Veterans 'Moo'-ving on up at Danescroft Pre-Dublin Show
A very special and somewhat emotional event for veteran horses at Lisburn venue
Wednesday, July 23 at Danescroft Equestrian, Lisburn, was the scene for a very special and somewhat emotional event for veteran horses. Leah Knight, proprietor at Danescroft, very kindly agreed to host a Ridden Veteran sub-section to her Pre-Dublin show consisting of:
* The Rowan Equestrian Veteran Horse class for ridden horses aged 15-19
* The Equinutritive Veteran Horse class for ridden horses aged 20+
* The Dark Horse Veteran Horse Championship - open to horses placed first and second in the above two classes PLUS the highest-placed veteran horse (15yo+) in all other classes across the day, including working hunter, ridden classes and side saddle.
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As organiser Lindsey Kirk explained: “A lot of investment goes into promoting the young Irish horse, and rightly so. But by investing similarly in our older animals, we can showcase their quality, versatility and just how many years of competing they have. Plus, by demonstrating how well cared for and respected our horses are into their older years, we can counteract some of the negative public opinion around the role of horses in our sport.”
This was a sentiment echoed by judge Nichola Howarth, who commented: “It is so nice to see a show supporting the older horses, who are so often overlooked by riders and shows. This was a chance to show off our exceptional older animals on a fair and level field and I was honoured to be asked to judge.”
In England, the Veteran Horse Society runs veteran-only shows throughout the country in a wide range of disciplines including showing, dressage and show jumping. Although the majority of local shows in Northern Ireland include a veteran class, many county shows still do not. While the Northern Ireland Festival and Tattersalls offer the different age categories, Danescoft was the first show in the North to do so, alongside the championship of this kind and they plan for it to be an annual event.
Danescroft were also very proud to have Nichola, Ireland’s ONLY qualified Veteran Horse Society Panel judge, presiding over the three classes. Veteran horses are to be judged slightly differently to other riding horse and hunter classes to take into account their maturity and varied careers. Horses are turned out according to type - hunter, riding horse, cob, traditional cob etc and complete a ‘ride around’ similar to other classes, with the exception that veteran horses are not asked to gallop. Each horse and rider combination then perform an individual show and points are awarded for performance and manners; condition for age; suppleness and turnout.
14 horses entered the ring for the first class and the effort and preparation that had gone into producing them was obvious. After serious deliberation, the decision was made and Olivia McKeown took the win on her cob ‘Moo’, with Victoria McCurdy taking second place with ‘Temple Bui’. All were delighted with the prizes provided by Rowan Equestrian and rosettes from Danescroft.
Next to take their turn at impressing the judge were the six veterans in the second class, all aged over 20. One thing that all the veterans across the two classes shared was the sheer quality and high standard of turnout.
Once again, Nichola’s job was an unenviable one, but ably assisted by steward Harriett Ward, scores were carefully compiled and first place was awarded to Claire Young with ‘Steel Breeze’, followed by Mandy Blakely and ‘Kizzy’ in second place. Equinutritive went above and beyond with prizes of their very popular ‘Golden Oldies’ supplements, which they presented to very grateful winners.
Several of the competitors were making their showing debut, although it would have been hard to tell, and all commented that it was a welcome chance to have a go with horses that they didn’t feel ‘fit’ in traditional classes. The consensus around the ring was that none of the horses looked their age, which was testament to their owner’s care and attention.
As Nichola explained to the competitors and onlookers, she was extremely impressed by the standard: “So many gorgeous horses that were a total credit to their owners.”
After a short break, the championship got under way. The emotion and nerves were palpable, with The Dark Horse Perpetual Shield up for grabs, along with sashes for champion and reserve. The shield is presented in memory of ‘Locomotion Lady’, a very well-known and loved vivacious veteran, who competed for many years in veteran classes, right up until the age of 29. The exquisite sashes were in the colours of ‘Lady’s’ showing browband; green, cream and gold.
Just to make Nichola’s job even harder, each horse in the ring performed beautifully, with nobody putting a foot wrong. In the end though, a winner had to be declared and the title went to Olivia McKeown and ‘Moo’ (18yo). As Nichola explained: “‘Moo’s’ presence in the ring was hard to ignore, with his elegant step and well-groomed mountains of hair, he was a clear champion.”
Mandy Blakely was pulled in reserve and again the judge explained: “Kizzy, just six weeks out of retirement, showed her sparkle more and more as the day went on and literally floated up the diagonal in the championship, belying her 21 years.”
Tears were shed, which only proves how much these animals mean to their humans, they truly are very, very special.
Claire Young received the Vanda Equestrian award for best turned out combination across the veteran classes - no mean feat for a grey horse. Vanda Stewart, an international judge and coach, donated a voucher for a coaching session, which Claire was particularly delighted with as she plans to get back to competing in dressage in the near future.
The show itself was a huge success, with 241 entries across the day.
“I am over the moon with how the day went and the numbers who came out for a mid-week show,” said Leah. “At Danescoft, we like to be innovative and offer feature events. So, when Lindsey suggested doing something a bit different with the Veteran classes, I was more than happy to get behind it, and what a great idea it turned out to be. These things wouldn’t happen without the teamwork that goes on behind the scenes - so a big thank you to everyone involved.”
Lindsey summed up the day, saying: “We were utterly bowled over by the support for the class and the numbers who turned out, and honestly overwhelmed by the generosity of the sponsors. I cannot thank Rowan Equestrian, Equinutritive, Vanda Stewart and The Dark Horse Bar enough for the prizes they donated and we are, of course, so very grateful to Danescroft for allowing us to muscle in on their show with the veterans.
“Gone are the days when veterans could be dismissed as an afterthought or as pottery older animals. The quality of these horses is clear to see and today we’ve shown that there is support and a market for these classes. Veterans have a very special place in our hearts.”
RESULTS
Wednesday, July 23
Pre-Dublin Show - Veteran Classes
The Dark Horse Champion Veteran Horse:
Oliva McKeown, Moo; Reserve Champion Veteran Horse: Mandy Blakely, Kizzy.
The Rowan Equestrian Veteran Class (15-19yo):
1) Olivia McKeown, Moo; 2) Victoria McCurdy, Temple Bui; 3) Caron Glasgow, Touch of Ferro; 4) Victoria Laverty, Millenium Indi; 5) Shannon McKibbon, Moneybroom Chilento; 6) Solveig Simms, Silken Aura.
The Equinutritive Veteran Class (20yo+):
1) Claire Young, Steel Breeze; 2) Mandy Blakely, Kizzy; 3) Faith Greer, Twinkle; 4) Victoria McCandless, Koolstyle; 5) Amy Griffith, Arial; 6) Elizabeth Smith, Rockview Boy.