JSA sponsored rising star debuts at HOYS 2018

Those of you who have read our blog recently will be familiar with the story of Maddy Lee Turner. Despite tremendous adversity, Maddy qualified to attend the Horse of the Year Show on the 7th of October, riding the dales pony Carrock King Kenny in the Junior Large Breed Mountain & Moorland class.

Julie Stirpe joined Maddy for the trip as a spectator to show her support, along with many other members of the Croft Top Equestrian Flatwork Club that they both attend. Every combination of horse and rider competing, in every class, was a previous winner from earlier qualifiers. Having all the very best equestrians in the country rushing about across the event campus made for an electric atmosphere.

With JSA as an official sponsor, Julie was able to follow Maddy throughout the day with her exhibitor‘s wristband. This allowed her to see everything behind the scenes and access all areas. Most importantly, she was able to provide support and encouragement from backstage. This included the ‘working in’ period, an hour of preparation to warm up the pony for showing before appearing in front of the crowd.

The working in process is typically handled by a professional member of a competitor’s show team. Maddy however, appeared as an independent, self-produced rider and proudly performed the working in herself. At the age of 12, she was also likely the youngest in her class. Julie watched her get Kenny ready for their debut with the confidence and flair of a young person who knew how much she belonged, even in such an imposing environment.

Despite being unfamiliar to appearing in front of a large crowd, Kenny looked after his rider well and behaved impeccably. The dales pony is a large, powerful animal but the pair worked together with a calmness and patience that demonstrated incredible trust. Speaking of the event, Julie reflected that what “really shone” was the empathic bond between horse and child. 

The front rows of the audience were packed with Maddy’s support team. Her family, friends, sponsors and club peers were all there, delightedly encouraging her during the performance. Cheers, tears and excitement arose at the final call, where it was announced that Maddy had achieved 7th place. To be placed within the top 9 at an event such as this is a prestigious achievement. The joy on her face as she was called forwards was priceless.

Joanne, Maddy’s mother, stated: “We were simply hoping for a safe ride and a nice picture. To get 7th place at HOYS is beyond our wildest dreams!” 

Through all the uproar, Kenny remained stoically calm, following Maddy in a lap of honour around the arena and back into the warm up ring to begin the celebrations.