Eighteen-year-old Ruby Hughes secured victory in the under-25 grand prix at Myerscough College High Profile on her competitive debut aboard Farrell, scoring 69.06%. The horse, previously ridden by Abi Lyle to European Championship success, also helped Hughes finish fourth in the inter II with 68.04%. Hughes has taken over the ride for the summer season with support from Alina Pedersen.
Ruby Hughes rode Fenella Quinn’s Farrell (Fabregas x Davignon), a 15-year-old gelding and Abi Lyle’s former European Championship mount, to top the under-25 grand prix. She had only ridden him three times prior to the competition. Abi Lyle stayed involved, joining the warm-up and sharing insights that Hughes praised highly. > “She had me laughing the whole way through,” Hughes said. “She told me every single side to him, and she knows him so well that to have that perspective is amazing.” > “I’ve watched her and Farrell for many years, and they’ve been such a huge inspiration to me.” Farrell provided crucial confidence during the test, which Hughes described as challenging given her limited experience at the level. > “He gave me so much confidence in the arena, allowing me to process the test as I rode,” she said. “It’s a very hard level, especially with my limited experience at it – but he was very cool. There’s definitely lots of room to grow as a partnership in this test, but what a beginning.” Hughes brings prior grand prix experience from rides on Classic Goldstrike at age 15 and more recently on Jens. She has secured a qualifying score and plans increased international outings, though A-level exams complicate scheduling. > “Our heads are stuck in the diary and on the FEI schedule looking for places to go,” she said. “But it’s not every day you get to ride a horse of that level, so I want to make the most of it.” The partnership adds a family layer: Hughes’s father, Gareth Hughes, trains Lyle and Pedersen, and Ruby teaches Pedersen’s eight-year-old daughter. She also rides small tour horse Mount St John Jazz Dance but prioritizes Farrell now. > “I think horses determine the journey a bit,” she says. “So we’ll see where it goes.”
