THIS smart two-month-old colt by Templebready Fear Bui is a full-brother to Merrycorner Mister Bui who won the first showing class in the Equi-Trek Ring at Hickstead on Wednesday, the 153cms show hunter pony championship, and in the afternoon, in the Main Arena, was crowned the Leeman Family supreme show hunter pony champion under Harriet Dennison.

Merrycorner Mister Bui, aka Buttons, was bred on the Dublin/Meath border

by amateur event rider Louise Duffy. The brown gelding is out of Granny Vickie, a non-winning thoroughbred mare by Old Vic, who, incidentally was bred by Casey Webb’s father Tommy. Louise takes up the story:

“Buttons was started by mum (Mary) and I at the end of his three-year-old year before going to P.J. and Sonya Casey to be produced in March as a four-year-old. I’d have loved to produce him myself but, with a full-time office job with travel and three or four other horses in work who were eventing, it was hard to juggle giving him the time to fulfil his potential.

“Buttons was always a little bit of a show off and I wanted to make sure he got the best start and thankfully P.J. and Sonya took him for us and produced him to win the small riding horse class and be reserve champion riding horse in the RDS that year (2016). He’s gone from strength to strength since going to Rachael Helliwell and Harriet Dennison.

“I’m delighted for his dam too as she wasn’t particularly happy or settled as a racehorse or riding horse but has turned out to be a fantastic broodmare. It wasn’t the easiest decision for me to sell Buttons but it’s fantastic to see him fulfil his potential on the big stage and if his two-year-old sister and two-month-old brother are anywhere near as good as him, I’ll be very lucky.”