OLYMPIA PLAYS HOST TO THE VETERAN HORSE SOCIETY SUPREME FINAL - SPONSORED BY SSANGYONG.

Judges Colin Roberts and Rob Buckley took over 40 minutes to decide the overall winner of this years Veteran Horse Society Supreme Final at Olympia on Sunday 21st December, and it went to Hudson Bay, an ex-police horse. A stunning Cleveland Bay x Thoroughbred gelding aged a remarkable 30 years old.

HUDSON BAY
Hudson Bay competed at their local V.H.S. Area Qualifier and went on to win the Welsh Regional Final in September to get to the Supreme Final at Olympia. Despite now living just outside the Welsh Border, he previously lived at a HAPPA stables in Gwent.

Over 2,000 veteran horses and ponies took part in this competition in 2003 and just 10 went through to Olympia. The Veteran Horse Society held over 468 classes nationwide to find their Champion and Hudson Bay is not only a stunning example of what the Society stands for but again shows that even after rehabilitation an elderly horse can achieve remarkable results in and out of the ring, he will now hold the Minty Memorial Trophy for the next 12 months.

'All 10 competitors were a credit to the Society 'said Julianne on Sunday after the event, 'and although I was again stewarding I would have found it nearly impossible to set them all apart. They were of such a high standard and a real asset to the Society. The marks between the top 3 were so very close and it took both Rob and Colin a while to break them apart. They are all Champions before they even enter the ring. I would like to congratulate all the competitors, they were extremely professional in and out of the ring. Already we have had invites for Hudson Bay to be demonstrations and events around the UK, it's amazing how quickly word travels'.

Linda McLintock National Show Co-ordinator for the Society stewarded and organised this event at Olympia. 'I would like to thank all the staff for all their hard work before and during the event, it ran like clockwork and they all worked so hard to make it such a success, we hope that next year's event will again be such an outstanding success, we are asking that shows wishing to hold next years qualifying events contact the society, as soon as possible as we due have a limited amount of qualifying rounds available at present'.

Hudson Bay is an ex-police horse and although owned by HAPPA (Horse and Pony Protection Association) is ridden and cared for by Mrs Sarah Frazer. He is a Cleveland Bay x Thoroughbred gelding and stands at 16.2 hh he has an amazing history and Sarah gave us an outline to his stunning career. (she attachment)

RESERVE CHAMPION
Midland Champion - Zanna

Zanna became Reserve Champion - a beautiful grey Thoroughbred mare standing at 16.2hh aged 23 years. She is owned/ridden by Michelle Spiers from the Midlands.
Zanna has been with me now for over four years now. Zanna is a thoroughbred mare, aged 23, out of racing parents she was a polo pony for many years. Before becoming a very successful dressage horse. Having a short break for a while, we ended up together and have had endless hours of fun hacking, going down the gallops, competing at dressage and of course having a bash at the veteran showing scene.

Myles Watts the youngest competitor took 3rd place with his beautiful pony Shah of Persia standing at 13.2 hh . He is a Chestnut Gelding aged 22 years and is owned by Mrs Yvonne Watts from Aberdeenshire.

Bowedel Beau Gest took 4th place and is a 14.2 Part Arab Palomino mare aged 23 years and stands at 14.2hh and is owned and ridden by Lizzie Santer, Champion from South Scotland.

5th - Hannah Jarman with Cottrel Fanfare, yet another Junior VHS Member a 12.3 section B Welsh Gelding aged 17 years, owned by Mrs Jane Taylor - East Anglian Champion

6th - Lucy Helme with Bobby. 15hh 23year old Skewbald Gelding, Cumbria Champion.

7th - Kay Davies's Curtis Mill Flyer. A 21 year old Grey Welsh Stallion standing at 14.3hh

8th - Anthea Hutchinson-Redfern with Emagemisco's Triline. A 15 year old X Irish Draught Bay Mare standing at 16.1hh.

9th - Jane Thorpe's Blue Moon. A 33 year old Welsh x Arab gelding standing at 14hh

10th - Bean There Done That owned and ridden by Kathleen Botting. A 16.2hh gelding Irish Thoroughbred. Aged 22 years.

HUDSON BAY (Show name)
Stable Name Crispin

30 YEAR OLD (DOB 1973)
16.2hh
CLEVELAND BAY X TB

LIKES
" Mares (preferably young) although he has made an exception and has a girlfriend in his field that is 20 years of age
" Playing with his nut ball
" Lots of cuddles and Kisses
" All aspects of riding
" When we show in hand he likes to be kissed on the nose whilst we are in the ring
Clipping especially his face I pay my intermediate instructor sue hocking to clip him because she is quicker than me, and crispin as he as got older has limited patience, he goes to sleep with his nose on the ground while she clips his face

DISLIKES
" Despite being a police horse Crispin hates change around him even if a trailer parked in a different place in the yard he will spook and try to run off often succeeding in us parting company temporarily
" Rain ( in the winter he looks outside and if it is raining he will turn and reverse himself back into his nest all whilst still being tied up to the outside of his stable
" Brass bands ( I think that's why we have trouble with dressage to music)
" Having his mane pulled, over the years various people have tried and he has stood on them reared up and enjoyed a tour of the yard. We have an understanding now that it has to be done but only if mum does it. I now realise the reason he was hogged when he arrived at HAPPA

BACKGROUND

My mum was until she became to ill through cancer a voluntary inspector for HAPPA and we already had some ponies from them when crispin was offered to me after I rode another horse that was unsuitable I did not really want an aged horse but when I saw Crispin at HAPPA in Brockweir, Gwent. I felt sorry for him, he had contracted a virus whilst travelling and rather than looking all regal he had suffered weight loss and did not match my expectations of a police horse. I travelled over to see him every weekend for a month, until he was well enough to be travelled to his new home with me, so I only managed to ride him once.

In the beginning he was quite naughty because he had been out of work for a while due to COPD and we went everywhere at a sideways jog I put this down to a horse that maybe had done an enormous amount of crowd control. He did not have much of a personality, but over the years that has shone through maybe at times a little too much.

At the age of twenty-five Crispin had a respiratory attack the vet feels was related to the trauma of Polly his girlfriend at the time having to be put down, they were inseparable. Crispin once again had tremendous weight loss and it was suggested that I may not be able to stable him during the winter months, with the summer coming up I could try to get the weight back on him but if by the winter we would have leave him out it would be kinder to have him put down as all of his life he had always been stabled and to make him live out would be like taking him out of a five star hotel and making him live in a tent. Thankfully his recovery was slow but successful.

We took part in a fun show,Crispin won his showing classes and on the second day we tried our hand at dressage our instructor could not believe what she saw, Crispin did two wonderful tests and won then went on to win the cross country.

We started competing at dressage during the winter months and we were always in the top three and still are.

Showing was another matter he always seemed to humiliate me in the ring running over judges whilst cantering sideways when we should be trotting so after a few shows I gave up. I then joined the VHS and also went to talks about showing to gain more knowledge about ringcraft and sought advice about feeding for the ring to give me and Crispin the best possible chance. Crispin has got a huge personality and huge fan base if we are at a show most people speak to him before me!!!!!!

In 2002 we had a successful showing year qualifying for VHS regional in Birmingham at Slimbridge Horse Show where we won our age section and won the championship. At the regional we were fourth which I was so pleased with this as crispin does suffer from COPD, but with gentle exercise it does keep it under control the vet pronounced him fit to travel the day before the show, and to be fair he did not look his best.

In 2003 we won our age section at Chepstow show and took away the title of Champion and some very big perpetual trophies. We have also qualified for South West Ponies Championships in September 2004 in hand and ridden.

We have won 98% of our classes not all veteran classes to the point that my husband has had to erect three extra shelves to house all our trophies. To finish the year off I cried when we were Supreme Champion at the V.H.S.Welsh Regional. I have worked long and hard to keep Crispin in good condition and I felt proud that day for both of us.

Crispin is currently fed on Dodson and Horrell pasture nuts in his nut ball and Dodson and Horrell Breathe Free supplement. Plus endless supply of carrots and other products such as Top Spec feed balancer Alfa A.

Finally if it wasn't for crispin who I never expected to reach 30 let alone be competing and winning on merit not age I would of missed out on an exceptional horse who is loved by all around him and he is truly my friend and regularly kisses and cuddles me, I look at him and immediately know what he is thinking

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