‘She’s one in a million’: Royal International glory for tiny rider and her perfect mare

A tiny rider and her ultimate first ridden pony captured the hearts of the judges en route to the 2024 RIHS BSPS Heritage M&M supreme mini championship at the 2024 Royal International Horse Show (RIHS).

Seven-year-old Charlotte Knight and her mother Jamie Clarke’s Welsh section A mare Thistledown Princess Letizia (Lu Lu) headed a mammoth first ridden field on what was their debut at the Hickstead final as a duo.

Lu Lu, who is by Thistledown Esteem, is produced by mini queen Sharn Linney. She has only been partnered with Charlotte since February, when she was purchased from family friend Laura Long.

During the 2024 season, Charlotte and Lu Lu have won two Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) championships, at Royal Three Counties in June and at Stoneleigh the weekend before the RIHS.

They won two RIHS qualifying championships at UK Ponies and Horses Spring Classic, where they were also reserve mini supreme, and at BSPS Area 7.

Charlotte rode at the RIHS for the first time in 2023 aboard the family’s home-produced lead rein Thistledown Magpie.

“Lu Lu went straight to Sharn’s yard when she arrived with us and ever since then we’ve just had the best time with her,” said Charlotte. “She’s one in a million who just keeps on giving.”

Producer Sharn said: “She’s got a big personality, but she has a heart of gold, and she has the best partnership with Charlotte; they have really gelled together.”

Reserve fell to the second placed lead-rein pony, Naomi Bradwell’s Welsh section A Glebedale Silver Dot, piloted by Naomi’s granddaughter Scarlett Smith and handled by his co-producer Adam Forster.

The typey grey gelding, novice supreme at the BSPS winter championships, is just a five-year-old, but he’s already bound for HOYS after standing champion at North of England summer show.

The 2024 RIHS M&M supreme mini championship set was completed by the second placed first ridden, Glebedale Silhouette — another first-season contender who is just a four-year-old — ridden by Penny Richardson, and the winning lead rein trio of Sarah Weston’s Dartmoor Langfield Billy Costa, Thomas Parker and handler Sarah Parker.

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