Following a nail-biting final, Megan Cookson and Louvaine Rooney captured the prestigious TopSpec Supreme Pretty Polly Ridden Championship at the North of England Summer Pony Show.
This talented combination are in fine form this season, having landed the intermediate title at Aintree, before going on to win the £1,000 TopSpec Championship at this Lincolnshire venue.
This show seems to be a lucky one for the pair, having claimed the Sporting Sam accolade here two years ago. However, the win this year is all the more special as Rooney underwent surgery in the summer of last year which prevented him from contesting the showing circuit last season.
Said Megan: “I did the same show that landed me the Sporting Sam title two years ago, so I thought why change it? It seemed to do the trick!”
The stunning nine-year-old is a popular figure on the Intermediate Show Hunter/Small Hunter circuit and looked as good as ever to hold off strong competition to take this prestigious TopSpec Pretty Polly title.
Judge Karen Toynton-Ward was full of praise for the pair and also their reserve, the beautiful show pony Rosamel Dark Prince ridden by Emma Parker. “We asked them all to give a performance to wow us and the top two did that brilliantly,” she said,
Megan was delighted with her fabulous mount, saying “there were a lot of really good combinations and it was tough competition, but he went brilliantly and I’m so thrilled to win. He is such a special horse.”
The TopSpec Supreme Pretty Polly Ridden Championship is for home-produced ponies and showing is very much a family affair for the Cookson’s.