Horse show qualification is dream come true for Emily
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A DREAM has come true for a young local rider who has jumped her way to success and qualified for the Horse of the Year Show (HOYS).
It was third time lucky for 11-year-old Emily Campbell who gained her HOYS ticket at the National Pony Society (NPS) Summer Championships at Malvern, Worcestershire, after jumping a fantastic clear working hunter round with her 11-year-old pony Annandale New Approach, known as Roachy.
The young rider said: "I'm so happy, it has been my dream to go to the Horse of the Year Show. I started crying when the judge said I'd qualified."
Emily came second in the122cm mountain and moorland working hunter class but the first-placed competitor had already qualified so the ticket was handed down to her.
She narrowly missed out on qualifying her other pony Huwil Blue Bobbie, this time in the 133cm working hunter class, in which she also came second, but the winner was not already qualified. Bobbie had a number of good placings during the trip south and was the working hunter champion at the BSPS Welsh summer show.
Each time Emily rode in a qualifier she would be up against between 20-40 other competitors, including adults and producers. She also took part in HOYS qualifiers at the Highland Show and at the New Forest Show where both ponies were well placed.
I'm so happy.... I started crying when the judge said I'd qualified.
The rider, who receives lessons when home from James Munro and Russell Skelton, was on the road for just over three weeks during the summer holidays, starting with a 16-hour trip to the Royal International Horse Show at Hickstead, where she came fifth in the nursery stakes final.
On the whole Emily has enjoyed a very successful season, picking up a number of working hunter championships at a couple of local shows as well as at Ayr, and the National Welsh and Welsh Part-bred championship show.
She is delighted to be following in the footsteps of her grandma Christine More who was a successful horsewoman in her time.
