Special wins for Ballivor's Becky at UK horse show

Young Ballivor pony rider Rebecca O'Connor recently returned from an extremely successful first trip to Equifest 2011 in Peterborough, England, with three wins - a championship and a reserve championship. Six-year old Becky secured her first win with a competent and poised performance in the show's Pony Lead Rein Equitation Class on Haighend Rising Star at 8.30am on a Thursday morning. She then went on to take the Equitation Championship under the approving eye of judge, Lady Holmes. The tireless youngster then rode her adored Section A Dyfed Picalo to fourth place in his Welsh M&M section A Lead Rein Class. She followed this up two hours later with a spectacular win on the same pony in the M&M Equitation Lead Rein class and completed a successful first day with a reserve champion win. Over the course of the show, Becky was placed third in the Open Show Pony Lead Rein with Haighend Rising Star and went on to win a fourth in the Equifest Championship Lead Rein class. The pair qualified on their first attempt at the Northern Ireland Working Hunter Festival show in Cavan back in April when they won the Show Pony Lead Rein class and were reserve champion. This novice pony came over from England in the spring, straight from the field and was unshown. He has had a spectacular first season, as has his little rider. Becky finished the show by getting the hat trick of wins when she won the Home Produced M&M Lead Rein Section A on Dyfed Picalo. This seven year-old gelding is known affectionately throughout Ireland and now England as 'Tony the Pony'. He was purchased from Josephine O'Driscoll in Cork over three years ago shortly after he arrived in Ireland from his breeder, Diana Thomas. He has taught Becky to ride and the partnership have a very promising future. The class itself took almost two hours to judge and was without doubt the most special win for the family, said Rebecca's father, Terry. Rebecca is the third generation to compete in Peterborough. Her mother Emma O'Connor (formerly Emma Cash) competed successfully at both BSPS and Ponies UK, as did her grandmother, Sue Cash, who originally hails from Leicester. Becky is a great granddaughter of the late Ned Cash. This was always going to be a sentimental trip, according to Emma. "We wanted my grandmother, who lives in Leicester, to see Becky compete on her ponies. She has followed their wins with avid interest but, at 96 years of age, has been unable to travel to Ireland, so we decided to come to her. "Unfortunately, she injured her leg before the show, so on our departure date, we packed ponies and rider and drove the lorry into the Leicester suburbs to granny. It was a very special moment and the neighbours kindly allowed us to park the lorry on the street whilst a very proud granny inspected the ponies and deemed them up to scratch!"