How many people reach the top in three separate careers? There can’t be many; few people would have the skill, the desire and the application.
Guy Landau does, though. He was a leading jump jockey, the best showman of his era and, in his second season as master and huntsman of one of the most famous packs of hounds in the country – the Meynell and South Staffs – is motoring his way towards the peak of that profession, too.
A quietly entertaining man, a world of equine experience lies behind his eyes, around which the laughter lines are deeply etched. Possibly the greatest influence on his life was his stepfather, the famous showman Roy Trigg, and it is his tenets of “old-fashioned” horsemanship that have guided him and given him the foundations to do what he has done.
Guy says: “If you are consistent that your basic principles are the same, they [horses] have a chance to understand. If every day you ask the same question, there is no excuse for not getting the right answer. If you ask a different question every day, and you don’t ever get the answer you are looking for, you are not actually advancing one iota, are you? If they can’t understand you, they start losing confidence in you. It is the same with hounds.”
Guy’s equestrian schooling began early; by the age of nine, he was helping his Sussex-based stepfather break-in “hundreds” of yearlings for local trainers, who included Ryan Price, Guy Harwood and John Dunlop.
“I was lucky to be educated by a supreme horseman; most people haven’t had that luxury,” he says.
Guy did a lot of showing, naturally, as a child, but it was racing that fired his imagination.
Denne historien er fra March 04, 2021-utgaven av Horse & Hound.
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Denne historien er fra March 04, 2021-utgaven av Horse & Hound.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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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
