ONE very successful owner was nearly reduced to tears on the way to the Northern Ireland Festival last weekend, never mind when class and championship results were known.

When discussing with husband Stuart the whereabouts of the gold earrings she usually wears in the show ring, Natalie McCartan became very emotional when her eight-year-old daughter Amelia piped up from the back seat: “We have all the gold we’ll ever need because we have Lewis.”

And the said Lewis, aka Eynhallow Lewis, put in a gold medal-winning performance under Amelia at the Cavan Equestrian Centre. She and the 17-year-old black Shetland gelding by Yarpha Chancer won their early heats of the open mini Mountain and Moorland lead rein class and the mini Mountain and Moorland lead rein championship en route to landing Sunday’s Lewis Family mini pony supreme championship.

The reserve sash went around the neck of the Emily Nee-partnered Holthall Gladiator, the open show hunter mini champion, while standing first reserve was Amelia Logan on the mini part-bred ridden champion, Fielden Real McCoy.

“It’s hard to believe that Lewis was a stallion until he was 13 as he is so calm and didn’t need any working in for the supreme championship,” said Natalie who does all the leading. “He has some lovely stock on the ground and they all have his temperament. The Festival is a fabulous show.”

Amelia is very fortunate that her two brothers have no interest in ponies so she also gets to ride Gryngallt Pizzicato who was second in his novice show hunter pony lead rein class, third in the open show hunter pony lead rein class and third also in the assisted working hunter class.

Amelia has had a brilliant season even up to last weekend, the highlight on Eynhallow Lewis being winning the mini supreme championship at the NPS Area 32 annual spring show at Knockagh View while she and Gryngallt Pizzicato were reserve mini champions at the Irish Pony Society spring show in Mullingar.

Both ponies are entered at Balmoral next week after which their main target will be the Royal Highland Show (June 19th to 22nd). Some years ago, under her maiden name Moore, Natalie won the four-year-old lightweight hunter class at the Ingliston showgrounds on Interest Free.