AN amateur show handler and rare breed enthusiast from Crediton, Emily Fisher and her horse, Bahain Terminator have qualified for the prestigious Your Horse Live Championship in Warwickshire this November.

Emily and Arnie, as the stunning purebred Cleveland Bay horse is known, made the trip to Hartpury University near Gloucester for the first ever Native, Traditional and Rare Breeds class at the SEIB Search for a Star qualifier on April 13.

They will now go on to compete under the bright lights of the Your Horse Live Arena at Stoneleigh Park this Autumn.

The pair competed in and won the Native, Traditional and Rare Breeds class under top judges Emma Jackson and Richard Ramsay to earn their qualification.

Among the 13 horses and ponies in the class, in addition to Arnie, there were Traditional Gypsy Cobs, a British Percheron and a Fell pony.

Arnie was bought by Emily from a photo when he was just nine-months-old.

Emily said: “I love the Cleveland Bay breed, they are so versatile and if they trust you they’ll give you all they’ve got. I do a lot to promote this rare breed and saw this new Search for a Star class so thought why not come along!

“Arnie has absorbed the atmosphere here today, we will break him in next year. Cleveland Bay’s take a long time to mature and its lovely to have the chance to come out to show people the breed. Cleveland Bay’s are on the Rare Breeds Critical list, if we don’t support the breeders, the Cleveland Bay breed will die out.”

SEIB Search for a Star organiser, Nicolina MacKenzie said: “What a start to the season for Search for a Star and Racehorse to Riding Horse. There was such a positive atmosphere at Hartpury and the standard of horses and ponies coming forward was fabulous to see.

SEIB Search for a Star first took place back in 1996 and over the years has provided thousands of opportunities for amateur riders to compete at HOYS.

Each of the SEIB Search for a Star qualifying shows offers opportunities for a full range of show horses to earn a place at the series championships at Horse of the Year Show and Your Horse Live.