Hollybrooke Rambler a 3-year-old bay colt owned and bred by John and Wendy Adams, travelled through the championships to take the Supreme at this year’s breed show, under the watchful eye of the Supreme Judge David Sykes. On Saturday Rambler stood youngstock stud stallion champion and reserve stallion champion to Sabina’s Gold Sovereign. This is a poignant win for John and Wendy Adams after losing Rambler’s sire Burley Traveller in a freak accident two years ago. Rambler is out of their mare Randalls Little Gem and looked every inch a champion in the ring. Rambler will be broken and brought out under saddle by Wendy in the future. Not in recent breed show history has the supreme accolade been awarded to a 3-year-old.

Hollybrooke Rambler Supreme Champion

Reserve supreme was Simon and Shirley Young’s ever-graceful stallion, Farriers Fingerprint who put on a foot perfect show on the Saturday to take the coveted Olympia ticket, judged by Mrs S Hide. This was only the stallion’s third show of the year after covering mares all season and Shirley sustaining a nasty kick from a mare that has kept her out of the saddle for most of the year. This will be Fingerprint’s second trip to Olympia after qualifying at the Breed Show in 2007.

Farriers Fingerprint Olympia Qualifier

The Lovelyhill stud’s domination of the forest run small stallion class continued this year with Lovelyhill Cranborne Heights taking the forest run stallion championship. The stud won this class in 2007 and 2008 with two of Cranborne Heights brothers. This versatile stallion son of Wayland Cranberry, then carried his rider Lynden Barrow to scoop the small open stallion ridden class and then the Mockbeggar Cup in the forest run ridden for the 6th consecutive year.

Loverlyhill Cranborne Heights Forest Run Champion Stallion

Mr Nick Williams’ dark bay stallion Peronne Palaver made a return to the working hunter ranks scooping the stallion workers title on the Saturday and the overall Working Hunter Pony Championship on the Sunday, ridden by Philippa Smith.

Peronne Palaver WHP champion

At the end of the stallion show day a gymkhana was organised by Retack.co.uk much to the fun of the young and old competitors. It was a great delight to watch some of the future generation of breed show competitors being led by their agister, farrier and thatcher fathers in the lead rein class and most will agree that it was the leaders who were more competitive than their children!

On the performance day Fiona King swapped roles, judging rather than competing. Her eventual novice ridden champion was Woodrow Romsey, a chestnut gelding owned by Alison Gordon and bred by June Whitham, reserve spot went to Combe Jenny Wren owned by Misses Parrett & Carter.

The New Forest Ridden Championship was won by Farriers Finger Print, ahead of his daughter Farriers True Print, a delightful bay mare ridden by Rachel Capper and owned by the Farriers stud. Moorcorner Minstrel II owned by Mesdames J & J Pound and Parker took the Forest-bred ridden championship after winning the Forest-bred ridden large section. The small section winner was Sturtmoor Panache, a dark brown gelding by Buckland Dragonslayer, owned by Hazel Quinn and ridden by Vicky Palmer.

The combined training was won by Luckington La La, ahead of Sabina’s Monte Carlo owned by Sally Wiggins and ridden by Emily Andruszko.

The In-hand day on Monday started off with large entries as always in the Forest Bred classes with Trudy Nineham and James Young’s Brock Baccarat taking first prize. This consistent mare by Buckland Dragonslayer later clinched the overall Forest Bred Championship.

Luke Blomfield’s homebred Sway Mister Moon, a striking grey colt by Long Copse Elton, won the Gaza Challenge cup for the best youngstock owned by a young commoner, awarded by judges Jenny Seymour, Julia Woods and Sheila Brooks. Sway Mister Moon then stood reserve youngstock champion to Sandra Kilford’s filly champion Furzley Mermaide.

Sway Mister Moon Gaza Challenge Cup

Furzley Mermaide Filly Champion

The mare champion was June Whitham’s Woodrow Delight’s Double whose foal Woodrow After Eight scooped the filly foal class. Reserve spot went to Susan Shaw’s Merrie Maple Syrup who won the veteran mare class and who had a lovely colt foal at foot.

Woodrow Delight Mare champion

The final day was bathed in sunshine with a wonderful atmosphere and thanks should go to Janet Williams and the hard working team who put the show together year after year.

Report by Kerry Humble.