Frazer Atherden qualifies for world famous championships

FRAZER Atherden has qualified for one of the great spectacles of the native pony showing world, staged at the world famous Olympia International Horse Show in London this month.

Atherden, who is training to become a farrier, gained a ticket to the National Pony Society (NPS) Mountain and Moorland Ridden Showing Championships, held each December in the grand glass domed Olympia Hall.

In doing so the rider from Lee Common is maintaining a family tradition, as twin brother Dain qualified for the final in 2009 and 2008.

Atherden has also made the championships himself in the past. This time the 20-year-old won the qualifier at the NPS Area 14 Spring Show in Essex back in May to make sure of one of the first tickets on offer.

His partner is the yellow dun Highland stallion Stirlingdene, who has enjoyed a great career in ridden showing.

“He qualified for Olympia with Frazer in 2008, the same year he won the Horse of The Year Show native ridden title,” said Atherden’s father Andy.

“He was also fifth at the Royal International that year. Last year he didn’t do much, but in 2010 he did four shows at the beginning of the year successfully. Frazer loves the pony to bits and they have a very good partnership.”

Atherden qualified for the Royal International at Hickstead again this year, this time moving up to third place in this top title. He then again travelled to the Horse of The Year Show at the NEC in October, this time for the Cuddy Supreme In Hand Championships, where he gained a memorable second place in the pony final.

Prestwood’s Bobby Bright has also qualified for the Olympia final with the bay Welsh Section C stallion Waxing Rheel.

The pair have been regular Olympia contenders, having qualified three times and taken the prized best of breed award twice, and they finished third last year.

They also qualified for the Horse of The Year Show every year since 2004.

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