Gypsy Cob riders put Jersey on the map with Championship success

Friday 09 August 2024

Pom Pom, Venus, Hallie, Tank, Diddy, Dan and Roxy put on an impressive display when they travelled to the UK for the Gypsy Cob Association Championships – putting Jersey firmly on the map for the sport.

Alongside seven riders, they travelled to Onley Equestrian Centre last week for the contest.

Gypsy Cobs – a horse originally bred by the Romany community to pull carriages – are needed to be powerful, hardy, fearless and intelligent to cope with life on the road, yet docile enough to be handled by all the family.

Karen Barette, Naomi Aguilar, Sabrina Minier, Katie-Jay Minier, Jo Gosselin, Beverley Bingle and Nicolle Maltwood entered a number of classes with their horses, both In Hand and Ridden Competitions.

Pictured: Naomi Aguilar and 'Venus' took home first prize for the Supreme and Ultimate Supreme Championship for the Part Bred classes.

Even though Maltwood and Gosselin were novices in UK competition, the Jersey team proved too strong, coming away with a number of firsts, second and third places.

Naomi Aguilar, riding Karen Barrette and Trevor Barette’s 'Login Classic Colours' aka 'Venus' won the overall glory taking the Supreme and Ultimate Supreme Championship for the Part Bred classes – a success made all the more impressive by the fact that her usual equestrian focus is Grand Prix Dressage.

The full results...

Karen Barrette with McCartney's Balios aka 'Pom Pom'

• Champion Traditional Ridden Quest Qualifiers
• First (Golden Ticket Coloured Traditional)
• 2 x Seconds (Traditional Ridden Quest Qualifier & Restricted Ridden Traditional Cob)
• Seventh (Horse of the Year Show “HOYS” Qualifier)

Naomi Aguilar with Login Classic Colours aka 'Venus'

• Supreme and Ultimate Supreme Part Bred Champion
• 2 x Championship wins (Restricted Part Bred Ridden Champion & Ridden Silver Ticket Champion)
• 2 x Firsts (Part Bred Restricted Cob & Silver Ticket Part Bred Ridden)
• 2 x Seconds (Ridden Native Part Bred, Ridden Part Bred Native Open Go For Glory)
• Eighth (Horse of the Year Show “HOYS” Qualifier

Sabrina Minier with Harley's Golden Girl aka 'Hallie'

• 3 x Firsts (In Hand Odd Pairs, Novice handler Part Bred, Silver In Hand Solid Any Other Colour Part Bred)
• 2x Seconds (Senior In Hand Part Bred Go For Glory Qualifier , Novice In Hand Part Bred cob

Katie-Jay Minier with 'Tank'

• 2 x Firsts (In Hand Odd Pairs & 1st Novice Dressage)
• 2 x Thirds (Senior In Hand Traditional Quest, Best Of Breed In Hand Small Traditional Gelding Finals)

Jo Gosselin with Royal Candyman aka 'Diddy'

• Third (Traditional In Hand Veteran)

Beverley Bingle with 24 Karat Magi aka 'Dan'

• 2 x Seconds (In Hand Novice Traditional Cob & Traditional In Hand Veteran)
• Third (Novice Handler Traditional)
• Fourth (Handy Pony)

Nicolle Maltwood with Kentchurch Misprint aka 'Roxy'

• 4 x Firsts (Ridden Grass Roots Part Bred, In Hand Veteran Part Bred, In Hand Part Bred Condition & Turnout, Silver Ticket In Hand Part Bred)
• 3 x Thirds (Ridden Native Part Bred, Part Bred Native In Hand, Part Bred Novice Handler) Fifth (Ridden Part Bred Veteran)