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‘I’m glad I listened and waited’: patient rider claims SEIB Search For A Star title with ‘marvellous’ hunter

A show hunter lifted the 2024 SEIB Search For A Star supreme championship at the Horse of the Year Show (HOYS).

This was Samantha Lea’s own gedling Redshaw Valentino, an Avanti Amorous Archie son out of Pebbly Diva Du.

Now seven, “Henry” was aimed at the Search For A Star final as a four-year-old, but the judges told Samantha that it wasn’t to be his year. She therefore waited until he was more mature to give the popular series another go.

“I’m so glad we listened to the judges and decided to wait until he was ready,” said Samantha, who runs her own equine rug cleaning business and runs Henry from her family’s working farm. Samantha also became a mum for the first time last year.

Samantha explained how she came to become Henry’s owner: “I bought him as a four-year-old; my friend originally got him for the workers from his breeder [Joanne Shaw] and then as soon as I saw his head over the door I knew I just had to have him. He wasn’t for sale, but I said that I’d wear her down until she’d let me have him!”

Six months later, Samantha bought Henry on the promise that she would never sell him.

“He lives amongst tractors and combines and he’s got the nicest head on his shoulders; he is marvellous,” she said.

Initially, the pair contended British Dressage before he was turned away to fully mature at his own pace.

“I had a baby, too, so it made sense to do that,” Samantha said. “We’ve brought him back into work this year, slow and steady. We tried Search For A Star when he was a four-year-old and he just wasn’t physically there, but the judges really liked him. We tried again this year and we qualified the first time out.

“Don’t tell my husband, but this is better than my wedding day; I’ve always dreamed of this,” Samantha added.

Judges, Chris Hunnable, Katie Jerram-Hunnable and JJ Kemp, who had travelled from South Africa to judge, agreed on the pair’s potential for the future.

“I’m sure we’ll see them here in years to come,” said Chris.

Reserve for the 2024 SEIB Search For A Star supreme was the winning traditional cob, Lauren Woodward’s Beacon St James (Jimmy). The five-year-old qualified for the final on only his fifth ridden show.

Lauren, who works as an admin assistant, has only had him for a year.

“I sadly lost my Welsh D suddenly, so Jimmy just came into my life at the right time,” she said. “His first show was in April this year and we entered the Search For A Star for a bit of experience, and we ended up winning.”

He was bred by Carrie Keogh by Guiness out of Beacon Winterfell.

“He’s got such a kind heart; I’m very lucky,” said Samantha.

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Credit: Steve Dawe