A TWENTY-seven inch-tall miniature horse from Blackwood has beat off competition from across Europe to be named supreme champion at the International Miniature Horse of the Year show.

Three-year-old Simba "thinks he’s a dog" and will happily sit on owner and trainer Mandy Parfit's lap on the sofa.

Simba, whose full name is Kil Cummer Simba The Lion Heart, first won the Amateur Home-Produced champion at the Bedford show at the beginning of the month, qualifying for the Grand Supreme Champion of the show.

“We went there thinking we’ll go there for the experience, we had no idea what we were doing,” said Mrs Parfit. “I’m so proud of him for winning.”

Mrs Parfit, 45, of Summerfield Hall Lane, in Blackwood, trains horses for a living and has 12 of them in total.

She said: “We all ride horses, except for my son, who doesn’t want to.

“He said he fancied a miniature horse and that, if we got him one, he’d take it to a show.

South Wales Argus:

“So, as a joke, we went to Exeter to get him one. He now loves Simba.”

Mrs Parfit said that Simba, who is the first miniature horse the family has, is fabulous and extremely laid back.

She said: “He thinks he’s a dog. He walks around the kitchen and he sits on my lap when I sit on the sofa.

“He plays with our dog and the other animals we have, he runs around the garden with them.

“On the other hand, he doesn’t think he’s 27 inches, he thinks he’s big.

“He’s full of attitude and he’ll challenge a big horse.

“We absolutely love him, we worship him.”

South Wales Argus: The family dog is bigger than Simba

Mrs Parfit said that the next challenge for Simba is doing charity work as he’ll be going round the town dressed up to raise money for Children In Need.

He has also been invited to take part in the Showcase Champion of Champions Show next spring in England.

South Wales Argus: Mandy Parfit with The Lion Heart miniture horse Supreme Champion at the Miniature Horse of the Year show and The Bozz an Irish Draft horse.

South Wales Argus: Mandy Parfit with The Lion Heart miniture horse Supreme Champion at the Miniature Horse of the Year show.