Dinner Dance – 2018

“Let us Entertain you”

The Annual Ball and presentation of awards for SHB (GB) in the North West was held on Friday 30th November 2018 at, a new venue for us; Ferrari’s Country House Hotel, Longridge and a great night was had by all. It is good to see everyone dressed in their finery and it was nice to welcome a few new faces.   Guests were greeted on arrival by a complimentary glass of fizz prior to sitting down to a four course dinner on a Christmas theme.

We then moved onto the main part of the evening with the presentation of the awards together with photographs of our winners, prepared and compered by Sue Stockley-Bridges and presented by our President Mrs Anne Leigh.

The first award was for the In-hand Section.  This was for the horse that has gained the most points throughout the year from either in hand hunter, sport horse or light horse breeding classes and there were 3 main contenders.  Third place was Ross Radclyffe’s Arcadia with Kat Mulvihill’s Summer Gold being second. However, our winner this year with 15 points and also the winner of The Gilbertson Trophy was Westside Cilantro. A yearling that is owned by Mandy Cain and having won the Hunter and Irish Draught classes at SHB NW, Sports Horse at Derbyshire Festival and won all his 3 classes at North Yorkshire Show.

Our next award was for the Ridden Points Winner. This is taken from shows held within the North West region and we use Ridden Hunter, Working Hunter, Ridden Sport Horse and Irish Draught classes to award points from.  Again we had 3 main contenders and all within a few points of each other. Third place was Karen Scott’s Way out Star and reserve was a previous winner, Katrina Braithwaite’s Kilderry Rupert. This year’s winner by 3 points and also winner of The Master Daniel Trophy was Raine Harthern’s Littletree Whirlwind. A horse that had won the Novice Hunter at SHB NW Show and doing well at North of England as well as at Royal Cheshire. It was fantastic to watch this horse not only win the Ridden Sport Horse Class at The Hunter Show at Addington but then go on to be made Section Supreme Champion.

The Breeders Award is decided by the committee from nominations received throughout the year. It goes to the breeder of the outstanding horse which has been bred in the region. The horse must be by a SHB graded stallion or out of a SHB graded mare. The award is open to any horse that has excelled in any sphere in its lifetime or that of its progeny.   This year’s winner has gone from strength to strength in different spheres and the breeder of this horse was able to collect another award that night. It was Hoghton Solitaire owned and bred by Mrs Raine Harthern.
Solly had started her competitive career as a Small Riding Horse campaigned by Michaela Bowling and qualifying as a 5 year old for Horse of the Year Show. She then also started competing in Working Hunter classes, qualifying for Royal International Horse Show. Unfortunately mid-season she suffered a freak accident. It was decided to give her 12 months rest and she was put her in foal.
2016 saw the resumption of competing in Working Hunter classes but now with a change of jockey to Jo Ainsworth. She qualified for RIHS as both a Small and Working Hunter. In 2017 she jumped clear in her first appearance at RIHS and finished 6th.   However, it was realised that Intermediate Working Hunters under BSPS may be the ideal class for her. A new younger jockey was found – Darcey Parr. They were Supreme Novice Champion WHP at the BSPS Winter Championships as well as being made Champion Restricted Intermediate WHP. She was Reserve WHP at the North of England Spring Show, BSPS Area 1B and Cheshire Premier and then Champion WHP at Lincolnshire Spring Show. At the RIHS she was 4th in the Intermediate Working Hunter class.
It is intended that Solly will eventually continue with her career as a Brood Mare, but for the time being she will continue in the show ring and also going across country with the Holcome Hunt.

With the formalities completed it was the opportunity for the fun to begin. This year our entertainment was Charlie & Paul Munro. Impersonating Lady Gaga and Robbie Williams respectively. Lady Gaga had Jake Bowling & Gary Harthern entertaining us all with her Disco stick. They had no problems getting the dance floor filled and from start to finish their acts were superb.
The evening continued with a disco ensuring that all could dance the night away or for some it was a time to catch up with people that they had not seen for some time. Before some had realised it was time for carriages and the finish of our events for this year.