URISHAY Mrs Elaine Place Search for a Star Champion. Photo Credit Anthony Reynolds. LBIPP. LMPA.

Money "Can't Buy" New Search Champion! Judges praise the champions at HOYS final Winner of this year's South Essex Insurance Brokers Search for a Star Supreme Championship at the Horse of the Year Show was the show hunter Urishay, owned and ridden by Elaine Place from Brookmans Park, Hertfordshire. It was the Place family's second attempt to win the title. Daughter Laura, 20, competed unsuccessfully two years ago, but this time it was mother, Elaine, with the "safe" horse she bought so she could accompany her daughter to shows who impressed the judges. And even before the Supreme judging, she was getting offers for the six-year-old chesnut gelding. "There's not enough money to even tempt me," she said. "He's everything I want."

Reserve champion was the hunter pony Hurstead Quince, ridden by 11-years-old Amy Mitten from Flixton, Manchester. Amy, who has been riding for three years, was distraught when she lost her pony earlier this year and Quince was bought for her when the replacement pony was sidelined.

Search for a Star, now in its seventh year, was introduced by South Essex Insurance Brokers to give amateur riders an opportunity to compete at the prestigious Horse of the Year Show and to identify future equine stars. "And it just gets better and better," said judge Robert Oliver, himself one of the leading producers and exhibitors of show horses.

"Any one of the horses or ponies competing for this Supreme Championship could have gone into the show's Open classes and competed with the very best in the country." And fellow judge, Anne Pritchard, said: "All of the horses here are just classy. There's no other way to describe them."

To qualify for the Supreme Championship, competitors first had to win their individual championship class. Other horses forward were:

Riding Club Show Horse
- Sonic, ridden by Alexandra Patience from Essex
Cob - Hotspur II and Louisa Simpson, Buckinghamshire
Riding Horse/Hack - Vaguely Sensational, with Sarah Antemes, Lancashire
Working Hunter - Q.Update, ridden by Jayne Baker, North Somerset
Show Pony - Croftscourt Belmont and Cheryl Street from Cheshire

South Essex Insurance Brokers managing Director Barry Fehler commented:
"Most people have absolute faith in their horses and ponies, and we get satisfaction from seeing so many of them proving that at an important national show. I had great hopes of this competition from the very start, and they have all been justified."

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