The Queen Lands Hattrick on Windsor Day Two

The Queen’s Highland pony mare, Balmoral Leia landed the overall mountain and moorland accolade on day two of Royal Windsor Horse Show.

Five-year-old Leia won her breed class and championship en route to the supreme title. She is by Balmoral Lord, whom producer Lizzie Briant explained sadly died of grass sickness, and she’s out of Balmoral Melody who was successfully shown under saddle by Lizzie, including at Royal Windsor.

Lizzie showed the true-to-type, feminine Leia to win the breed championship, but Henry Hird took over showing for the overall mountain and moorland championship. Incidentally Henry also lifted the same last year, albeit with Vanessa Compton’s exquisite Connemara mare, Skaelgaardens Delicious Love.

The Queen was ringside to watch Leia win the breed championship and was also present to witness her land the overall championship, much to the crowd’s delight. This was the third win of the show and third win with a home-bred for HM the Queen. On day one, Katie Jerram-Hunnable repeated her 2021 victory to win the flat ridden sport horse class on Daydream III. The Millenium six-year-old is out of Dolce Luciana. Last season, she also won the large intermediate show riding type at Windsor. The Jerram-Hunnable team also produced five-year-old gelding, Sunbeam (Solaris Bueno x Tiger Lilly) to win the non-native coloured horse in hand class on the show’s first day.