Little Murka’s Harry Charles, 12, secured his second major pony show jumping title in 12 months by winning the Horse of the Year Show 128cm Championship on Saturday, 8 October 2011. Riding Murka’s Headmore Little Lightning, he took victory in the final and was also third and fifth, with Murka’s Mathew’s Girl and Murka’s Flinor Songbird.

“Lightning is the least experienced of my ponies, so not the one I would have expected to win on,” said Harry, a year one pupil at Churcher’s College. “But she was able to gallop round to one fence [a double combination] and that suits her.”

Of the 23 starters in the class, just seven pony-rider combinations completed the first round course without error to go forward to the jump-off over a shortened course. Harry got three ponies to this stage and was first to go again with Murka’s Flinor Songbird.

“I was able to use this round to set the pace and figure out how tight I could make a turn into one early fence,” said Harry. “It came down, but I knew what I had to do with the other two.”

Harry returned to the ring with Murka’s Mathew’s Girl – with whom he won the prestigious London Olympia International Horse Show 128cm title in December 2010 – and produced the first clear jump-off round, putting the pressure on those remaining. His leading time was soon beaten by Joshua Bridge (Grianagh Harley). However, Harry had one more chance with Murka’s Headmore Little Lightning.

Following the instructions of his international show jumping father Peter Charles, Team Murka’s principal rider, he came home cleanly and knocked over one second of Joshua’s target. And when the last rider stopped on course, the class was his.

“It’s an amazing feeling to know I have won this,” said Harry. “It’s been a great day for me and the team that help behind the scenes.”

Harry will now concentrate on building up a string of 148cm ponies, with which he will compete over his final four years in pony classes.