DIANE and John Jordan from The Moortown Stud, Gidleigh, were on tremendous form at the Dartmoor Pony Society Championship Show, held recently.
The show was held on the Lady Willingdon Field, Whiddon Down on August 9, under the chairman Keith Locke and secretary Sue Plummer, with the in hand championship judged by Nicola Tyler and Peter Holman.
The judges' choice was Diane and John's home-bred nine year old stallion Moortown Countryman by Hisley Craftsman. Countryman had a good day shown by David Jordan, winning the stallion section and overall male championship and NPS silver medal. He has been a prolific winner this season, including champion and reserve in Cuddy Supreme at the Festival of Showing (formerly the Royal Show), the open ridden, and he qualified for the horse of the year show when ridden by Millie Wonnacott at Royal Cornwall Show.
Diane and John also took the overall young stock and Devon-bred championship and the Shilstone Rocks Trophy for owners Madge and Paul Taylor with two-year-old colt Moortown Baywind, which was reserve overall male champion in their first outing of the season.
Daphne Marshall's six-year-old grey mare Moortown New Romance was runner-up in the barren mare and had two seconds under saddle in the lead rein and beginner's first ridden with the Jordan's six year old granddaughter Charlotte.
At the performance day, Charlotte took the lead rein dressage and second in open lead rein with New Romance and then won the horse and hound jumping with Moortown Sweetheart, teamed up with Georgia Setter and her dog Digger.
The ten-year-old stallion Moortown Honeyman, a full brother to Countryman owned by Julie Barton and ridden by Rebecca Penny, took the open ridden and overall ridden supreme championship and the NPS silver medal, besides qualifying for the Baileys Ridden Championship to be held at Olympia in December.
Rebecca was deputising for regular jockey Katie Bacon, who had broken her arm, who scored a double win in ridden classes at Lincolnshire County and a win at Three Counties, qualifying for the Horse of the Year Show.
Honeyman also took the Dartmoor in hand championship and reserve in Cuddy Supreme at Three Counties with Julie Barton.
Rebecca Aven from Throwleigh scored a good second in the geldings in hand with the six-year-old Moortown Graphite by Hisley Cravat, while Felicity Darwell from Lydford had a good fourth with her two-year-old Foxleat Warrior.
Felicity's home-bred ten-year-old stallion Foxleat Victory, now with Jamie and Joanne Sheehy from Dover, had a third in stallion in hand and also second in the novice ridden.
Show chairman Keith Locke and his wife Elaine from Jacobstowe had a second with two year old Lydmoors Tomaline and a third with their colt Okeleat Royalist.
Suzanne Maxwell from South Zeal won novice foal, reserve champion and runner up in the open foal with Quintins Queen Bee by Hisley Craftsman, while her 17-year-old mare Shilstone Rocks Another Way had two seconds in the brood mare sections and took the Lloyds Bank Novice Championship.
Elizabeth Newbolt-Young and daughters from Widecombe took supreme in hand at the Dartmoor Pony Society Championships held at Whiddon Down, near Okehampton.
Elizabeth with daughter Allona were showing the barren mare Shilstone Rocks Riverdance by Shilstone Rocks Cavalier, which won her section and took the overall female championship.
Their brood mare Shilstone Rocks Sweet Talk by same prefix D Day, was reserve overall female champion and took overall brood mare champion, while their three-year-old filly Shilstone Rocks Nightingale took reserve overall young stock champion and reserve Devon bred champion.
Elizabeth also bred the five-year-old Shilstone Rocks Forester, ridden by Rebecca Penny, which took the novice ridden, while 18-year old mare Shilstone Rocks Massena, ridden by Eve Richardson, was runner up in the dressage.
Massena, foundation mare for Vikki and Sue Lewis of the Teburn Stud also took the ridden veteran the following day.
Anna Bassett from Postbridge was runner up in the yearlings with her home-bred Dartfordleigh Wren.