“He was always the fastest!”

Three-year-old hack who grew up believing himself a racehorse qualifies for the Price Family Supreme In-hand Championship at HOYS!

Monivea Mozart is Pippa Kirby’s first attempt at breeding a hack, and it’s safe to say that as he graced the Royal Cheshire County Show ring yesterday, her experiment was a successful one!

He was shown by Jerome Harforth, who is producing him for the season.

Pippa and husband Philip Kirby, a Yorkshire based trainer, raced his mother but her two previous foals had run only “moderately” so upon the advice of hack afficionado Jerome Harforth, they covered her with Turberry Top Cat intending to breed a hack, intermediate or 14.2, she explained. “He is her first non-TB and she has had two more since. He grew up with four TB racing colts and we’ve documented their life on our racing Facebook page, ‘the Class of 2020’. He was always the fastest, so I hope this doesn’t reflect in their ability to win races,” joked a very excited Pippa.  

Royal Cheshire County was Mozart’s second show, and he also stood champion part-bred Arab at Derbyshire Festival, where his full brother, Monivea The Dark Secret also won his hack breeding class. Meanwhile, younger sister Monivea Melody is waiting in the wings. “Mozart’s definitely a keeper. He will hopefully become a top ridden hack and our youngest daughter, Indie, who is now 14 will look forward to the intermediate ride; he has the kindest nature. We feel very lucky to have bred him.”

Find out more about those who braved the tempestuous weather to win at Royal Cheshire County in our August issue.

Headline image by Katie Parry-Evans. Image of Mozart leading the field provided by Pippa Kirby.