‘This feels like such an achievement’: second generation home-bred is 2023 Search For A Star champion
A second generation home-bred hack shone the brightest under the spotlights in the 2023 SEIB Search For A Star championship on day three of the Horse of the Year Show (HOYS).
Nottinghamshire-based Helen Church and her daughter Jennifer Church’s Bassingfield Dark Secret (Zeus) is by Dark De Niro and out of former HOYS show hunter pony finalist Bassingfield Cassandra, also a home-bred. He lifted yesterday’s SEIB SFAS hack class with Jennifer en route to lifting the top title.
Despite his professional performance in the main arena, the 10-year-old is only in his first season of showing. He qualified for the SFAS finals on his second attempt.
Jennifer, who works as an equine vet, said: “I’ve just had a baby and I’ve been really busy, so in all honestly Zeus hasn’t done much at all! But he’s a lovely chap and he’s very sensible.
“We always knew he was a nice looking horse, but it’s just been a case of getting round to it. Hopefully we can push on and do more now. This feels like such an achievement doing this on a horse we have bred”
Zeus’ 2023 CV includes the British Elite supreme and the Equifest hack championship.
Reserve in the 2023 SEIB Search For A Star championship was Hayley Came-Boyce and her winning show hunter Killycloghan Masterson, a six-year-old by Kings Master.
The pair qualified for the SFAS finals on their first attempt, and they juggle showing alongside working hunters, eventing and some show jumping.
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