Individual is to die for

A Devon-bred working hunter books his return trip to HOYS and a victorious sports horse breeding champion claims the coveted in-hand championship

- REBECCA HAYWOOD

A SPORTS horse broodmare surprised all connections after winning the Price Family supreme in-hand qualifier and will make her first-ever trip to Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) in October.

Woodlands Be Individual, a 10-year-old chestnut mare, won the sports horse breeding title on the first day of the show, led by owner Lesley Gundry who was oblivious to what their win signified.

“When someone told me you'll have to come back for 'The Price' on Saturday I replied, 'The Price? What's that?” said an elated Lesley, who was joined by her daughter Jess leading the mare's foal Virtually Identical - a filly by the late Tony Wareham and Ann Bassett's stallion Virtual.

The daughter of Billy Be Cool, out of an Irish thoroughbred mare, was bred in Devon by Jonathan Ford. It was a chance meeting at Taunton Vale point-to-point that led Lesley to acquire Be Individual, a runner-up in the British Eventing five-year-old championship in 2020.

“My stepdaughter, Polly Gundry, heard about her in the queue for the toilet as her owners - a syndicate of ladies - were looking for somebody who might like her to breed from after she sustained an injury,” explained Lesley. “I jumped at the chance as another sale had fallen through, and I picked her up three weeks later. This is her second foal, and they have both been by Virtual.”