THE Royal Highland Show (RHS) is one event Sandy McLean does not like to miss – so much so that he finished competing at the Blue Chip Championships at 11.30pm on Friday night and was in Cumbria the next morning to contest three qualifiers.
He justified his trip by winning the Johnston Smillie Accountants Grade B&C with Layla IV, also adding a onetwo in the Andrew Hamilton Coach novice qualifier with SES Jumeirah and Bingo 55, all owned by boss Matthew Pike.
“I got someone to take the horses up and I met them there on Saturday morning,” said Sandy. “It’s been quite a long weekend, with a lot of driving and not that much sleep!” He missed out on RHS
B&C qualification with SES Jumeirah, but added victory in the 1.30m open.
“He’s probably my most competitive young horse,” said Sandy, who won the Hickstead B&C qualifier with him at Arena UK in December.
Bingo, a seven-year-old who finished one second behind his stablemate, was added to the string six months ago.
“He is by Luidam out of a mare that jumped a lot of five-star Nations Cups,” said Sandy. “He’s still a bit green, but he has masses and masses of jump – you couldn’t build a fence too big for him. He’s 17.3hh, so it’s just been a case of getting him to grow into his body a bit.”
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.
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Gemirande provides 24-carat magic
Venetia Williams sparkles again in the December Gold Cup and jockey brothers dead-heat
‘Happy hunting, everyone'
“The season for talks, dinners and parties has finally arrived for Tessa Waugh, whose distress about the snags of middle age fades away with some rousing festive spirits
'Monaco deserved this victory
Seemingly destined always to play the bridesmaid’s role, Harrie Smolders’ great partner Monaco finally tops an incidentpacked Rolex grand prix
'It had to end sometime'
The closure of beloved Hampshire saddlery Calcutt Sons is a loss to the hunting and wider equestrian worlds, as Octavia Pollock reports
'You couldn't want for more
The Ludlow's peaceful country makes for a day in \"hunting paradise\"
The greatest gift of all
Christmas is fast approaching and while we all like a bit of tinsel, the festive season is also a perfect time for giving to a horse charity. Niki Hinman finds out some of the options
Winter him well
A horse's winter routine can differ dramatically from his summer structure but what’s the knock-on effect? Ellie Hughes asks vets how to optimise routine management for the season
Neat feet
Excellent hoof care is a year-round concern but the winter months present their own problems. Richard Stephenson MRCVS explains the seasonal challenges afoot and how to stay one step ahead
In bygone days
Modern vets have much scientific knowledge behind them, but what about their forebears? Kieran O’Brien MRCVS opens up the world of Victorian vets in London
'When I joined the Pony Club it was just two boys and 48 girls'
Pepsi Kohler on being delightfully outnumbered by girls in the Pony Club, a leg-up from a royal and the H&H advert that changed his life
