A WARRINGTON horse rider will live her dream of competing at the Horse of the Year Show after a chance meeting with a pony last year.

Sarah Hill qualified for the prestigious competition’s Show Pony/Show Hunter Pony class through the Search for a Star event.

But Hill and her pure bred Dun Connemara named Ferdi only met when Ferdi’s owner fell ill in January 2013.

“I fell in love with him straight away,” said Hill. “I rode him some more over the next few months and when it came to the summer of 2013 he should have gone home, but his owner was still not well enough to look after him.”

Hill became a member of the Connemara Society at last year’s HOYS and sessions followed at a clinic with Mathew Lawrence, which eventually led to her winning the Search for a Star competition.

“I think it is going to take me a while to come to terms with the fact that I have qualified for HOYS,” added Hill.

Ferdi really is one in a million and I am really lucky to have found him. This is a dream come true for me and I still can’t believe this has happened.”