Kings Mistress is Queen of Yorkshire

Amateur breeders bask in main ring glory, a Welsh stallion provides a magical moment and top hunters are out in force

- By ALEX ROBINSON

AN exquisite broodmare and her foal dazzled to book their debut in the Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) in-hand supreme final.

Supreme judge Lucinda Sims was presented with 17 championship-winning animals who all held their own under blazing sun. Lucinda pulled a line of six forward before finding an overall supreme in the hunter breeding champion, Andrea and Shirley Roberts' small hunter Kings Mistress (Missy) and her colt foal, Royalview Kings Warrior, shown by Hannah Owen and Meirion Lloyd, respectively.

"Some exhibits sparkled more than others," said Lucinda. "You could tell exactly what each animal was, though a few were carrying too much weight. My champion and her foal were a lovely combo; she moved beautifully and was elegant yet correct. Her foal was particularly nice, proving what a good mare she is."

Missy, a 15-year-old bred by Kieran and Eileen Furlong by Kings Master out of Irish Sport Horse mare Black Spring, was lightly shown as an intermediate before she became a broodmare.

"She's an opinionated Irish woman and consequently she didn’t enjoy being shown under saddle," said Andrea, who last watched Missy stand supreme hunter on Yorkshire soil at this show in 2021. “She's a true ladies' horse and for a big unit, she floats along with such ease.”

This marked the Royalview Stud’s first HOYS in-hand supreme qualification after decades of vying for a spot.

Andrea continued: “Showing and breeding are hobbies for us all. This is a dream come true for everyone involved.”