- Home
- Features
- News
- Tried & Tested
- Shop
The Gaitpost caught up with Kirsty Aird, who is training for Young Riders, and her trainer Robert Snaddon, in the preparations leading up to the Royal Highland Show. Kirsty kept a diary of her hectic week both before and during the show.Robert’s pupils are all levels from the more experienced to those starting out and he currently trains Sophie Beaty, eventer, GB pony team medallist 2010/11, Junior GB team and Under 18 British Champion 2013 and runner-up in the 2014 British Under 21 Championships, and numerous three day eventers and show jumpers.
Robert Snaddon: 07799 715081
Kirsty met Robert at Jimmy Lister’s yard, in Essex, a few years ago whilst on work experience at a time when she was concentrating on her showing. In 2013, Kirsty came to Robert’s yard, based at Culworth Grounds, Oxfordshire, as a working pupil to focus on show jumping. She competed Robert’s horses, Jumping ‘Mac’ Flash and Champagne III and went on to buy Mac from Robert. Now back home in Scotland, Robert makes regular trips to train Kirsty and Mac and help prepare for the bigger classes.
I’m 23 from Fife in Scotland. I have been brought up with horses working in my parents, Trude and James Aird, family run business of breaking schooling and producing horses. I have now taken over the role of riding and producing the horses, where Mum and Dad are always on hand to help and keep me right!
I competed in ponies, both showjumping and showing, a lot of my ponies were all brought on from novice’s. In working hunters, I had some great results with the 14hh Haysford Hideaway Harry, he was always tricky but taught me to have patience and perseverance! He went on to win at the Winter Championships and Scottish points winner 3 years in a row.
Noccona Black Elk gave me lots of good results in the pony jumping world; we went on to jump the 148cm opens in Scotland before I was out of the class and he was sold. I have since had many successes in the show ring qualifying and competing numerous horses and ponies both for RIHS and HOYS, with some of my best results….2nd in the Heavyweight Working Hunter at RIHS 2010, with Mr Euan Snowie’s Playboy Forever, and in 2013 winning and going Champion Mountain and Moorland Working Hunter Pony with Mrs Winsome Aird’s connemara, Falfield Beeleaf.
Although I have mainly had show horses my love has always been showjumping, so after finishing in ponies I spent the winters training at different yards and this is how I met Robert Snaddon. In January 2010 I was working with Jimmy Lister in Essex, whom Robert was riding for at the time. He helped me a lot when I was there, improving my position and giving me some tips on schooling show jumpers. When I came to leaving we kept in touch. The following winter I spent time with Tina and Graham Fletcher which I thoroughly enjoyed, however it was after a week’s stay at Robert’s yard in Banbury, the week after RIHS 2013, that I decided to train with Robert through that winter.
Robert has been phenomenal in bringing the best out in me and my competitive side. He spent a lot of time helping me on the flat and again improving my position, along with allowing me to jump his horses, which was an amazing experience!! He has a lot of patience but more importantly the knowledge and experience to help with any type or standard of horse with a solution to every problem. His popularity shows as he teaches all over the world and is now becoming a very sought after trainer in Scotland!! Before spending time with Robert, I had show jumped up to 1.35m with the home produced mare, Boquhans Angelina, however after managing to sell a horse to Greece I managed to buy Jumping Mac Flash from Robert whom has already given me more competitive experience at 1.40m.
Starting with Toronto we worked on his jumping technique, and helped to make him quicker thinking. Using a grid of a small ladder (80cm) one stride to another small ladder, then one stride to an oxer, finishing roughly at 1.30m and changing the widths to keep him thinking. We then moved on to jumping a couple fences together with tighter turns to keep his hocks engaged. A turn back to a triple bar then dog leg to a set of planks with a “v” pole to help keep him in the middle. By the end of the session he had started to use his shoulders better and push off his hocks more whilst he was jumping.
Moving on to Mac, after warming up and jumping an individual fence, we moved on to jumping some lines and distances. Then worked on jumping triple bars so I can keep the same canter on the corner and not be tempted to shorten the canter off the corner. We then finished with jumping through the grid, finishing with the last part sitting at 1.60m!! This helped me to keep a better position and remain more upright on take off. Also helping my confidence for jumping bigger fences!!! As well as my lessons with Robert the other horses had to be worked and schooled.
Today we worked on Toronto’s ride-ability on the approach to a fence, by using canter poles he learned to keep an even balanced canter before, over and after the poles. Then a plank was added at the 3rd pole so again he learned to stay balanced on the approach to a jump. We then jumped a water jump and the triple bar again. Today his technique was much better from the start. With Mac we warmed up over a single fence then put a course together. Including a couple of distances, a water jump, triple bar and gate. These were all about 1.40/1.45m. He jumped fantastically so we finished the lesson there.
Then we worked on Tom and shortening his stride in doubles as he has a tendency to over jump and make up too much ground. Robert used placing poles, before and after an upright fence to warm up then added another upright one stride away with a placing pole in the middle to help him drop his head, use his shoulders and shorten his stride. The double finished 1.10m.
A day of preparing for the show. Mac and Toronto had an easy day hacking out, where the others had a bit of work in their double bridles before the show. Six horses were trimmed, washed and bathed ready for the week ahead. Tack cleaned and loaded into the lorry so we were ready to leave the next morning.
Show day for Toronto, Mac and Trevor, plus catch a ride, Jackson, in the working hunter. We were up at 4am to feed and get the horses ready to travel. Leaving at 5.30am we were at the show in plenty of time to walk the working hunter course. First, I jumped Jackson, and we had 2 fences down, but this was his first time jumping on grass due to his owners injury and only my 2nd time jumping him. (And there were no clears in the class!!) Toronto then jumped last in the class: he warmed up well, but got a little stage fright in the ring jumping round with 4 down, he just showed his “greenness” in the ring. As this was Trevor’s first show I then took him for a walk round to see the atmosphere and settle in.
It was then Mac’s turn, very excited to be able to wear my new made to measure jumping jacket from Mears!! Jumping the 1.40m speed class first we jumped round with just 1 down! A very proud moment for my first 1.40m!! We then jumped first in the 1.45m, finishing with just 2 down …I was delighted! It was then back to the tweeds for Trevor’s novice hunter class where he finished 5th. Homeward bound and off to wash the connemaras for Friday and tidy the lorry for the next morning. We eventually got to bed at 11pm!
Another early start, 5am, to miss the traffic to arrive in time for Tom’s in-hand class. His owner led him in this to finish 2nd. Mac then jumped in the main ring, a 1.40m table C class. There was more atmosphere in the main ring so Mac was a touch more excited! However I was delighted again to jump round a technical track with just two down. It was then back to the tweeds for the M&M working hunter HOYS qualifier with Bealeaf and Tom. Unfortunately the course did not suit them and they both had two down, slightly disappointing as both ponies had been jumping well, but there is always another day. I then got a night at the show to see friends and have a catch up.
Although we were not competing at the show I was there to help some children I teach, and finally get a walk round the stands to meet people and some of the companies who support me…Allen and Page horse feeds and Osmonds, who supply the supplements we use. It was then homeward bound to hack Mac out. An early night ready for another early start, when I had a phone call, from Richard Telford, asking if I was free to ride a Dales pony in the HOYS qualifier!
The last day of the show. Another 4am start. I rode Bill Ireland’s Dales pony, Kilmannan Black Magic, winning his class and qualifying for HOYS! Unfortunately Tom didn’t quite settle with the main ring atmosphere and was a little tense in his show, therefore not getting placed. After riding Kilmannan Black Magic in the Championship, I had a couple of hours to enjoy the show again before getting Mac ready for the young rider final, 1.40m.
This class was held in the main ring, another chance to enjoy the electric atmosphere! Early to go in the class we were out in plenty of time to warm up and walk the course. It proved a tricky course with many having fences down, Mac tried his heart out to jump round with just one down! Out of 20 there were only 5 clear rounds, being the 2nd fastest 4 faulter we finished 7th! A very proud moment to be in the prize giving in the main ring of The Royal Highland Show!!!
Hopefully next year we can win!!
Watch Kirsty’s round in the 1.40m class HERE
Pictures courtesy of Jennifer Adam, The Courier Equestrian, Thea Ingram and Katie Macrae
© 2026 The Gaitpost is published by Sarah Heseltine. All rights reserved.
