Sally Gap is a Welsh cob X tb - she is only just 7 yo, and is by Mill Creek Valiant out of Tb mare Star who was by Indian Ore out of a Blazing Keel mare.

In January 2011 at the World Cup Festival at Woodhill Sands I was able to sit at a fabulous vantage point and observe her doing a training round ridden by our son, 14yo Conor West.

She entered the ring and looked like she was supposed to be there, she calmly picked up the correct lead, went to the first jump and jumped it from the perfect spot, she went on in the same calm style over the rest of the jumps. Even when she was on the wrong lead to a jump she was brave enough and strong enough to clear them- not perfectly but clear them she did.

NZES senior showhunter judge Dorothy Scott from Oxford, Christchurch judged the round- she commented on Sally "Good Jumper, good mover." which is high praise indeed.

Interestingly when Sally exited the ring she lightly bounded over the rails at the base right to the top of the bank with a real look of "What fun!!" in her eye. Perhaps her future lies in Eventing.

Photo courtesy of Hotshot Horses.