Burnley teen makes winning debut at historic Hickstead show
Wednesday 23 July 2025
Fifteen-year-old Gabriella Douglas made it a winning debut when she made her first Hickstead appearance during this week’s Agria Royal International Horse Show.
“I only jumped on grass for the first time last week,” she admitted – but that little detail didn’t seem to affect the young equestrian at all when she rode through the archway of the International Arena at the famous International Arena at Hickstead, West Sussex.
But perhaps part of what helped Gabriella stay so cool and calm was that she came to the show with no expectations of winning.
“I’ve never been to a big international show or anything, and I’ve never been to Hickstead before,” she said. “So it was really nerve-wracking for me, and I could tell that my pony was a little bit nervous and a little bit unsure.”
But, she said of her grey mare Farravaune Shannen, “she’s got a heart of gold and she trusts me, so she just went with it, and she tried so hard.”
That trust comes, in no small part, from the long partnership the pair has cultivated: despite not growing up in a horsey household, pony-mad Gabriella was bitten by the bug late in her childhood, and when she was 11 years old, she took on a then three-year-old Farravaune Shannen and began training her. The duo has come up through the rankings together, earning a qualification for the Horse of the Year Show in Birmingham later on this year, and making it to Hickstead for today’s Oakley Coachbuilders BS Winter Grade JC Championship.
While they may have been nervous as they approached the first fence of their first round, they quickly overcame the feeling, and delivered a fault-free round to advance them to the jump-off finale – one of just nine horses and riders to do so.
When they returned for that second, even tougher round, they did it again – and this time, they were the only pair to leave all the fences up. This time, they left the arena as champions.
Jump-off rounds are usually about blistering speed and the tightest of turns, but Gabriella was mostly focused on giving her young pony a confidence-boosting experience, and opted instead to take it slow and steady. But sometimes, as the saying goes, that’s what wins the race.
“I think people are so eager to win and so eager to get round that sometimes it can get to your head,” she said. “So I just went in there looking for a double clear, and sometimes that’s the best outcome.”
Next year, Gabriella will turn 16 and will age out of riding her beloved pony – and it’s clear that in the meantime, the pair are going to make every moment count.
“I’ve brought her on myself, and she’s not really bred for this job, so she wasn’t ever meant to become the pony she is,” she said. “But you couldn’t ask for a better pony. I’m so proud of her, and so proud of how far we’ve come.”
The Agria Royal International Horse Show takes place at Hickstead in West Sussex from 23-27 July. Tickets are available at the gate or from www.hickstead.co.uk. The action will also beshown live on ClipMyHorse.TV.
Image: Boots and Hooves Photography
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