Abby Kirkpatrick and her 15-year old gelding, The Real McCoy (Smurf) will compete at the Royal International Horse Show (RI) today (July 26).
The pair qualified for the Open Working Hunter class at both the Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) and the Royal International Horse Show (RI).
Having started earlier this week, The Royal International Horse Show runs for six days with Kirkpatrick due to compete in her class this morning.
This is their first visit to the Hickstead venue, located only 12 miles north of Brighton on the South Coast of England.
Royal International Horse Show
In April, 31-year-old Kirkpatrick travelled to the UK to contest two RI qualifiers, rolling a pole in the fist event.
They travelled further south to Addington Manor in Buckinghamshire when they jumped a clear round to take second place and a coveted ticket to RI.
They had previously qualified a few years ago, but a fall at home left Abby with a broken arm and unable to ride.
HOYS
Kirkpatrick and Smurf have also qualified for HOYS set to take place in October at the NEC in Birmingham.
That will be a third return trip to the venue for the pair having contested the Intermediate working hunter class (for riders under 25) in 2016 and 2017, the latter of which she competed with a broken humerus.
Abby has owned Smurf since he was a five-year-old and has evented him up to 2* level.
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