Arianne poised for Olympia pony glory
YOUNG Shetland pony rider Arianne Fraser has won a place in the top race of the year at Olympia in London just before Christmas after winning a qualifying event in England.
She was one of five riders from the Shetland Pony Riding and Driving Group (SPRDG) who competed in an exhilarating Shetland pony Grand National qualifier at the Cumberland Agricultural Show at Carlisle recently.
Arianne was first home in her heat on Clothie Uriebell and continued her winning form over the jumps to beat more than 20 riders from all over England, Scotland and Northern Ireland. It is the second year in a row that the Whalsay rider has won through to the prestigious televised horse race at Olympia.
Anya Risk from Gulberwick, her sister Ailidh Risk, Jade Stevenson from Nesting and Bronagh Goodlad from Quarff also raced at Cumberland. Anya made it into the final and gave Arianne a run for her money, taking third place. However, only the winner qualifies for Olympia.
The racing came at the end of a two-week trip away for 11 children and nine ponies from the Dunrossness-based SPRDG. The group first made the long journey down to Malvern in Worcestershire for the National Shetland Performance Show at the Three Counties Showground.
Arianne’s sister Kira, who has recently started pony-driving, showed how well she has taken to the art, winning the junior whip class with Tirrik of Sunnydale.
Other firsts went to Emily Moss of Whalsay on Craven Clancy together with Jade Stevenson on Tirrik of Sunnydale in the open ridden pairs.
Jade might also secure a ticket to a showing class at Olympia for horses over 15 years old after her placing at Malvern saw her through to a qualifier in September for the Veteran Horse Society Ridden class.
A spokeswoman thanked the group’s sponsors who made the trip possible: Marie Brooker and Eleanor Bosanquet of Clothie Stud in Aberdeenshire, David Goodlad and Net Services (Shetland), Dean Gilfillan, Pat Renwick and Michael Kitchen of Ulverscroft Stud.
Events and placings for local riders at The National Shetland Performance Show, 11th-13th July 2008, Malvern are as follows.
Friday started off with ridden and working hunter pony clinics with Anya Risk and HRE Dollar, Arianne Fraser and Clothie Uriebell, Bronagh Goodlad and Clothie Night Echo, Emily Moss and Craven Clancy and Hannah Anderson and Clothie Zimbell taking part. This gave the children a good insight into what was ahead of them during the rest of the weekend.
Saturday 12th –
Junior whip: 1 Kira Fraser and Tirrik of Sunnydale.
BSPS Heritage M&M open lead rein: 9th Miranda Moss on H.R.E. Aladdin.
Lead rein/first ridden pairs ridden: 2 Melody Goodlad on Clothie Damsel and Miranda Moss on Craven Clancy.
Open ridden pairs: 1 Emily Moss on Craven Clancy and Jade Stevenson on Tirrik of Sunnydale.
Novice pony: 3 Bronagh Goodland on Clothie Damsel; 5 Kira Fraser on Ulverscroft Midnight Red.
Novice rider: 3 Hannah Anderson on Clothie Zimbell.
Solid-coloured ridden pony: 3 Jade Stevenson on Clothie Humbell.
Lead rein five years and under: 9 Leighton Anderson on Clothie Zimbell; 10 Melody Goodlad on Clothie Damsel.
Hairiest pony: 4 Hannah Anderson on Clothie Zimbell.
Novice rider off lead rein: 3 Hannah Anderson on Clothie Zimbell.
NPS ridden championship: 6 Hannah Anderson on Clothie Zimbell.
Novice first ridden best rider: 2 Hannah Anderson on Clothie Zimbell.
Ride and show: 1 Kira Fraser on Ulverscroft Midnight Red; 2 Ailidh Risk on Jared of Mussleburgh; 4 Emily Moss on Craven Clancy; 8 Arianne Fraser on Clothie Uriebell; 9 Anya Risk on HRE Dollar.
Young handler six and under: 4 Leighton Anderson and Clothie Night Echo.
Sunday 13th –
Best driver: 5 Kira Fraser and HRE Aladdin.
Ride and show: 2 Jade Stevenson, Rosanne Rendall and Tirrik of Sunnydale.
In-hand geldings (coloured four years and over): 5 Tirrik of Sunnydale and Jade Stevenson.
Fancy dress: 2 Clothie Zimbell – Come to Shetland Breed Show 2009.
Veteran in-hand: 4 Arianne Fraser and Clothie Uriebell.
NPS M&M junior ridden: 4 Anya Risk on HRE Dollar.
Veteran horse society ridden: 3 Jade Stevenson on Tirrik of Sunnydale; 4 Arianne Fraser on Clothie Uriebell.
Young handler eight and under: 8 Melody Goodlad and Clothie Night Echo.
Lead rein best rider: 9 Miranda Moss on Ulverscroft Midnight Red.
Novice child WHP: 7 Bronagh Goodlad on Clothie Night Echo.
Very novice lead rein: 3 Melody Goodlad on Clothie Damsel; 5 Leighton Anderson on Clothie Night Echo.
Confidence booster ridden: 2 Miranda Moss on Tirrik of Sunnydale.
Novice Pony: 4 Kira Fraser on Ulverscroft Midnight Red.
Lead rein pony: 10 Leighton Anderson on Clothie Zimbell.
First ridden: 4 Emily Moss on Craven Clancy; 5 Hannah
Anderson on Clothie Zimbell; 8 Bronagh Goodlad on Clothie Damsel.
First ridden: 6 Hannah Anderson on Clothie Zimbell.
Versatile pony off lead rein: 6 Jade Stevenson on Tirrik of Sunnydale; 8 Anya Risk on HRE Dollar; 10
Arianne Fraser on Clothie Uriebell.
Cumberland Agricultural Show 19th July –
Shetland Pony Grand National: 1 Arianne Fraser on Clothie Uriebell.
Ridden: 1 Kira Fraser on Ulverscroft Midnight Red; 4 Emily Moss on Craven Clancy; 5 Melody Goodlad
on Clothie Damsel; 6 Hannah Anderson on Clothie Zimbell.
