Daisy Day is keeping her fingers crossed all stays uneventful for the next three months after winning the Blue Chip Pony Newcomers Second Round on Another Milton at Bishop Burton College, Yorkshire.
Daisy qualified for HOYS 2021 for the 138cm Final on Another Milton but disaster struck when she broke her navicular bone – Yes, humans have a navicular bone, too! – in her foot.
“She was unable to compete at HOYS and had more than a year off, and didn’t start jumping again until November last year,” said Daisy’s mother Claire. “Her trainer Brian Cassidy kept him ticking over for us, but he didn’t go to a show until Daisy was back riding.”
Winning was no mean task as 64 hopefuls tackled course-designer Neil Foster’s 11-fence 1.10m track with almost half jumping clear as 30 made their way into round two. They were reduced to 16 for the jump-off, Daisy, 13, dismissing any nerves to forge ahead by 1.29 seconds on the Irish-bred 14-year-old Another Milton.
“I love him to pieces, he’s my pony of a lifetime and I’m so sad I may have to sell him at the end of the year, although there is a possibility, I can keep him for 148cm classes,” said Daisy.
Another Milton was found in Ireland in a Pony Club home three years ago.
“He’s a ‘one of a kind pony’, so kind, wants to please and always has a smile on his face. He’s a big-striding pony and quick across the ground. Brian told Daisy to keep him in a forward rhythm and it worked,” said Claire.
Sophie Coward-Talbott rode Kohinoor Come On Annie into second with Phoebe Dallyn filling third place riding Williams Lad and Hollie Gerken netted fourth spot with Velini’s Silver Star.
Bishop Burton College – Sunday, 2 July 2023
Blue Chip Pony Newcomers Second Round
1st Daisy Day & Another Milton – 0/0/0 - 40.03 seconds
2nd Sophie Coward-Talbott & Kohonoor Come On Annie – 0/0/0 - 41.32 seconds
3rd Phoebe Dallyn & Williams Lad – 0/0/0 - 41.48 seconds
4th Hollie Gerken & Velini’s Silver Star – 0/0/0 - 43.73 seconds
NB: Qualifications pending official grading of results.
Image: Real Time Imaging