Fife hunt rider Rhona Beda shed tears of “pure joy” when her young horse Puddledub Tempterress was crowned the supreme horse champion of Inchcoonans’ Autumn Show.
The five-year-old steel grey mare which was bred by Fiona Reed, of the Puddledub Stud at Auchtertool, out of Meacham Temptation II is a daughter of the renowned TB stallion Bollin Terry.
Rhona purchased ‘Lia’ as an untouched three-year-old back in 2011 with the intention of taking her out with the Fife Foxhounds.
“I have to admit that I questioned my sanity at the time, as I am now at the wrong side of 50 and I wasn’t sure if it was the best time to start breaking and producing a youngster,” explained Rhona.
“But Lia has genuinely been the perfect student,” she said.
Although Rhona did test the water by taking Lia out hunting in her four-year-old season, she said the experience proved just a little too exciting for the youngster.
“So, I decided to take her back to basics and do something of a flatwork bootcamp to drill some discipline back into the both of us,” Rhona said.
With schooling proving the basis for a good all-round education, Rhona and Lia progressed to win the Fife Riding Club intro winter league at dressage, take a third for the same league in showjumping and to achieve placings on all their cross country outings.
They made their show-ring debut just last month and, encouraged by some positive comments from the judges, Rhona entered the mare for Inchcoonans.
“I freely admit that on receiving the beautiful garland sash, I shed several tears of pure joy,” she said.
“I never ever expected to receive the overall prize, as I really am the type of rider that is quite happy to just enjoy horses by hacking and hunting.”
Rhona has been an active rider with the Fife Foxhounds “on and off” since she was a teenager, with fond memories of jumping five-bar gates with her 12.2hh Welsh stallion back in the 1970s.
Now, having enjoyed competition success of late with Lia, Rhona conceded she may well even have gained enough confidence from her regular lessons with Sarah Oakden, at Dunbog, to consider eventing again next season.
Meanwhile, Bracon Toy Town continued his near perfect record at Inchcoonans Equestrian Centre events when he lifted the reserve overall title.
The seasoned campaigner took a championship win from the pony section to gain his passage to the supreme of show competition, but had also taken a class win from the grassroots showing section during the day.
The 17-year-old former HOYS and Royal International gelding, known as Rupert at home, was piloted by his 11-year-old owner Annabelle Brooks, from Kirriemuir.
Since joining the Brooks family in 2012, Rupert has now lifted either the supreme or reserve overall rosettes at Inchcoonans on all four of the last consecutive spring and autumn occasions.
Meanwhile, beyond their success at Inchcoonans, the partnership took both the ridden pony and reserve overall pony titles and were local pony champions at Kirriemuir Show during the summer.
Last season Rupert and Annabelle stood supreme of the Brechin Spring Show, reserve supreme at the World Horse Welfare Show and won championships across numerous other shows including the Scottish Grass Sickness Show, at Blairgowrie, the
Puddledub Summer Show and the Brechin Autumn Show.
The 12.2hh chestnut gelding, which is now into veteran classes, was sired by Welsh pony stallion Eeabrook Democrat and was bred out of the British Riding Pony mare Bracon Title Girl.