'It feels very special' - Banbury rider claims first championship at Royal International Horse Show

Alice Homer won the Culford Lodge Commodities Small Hunter Championship at the Agria Royal International Horse Show on Saturday, July 27.

The 22-year-old rider used her mother Loraine’s horse, Tidy Town, to win her first-ever championship at the prestigious Hickstead showground.

Speaking about the result, Alice said: “It feels very, very special. He’s the sort of horse that any person would be lucky to have.”

Originally called Guinness, Alice's horse was discovered by her grandfather, David Tatlow, in Ireland when searching for a horse for family friends.

Alice said: “He bought him as a foal out of the field for them to make into an eventer, but he didn’t grow big enough."

When the family decided to sell the horse because of his small size, Alice stepped in and made him her own.

She said: “‘Guinness’ is unusual on the showing circuit because he contests working hunters, intermediates and smalls.

“The jump was what came first and the flat classes were what came after. We always thought that he would make a good worker, and he’s got his Horse of the Year Show tickets in the working hunters as well now.”

The Agria Royal International Horse Show ran from July 24 until 28 at the All England Jumping Course at Hickstead in West Sussex.

It is considered one of the main events on the international equestrian calendar and has been running since 1907.

For more information, visit: https://www.hickstead.co.uk/