I CAN’T believe Hickstead is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year – what a legacy Douglas Bunn has left. I thought the venue was unbelievable the first time I went, which was in 1970 when I was 15 years old, although it wasn’t my most successful show.
I had qualified for the junior Foxhunter final and we were hoping to arrive there in plenty of time to get acclimatized and let the pony settle in, and maybe find a small class to jump first. But it took us three days to get to Hickstead and we arrived an hour before the championship started. The truck broke down, everything went wrong and it was a disastrous journey from start to finish.
The main ring is pretty daunting for a green pony and a green rider and when I eventually rode in on my little colored pony, whose name was Crazy Horse, he saw the lake and its waterfall in the middle of the ring and stopped dead in his tracks and spun around. Just then, the hooter went and I didn’t have time to get him settled and relaxed. I think I finished with seven faults which weren’t a disaster, but we put the pony back on the truck and set off all the way home again.
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Esta historia es de la edición June 18, 2020 de 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
