IT’S clear that Margaret Morris, joint-master of the South Notts, relishes a challenge and she had one in her Blankney field master days before the ban.
“We had a huge ditch and someone said, ‘She’s not going to jump that.’ Well, that’s a red rag to me! But we did it, no problem,” she says.
The horse that “never said no” to the biggest ditch had an inauspicious start. An “old-fashioned thoroughbred”, Cognac came out of training – “not fast enough” – and was in Olympic showjumper Mick Saywell’s yard.
“One January, I had a call from Mick saying, ‘I’ve got a horse here I think would suit you.’ I should have known there was a problem with it!”
Margaret was used to thoroughbreds and went to try him after hunting. “It was dark, so I jumped a few fences in the school and was told to take him home for a month. It turned out Mick couldn’t sell him – he was quite naughty!” she says.
The 16.1hh bay, rising five, was exactly that with one of the grooms, whose initial thought that he was too quiet for Margaret altered when they went into a field and he took off bucking. “She came back and said, ‘I think you’ll like him!’”
Denne historien er fra April 18, 2024-utgaven av Horse & Hound.
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Denne historien er fra April 18, 2024-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.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
'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