THE year was 1973 and John was competing at a regular local show near Halifax when his father came over to him to talk about a horse he'd just seen jumping with a young girl, Sandra Wright. "I've had my eye on this one and just tried to buy it," he said. "They want £800 for it; I offered £600 and they turned it down." John knew the horse Donald was talking about - Ryan's Son - and wasn't impressed.
"He didn't look much at all. He had a ewe neck, a long back, big feet and feather all down his legs. I was convinced my dad only liked him because he reminded him of the workhorses we used to have on the farm." But Donald wasn't one to give up easily and spoke to a dealer he knew, known as Docker. He asked him to try and buy the horse.
"Docker managed to buy Ryan's Son but decided to keep him for himself.
That wasn't really the right thing for him to do, but I was quite relaxed about it as I didn't think that much of the horse at the time," remembers John.
A couple of weeks went by, then Donald and Docker met up again at another show.
"Docker turned to my dad and said: 'Do you think your John would ride Ryan's Son for me? I can't ride, it's too painful, I've got piles.' Next thing I know I'm jumping him around a newcomers at Winterton show.
"As I came out of the ring, having jumped a clear, I leant down to my dad and said: 'Buy him; whatever it costs, buy him now.' "Docker wanted £2,000 for him, and we hadn't got anything like that sort of money. That was what you'd pay for a good hunter at the time and was a more than decent price for a horse that had about 50p on his card.
Denne historien er fra October 10, 2024-utgaven av Horse & Hound.
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Denne historien er fra October 10, 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.
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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
