‘We’ve shed blood, sweat and tears’: hopes that road back from injury will see eye-catching pony at London International

A determined young rider is doing all she can to nurse her beloved pony back to full fitness in time to compete at the London International Horse Show (LIHS) after he sustained a check ligament injury. Rose Chugg-Martin, 12, and her mother Eloise’s 14-year-old Penhwnllys Karachi have qualified for the BSPS exceeding 148cm performance pony final after winning at Hanbury Countryside Show.

The home-producing family were drawn to the classes when they were launched last year. Rose and Penhwnllys Karachi, who is known as Archie at home, usually compete in dressage, showjumping, eventing, arena evening and Pony Club and riding club activities.

“Their LIHS qualifier was their first-ever attempt at a flat showing class,” Eloise says. “To our absolute surprise and delight she won, qualifying for London. This was a true dream for a young girl on her home-produced pony.”

After booking their pass, Rose and Archie spent the summer competing, including at the Pony Club National Championships where they were fourth in the novice dressage and jumped a double clear in the 90cm showjumping. They also enjoyed a bumper run at the riding club National Championships in September. They were truly riding on a high.

“However, two weeks later, Archie came in from the field with a very swollen leg,” Eloise explains. “After the swelling had gone down, the vet confirmed that he had disruption to his check ligament. We have had to withdraw from Blenheim and the Search For A Star open Pony Club pony final at Your Horse Live, a show Rose won at last year with her previous pony, Tregaire Tiger Lily.

“Our vet, Natasha Seely, has developed a recovery programme for Archie and we are now at week six of walking along with consistent supplementation of MSM, GastriAid from NAF and Indiba from Performance Animal Therapy. We are also looking at including a programme from Hartpury Therapy Centre on their aqua treadmill.”

Eloise juggles caring for the horses, Archie’s rehab and being a mum to two children around working full-time as sponsorship and events manager for NAF.

“Just to qualify for London was a dream for us,” she adds. “I’m incredibly proud of how Rose has been mature way beyond her years. She is walking Archie and hand grazing him after school and at weekends, and I’m getting my steps in alongside. She is giving him the best of care to get him better for London. He is happy and healthy, but we know it just takes time. We will get there, as long as he’s fully recovered; we’ve entered and we will be doing everything we can.

“We’ve shed blood, sweat and tears, and I even lost a couple of toenails after my attempt at walking him in-hand past some goats! We have all our fingers and toes crossed.”

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