Equestrian: Rigby lifts Dartmoor's Springtimes Shield (From The Westmorland Gazette)

Equestrian: Rigby lifts Dartmoor's Springtimes Shield

3:40pm Wednesday 21st December 2011 in Sport

YEALAND’s Ann Rigby attended the Dartmoor Pony Society annual general meeting in Exeter and received the Springtimes Shield as the breeder of the overall Topspec Performance Points Award.

Rigby received the award in 1995 with her homebred Dykes Acanthus - a full brother to Dykes Daisymead - and also the latter’s daughter Dykes Rosiemead took the award in 2003.

She also collected the Elite Mare Certificate, the highest award in the Dartmoor world, with Dykes Daisymead to celebrate her 25th birthday and also was the top Dartmoor at Olympia in 1990.

Her homebred seven year old Dykes Heathermead, out of Dykes Daisymead, and ridden by Danielle Balsdon, from Devon, took the showing section for the Topspec and was overall champion.

Heathermead had a tremendous season and some of the highlights were winning supreme at Lydford Station and Champion Heritage Points winner of BSPS Area 13b having won four sections besides champion and reserve.

She was also first in grand prix and junior champion at NPS Area 10, while picking up four wins at the DCPA. A double winner at Royal London Show, Heathermead was also an excellent winner at Royal Cornwall.

Balsdon was also delighted to take the ridden mare of the year in the Dartmoor Points.

Kirsty Errington from Ulverston was runner up in the ridden mare of the year with the Scottish bred Locharmoss Bella. She was a profilic winner in the North West this season and was runner up in the Olympia qualifier at the Northern Dartmoor Show.

* Bigland Hall Equestrian is hoping to be nominated for the Equestrian Social Media Awards in the Riding School and blog categories. To nominate the centre, visit https://www.facebook.com/equestriansocialmediaawards?ref=ts