FORMER master and huntsman of the Border Foxhounds Michael Hedley has never claimed to be a horseman. To him a horse was a means of getting from A to B and if asked about his favourite he might have joked about "a Can-Am"; the quad bike from which he hunted hounds at the latter end of his career.
But there was a horse that stood out, from the 1970s, and he was called Hotspur.
Hotspur was a 16.1hh chestnut with a white blaze that Michael's father bought from a local farmer.
"Tom wanted £450 for him and Dad got him for £400," Michael recalled. "He wasn't a jumper, but then nor am I.
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der March 14, 2024-Ausgabe von Horse & Hound.
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Diese Geschichte stammt aus der March 14, 2024-Ausgabe von Horse & Hound.
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'Sorry, but I wasn't feeling it'
Fresh from the opening meet, Tessa Waugh hasn't quite yet been bitten by the hunting bug. Without the crisp autumnal air and cheek-pinching cold she hoped for, it's a sluggish start
New pair pull off a win
A former European Championships pony is on form with his new rider, while elsewhere former showjumpers and eventers take ribbons
Lording it over the rest
Horses who have returned from injury, a second generation homebred and a long format specialist score on the final weekend of the British season
Smith hits flying form
A \"her way or no way\" mare helps Zoe Smith to an impressive ribbon haul and a rider beats his own boss to the top spot
Jankorado hits the jackpot
Paul Sims is triumphant despite his interrupted jump-off preparation and a borrowed horse comes up trumps
Peanut
From \"dangerous, scary\" to hedge-hopping brilliance, hunting has been the making of this unstable but very lovable equine character
She's a corker
Communication, says long-standing and highly respected Belvoir master Lady Sarah McCorquodale, is the key to all, as Catherine Austen discovers
Access all areas Cavalier Centre
The Cavalier Centre is a fully accessible, state-of-the-art equestrian centre designed to improve lives through horse-based activities. Ellie May Forrester pays a visit
'Use it or lose it'
Not everyone wants to reach for the pipe and slippers at a certain age. Becky Murray speaks to some veteran horse-and-rider combos for their secrets of human and equine longevity
A new way forward
Worm control in horses is vital, but established methods will not remain effective for much longer. Tim Mair FRCVS explains why and how we need to change
