Meet present ring and dressage star Cooper II

An all-round pony of unknown breeding has certified for the London Worldwide Horse Present (LIHS) on the age of 17 together with his devoted rider. Rowena Cooper’s Cooper II certified for the British Present Pony Society (BSPS) efficiency pony remaining together with his rider, Rowena’s 14-year-old daughter Poppy Anderson, at The Royal Welsh Spring Competition. The pair received their class, took the part championship and completed their run as reserve supreme of present.

Cooper was purchased as a two-year-old “colored fur ball” from good household buddies Grace and Hilary. He’s been based mostly with Rowena and Poppy for 5 years. Rowena explains: “He initially got here from the rugged, desolate mountains of rural Wales. There’s no posh traces operating via this pony’s blood or elaborate, tongue-twisting pedigree names. It’s simply Cooper or Cooper II if he’s doing dressage. He’s gone from a bumbling ugly duckling right into a swish swan and has a real rags to riches story.”

Cooper II started his ridden profession within the dressage area, reaching novice stage and infrequently coming away with out a inserting.

“This pony loves his job,” Rowena continues. “He can fart round within the warm-up ring previous to his check however as quickly as his nostril bobs down that centre line he’s acquired his recreation face on. He places his head down and he’s calm and picked up. He has a sq. halt to die for.”

Alongside his mounting dressage tally, Cooper additionally contended native working hunter lessons earlier than Poppy picked up the exhibiting bug. Poppy runs Cooper from dwelling and she or he is up earlier than college each morning to muck out, trip and prepare for exhibits.

“Once I say we are able to take this pony wherever, I imply wherever,” Rowena says. “He thrives within the noisiest locations and believes the music is for him. He’s a little bit of a prince; he even likes to have an umbrella held for him when it rains. Typically, although, he had an unfortunate fence down leaving him simply out of attain of the win.”

The household have been enticed by the BSPS’s new efficiency pony qualifiers as they believed this might be Cooper’s alternative to shine.

“Competing at HOYS or LIHS is Poppy’s wildest dream,” says Rowena. “Nonetheless, we’ve not had a lot luck for one cause or one other. We’ve additionally discovered the exhibiting world fairly a tough neighborhood to infiltrate. All people is in it to win it and we’ve discovered it laborious. We’ve spent all night bathing and prepping all the required apparel solely to find it’s all unsuitable! The jacket was too lengthy with the unsuitable collar, the boots weren’t oxblood, the jodhpurs too saggy, and the navy hat silk on a cranium cap wasn’t proper. The record has been infinite! One sort woman did take me via every little thing and we went forward and ordered all the right apparel; all eyes have been on the prize!”

The household’s efforts paid, although, and their dedication ensured their luck modified on the Royal Welsh Spring Competition earlier this 12 months.

“It was a day I’ll always remember,” Rowena says. “I acquired to see my daughter dwell her dream on Cooper, a pony who got here off the facet of a rugged Welsh mountain. If they arrive away with nothing in London it doesn’t matter; we are able to proudly say we took our home-produced pony to one of many greatest exhibits within the nation. Poppy and Cooper could have a workforce of individuals behind them in December together with his earlier homeowners who gave him the perfect begin in life. We are going to all be there wiping tears from our eyes once we see them in that ring.

“This can be Poppy’s final 12 months of exhibiting with him however he has a brand new little rider in my youngest daughter, Moli, his subsequent accomplice in crime. He’ll stick with us without end and to say we love him could be an understatement. I imagine he’s worthy of being recognised as a kind of super-star, one-in-a-million ponies.”

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H&H exhibiting editor

Born and raised within the Lake District, Alex has grown up on the exhibiting scene. She has certified and competed ponies on the Royal Worldwide, Horse of the 12 months Present and Olympia and has first-hand information of the present points within the exhibiting world in addition to the horses, ponies and riders who compete within the sport. Alex joined H&H in January 2018 since when she has cemented its place because the main equestrian publication for each exhibiting studies and present exhibiting information within the UK.