Borders siblings Rocco and Posy Lindsay to star at Horse of the Year Show

Nine-year-old Rocco and his pony Litton Perfection will join younger sibling Posy, 6, and her mount Litton Samara for the Horse of the Year Show at Birmingham NEC, the 72nd edition of the biggest week of the year for equestrian entertainment.

"It’s the biggest horse show in the world,” the youngsters’ proud mum Jane Lindsay told the Berwickshire News. “I’m very excited.

"Myself and my husband Jamie will be there in the crowd cheering them on.

"Because it’s their first experience I just want them to go and enjoy, have fun and soak up the atmosphere.

"To get there is the biggest achievement. Anything else is a bonus.

"Rocco’s pony is nine and has been third at Horse of the Year Show previously with a different rider. And the pony was also third at the Royal International Horse Show in the summer.

"Rocco has only had one year with the pony. This is his first year off the lead. So to actually to get to Horse of the Year Show has been an amazing achievement for him.

"Posy has had her pony for a year as well and the pony is only four years old. This is the pony and the child’s first visit to Horse of the Year Show.

"Posy will be competing in the lead rein show pony class and Rocco will be in the first ridden show pony section. Both classes will feature 17 top ponies from throughout Britain.”

Jane is most looking forward to watching her children go round the ring.

"Every single child that’s there hopes that they’re going to win,” she added.

"My children said to me the other day: ‘If we win mummy can we get a present?’

"So I said to them that if either of them win Horse of the Year Show, mummy and daddy would sort out a tree house because they’re desperate for a tree house.

"All the stars will have to align for that to happen. We’ve got no expectations but it gives the kids a bit of excitement and a bit of motivation.”

Jane then described the itinerary for the day which Rocco, Posy and the other competitors will face in Birmingham.

She said: "It will be a dressage test, doing the child’s version of what Charlotte Dujardin – multiple World and Olympic champion dressage rider – does.

"Posy will be on at 1pm and Rocco will be competing at 2.10pm. Each of them will be in front of the crowd for an hour in a class in front of a judge who judges the ponies’ performance and suitability of pony and child.”

To reach Birmingham, Rocco and Litton Perfection qualified at Kent County Show in the show pony first ridden class, while Posy and Litton Samara made it to Birmingham by excelling in the show pony lead rein category at the Three Counties Show in Malvern.

Among the big competitions entered by both siblings this year, they also contested the Royal International Horse Show in Brighton and May’s Royal Windsor Horse Show where those in the crowd included Her Majesty The Queen, who died on September 8 aged 96.

"The event was in the Queen’s back garden,” Jane said. “We were literally within touching distance of her.

"So the kids were able to really relate to the Royal Family upon the sad news of the Queen’s death.

"Posy was able to understand who the new Queen (Camilla, Queen Consort) is because she met her last year when she presented her with her prize in the ring at Great Yorkshire Show.”