsZW4uPC9wPgo8ZGl2IGNsYXNzPSJhZC1jb250YWluZXIgYWQtY29udGFpbmVyLS1tb2JpbGUiPjxkaXYgaWQ9InBvc3QtaW5saW5lLTQiIGNsYXNzPSJpcGMtYWR2ZXJ0Ij48L2Rpdj48L2Rpdj4KPHA+4oCcU3VpbGVuIGxvdmVzIHRvIGp1bXAs4oCdIHNhaWQgTGlseeKAmXMgbW90aGVyIEx1Y3kuIOKAnEhlIHdvbiBoaXMgZmlyc3QgUm95YWwgSW50ZXJuYXRpb25hbCB0aWNrZXQgd2l0aCBFbW1hIEF0a2lucyBhdCB0aGUgc3RhcnQgb2YgdGhlIHNlYXNvbi4gU2hlIGp1bXBzIGhpbSB0byB0ZWFjaCBoaW0gdGhlIHJvcGVzIG92ZXIgdGhlIGJpZ2dlciB0cmFja3MuIEhl4oCZcyBhIGNvb2wgcG9ueS7igJ08L3A+CjxwPlJlc2VydmUgd2VudCB0byBsYXN0IHllYXLigJlzIDEzM2NtIG1vdW50YWluIGFuZCBtb29ybGFuZCB3b3JraW5nIGh1bnRlciBwb255IG9mIHRoZSB5ZWFyIHdpbm5lcnMsIE1pbGZvcmQgRmFpciBIb25leWJlZSBhbmQgSWxhIFdpbmdyb3ZlLjwvcD4KPGRpdiBjbGFzcz0iYWQtY29udGFpbmVyIGFkLWNvbnRhaW5lci0tbW9iaWxlIj48ZGl2IGlkPSJwb3N0LWlubGluZS01IiBjbGFzcz0iaXBjLWFkdmVydCI+PC9kaXY+PC9kaXY+CjxwPlRoZSBzaG93IHBvbnkgaG9ub3VycyB3ZW50IHRvIHRoZSB5b3VuZyBwcm9zcGVjdCBTdGFubGV5IEdyYW5nZSBHaWx0IEVkZ2UgKEFubmFiZWwgRHJha2UpLiBUaGUgMTQ4Y20gY29udGVuZGVyIGlzIGp1c3QgYSBmaXZlLXllYXItb2xkIGFuZCBoYXMgcHJldmlvdXNseSBiZWVuIHNob3duIHRvIHRvcCBsZXZlbCBpbi1oYW5kLjwvcD4KPGgzPuKAnFNoZeKAmXMgYSBndXRzeSByaWRlcuKAnTwvaDM+CjxwPkRlc3BpdGUganVzdCBjZWxlYnJhdGluZyBoZXIgMTF0aCBiaXJ0aGRheSwgcGx1Y2t5IHlvdW5nIHJpZGVyIEdyYWNpZSBBdW5naWVyIGp1bXBlZCBhIG1lZ2Egcm91bmQgaW4gdGhlIG9wZW4gMTRoaCB3b3JrZXJzIHRvIHdpbiBhbmQgc3RhbmQgc2VjdGlvbiByZXNlcnZlLiBIZXIgcmlkZSB3YXMgdGhlIGNvbG91cmVkIEFsbGFuZHkgR29sZCBTcGFyayAoQW5keSkuIEFuZHkgaGFzIGEgcmVhbCByYWdzIHRvIHJpY2hlcyBzdG9yeS48L3A+CjxwPuKAnFdlIGJvdWdodCBBbmR5IGJhY2sgaW4gMjAxMyzigJ0gZXhwbGFpbmVkIEdyYWNpZeKAmXMgc2lzdGVyIEdlb3JnaWEsIHdobyBwcm9kdWNlcyB0aGUgcG9ueSBmcm9tIGhvbWUgYW5kIGFsc28gcm9kZSBoaW0gdG8gd2luIGF0IEhpY2tzdGVhZCBpbiAyMDE1LiDigJxIZSBoYWQgYmVlbiBydW4gYXMgYSBzaG93anVtcGluZyBwb255IGJ1dCB3YXMgYWR2ZXJ0aXNlZCBhcyBkYW5nZXJvdXMgc28gSSBwcmV0dHkgbXVjaCBoYWQgdG8gcmVzdGFydCBoaW0u4oCdPC9wPgo8cD5BbmR5IGhhcyBiZWVuIG9uIGxvYW4gdG8gTWFkZGllIFBsdW1iIGZvciB0aGUgcGFzdCB0d28gc2Vhc29ucywgdGhlIHBhaXIgbGFuZGluZyBzZWNvbmQgYXQgSE9ZUyBhcyB3ZWxsIGFzIHR3byBjb25zZWN1dGl2ZSB3aW5zIGFuZCBhIGNoYW1waW9uc2hpcCBhdCBCdXJnaGxleS48L3A+CjxkaXYgY2xhc3M9ImluamVjdGlvbiI+PC9kaXY+CjxwPuKAnEhlIGNhbWUgaG9tZSBhZnRlciBIT1lTIGxhc3QgeWVhciBhbmQgd2UgaGF2ZSBiZWVuIHRyYWluaW5nIHRocm91Z2hvdXQgd2ludGVyLOKAnSBhZGRlZCBHZW9yZ2lhLCB3aG8gbGVkIEdyYWNpZSB0byB3aW4gdGhlIEhPWVMgbGVhZC1yZWluIGh1bnRlciBwb255IGZpbmFsIGluIDIwMTguIOKAnEdyYWNpZSBnZXRzIG9uIGEgbG90IG9mIG15IGJyZWFrZXJzIGF0IGhvbWUgYXMgc2hl4oCZcyBhIHZlcnkgZ3V0c3kgcmlkZXIuIFNoZSBhbHNvIHRlYWNoZXMgbW9zdCBvZiB0aGUgeW91bmcgbGl0dGxlIHBvbmllcyB0byBzdGFydCBqdW1waW5nLuKAnTwvcD4KPHA+PGVtPlJlZiBIb3JzZSAmYW1wOyBIb3VuZDsgMjAgQXVndXN0IDIwMjA8L2VtPjwvcD4KPHA+Cg=="}
Freelance equestrian journalist
Born and raised in the Lake District, Alex has grown up on the showing scene. She has qualified and competed ponies at the Royal International, Horse of the Year Show and Olympia and has first-hand knowledge of the current issues in the showing world as well as the horses, ponies and riders who compete in the sport. Alex joined H&H in January 2018 as showing editor, cementing its place as the leading equestrian publication for both showing reports and current showing news in the UK. She moved on in October 2024 to pursue other opportunities, but continues to write for us on a freelance basis.
