‘He’s been a formidable horse’: fairytale finish for hunter who is retired after second HOYS supreme win
Jill Day’s exceptional lightweight hunter View Point (Sean) was bowed out from the show ring at the 2022 Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) as he lifted the Supreme Products HOYS supreme horse of the year title for the second year in a row.
His rider and producer Robert Walker left nothing to chance in the supreme pre-judging, asking Sean for two gallops, a flying change and a superb square halt.
After their supreme win last year, Robert was hesitant about even bringing 11-year-old Sean, a four-time Royal Windsor champion and the reigning Royal International (RIHS) supreme horse, back to HOYS.
“We just didn’t think we could improve on last year,” said Robert after he took the hunter championship earlier in the week, making Sean the only horse to have won the HOYS hunter accolade four times during his career. “I was worried it might have been an anticlimax so we were considering bringing one of his younger understudies. But Jill said we should bring him as he’s our horse of a lifetime.”
“He’s been a formidable horse for us,” added Robert, who bought Sean as a foal for Jill. “He’s given us some great days and he never gives less than 120%. But they can’t do it forever. At some point we have to call it a day, and why not go out on the top.”
Sean might have finished in the show ring, but he’ll now enjoy outings on the hunt field.
“He’ll be out hunting very soon,” said Robert. “The adrenalin in that main ring was amazing.
“This win isn’t just Sean and I. It’s a whole team effort. When I rode up to the preliminary judging this evening, I said to Sean ‘come on boy, let’s do it one more time’ and he pulled everything out yet again. I’m so lucky to have him.”
The supreme was judged by Marcus Capel, CEO of the Pony Club, and FEI show jumping judge Val Turner.
Val said: “What an eye full he was. He was outstanding and had all the charisma in the world. We had no idea he was retiring, which made it even more emotional.”
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