ONE winter morning in the Adelaide Hills, Sarah Clark hitched up her trailer and started the 10,000-mile journey to Burghley with her beloved horse LV Balou Jeanz.
Sarah had dreamt of riding at Burghley since she was a child. A dream fanned by her aunt in the UK, who would send her copies of Horse & Hound and VHS recordings of the BBC’s coverage of Badminton and Burghley.
Her remarkable journey ended with a fairy-tale result, completing with a clear cross-country jumping round at the event that had first lit the fire in Sarah’s belly from those old tapes and thumbed magazines.
She wasn’t sure if she could afford Jeanz’s return flight – she had thought as far as Burghley, but beyond that was an open chapter. As it turned out, it was cheaper to keep Jeanz in Wiltshire for the winter, and so Badminton will be their sequel.
“I had this discussion with my mum before we even put him on the plane, that even if it all went wrong, we didn’t regret trying, paying the money and putting him on the plane,” says the 34-year-old.
“It’s the same now. Even if we don’t make Badminton, I don’t regret trying and I don’t regret each step. Every step further down the path is more icing on the cake and more of a bonus. So if the next step is the last, that’s fine. He owes me nothing.”
Sarah flew home for the Australian summer to sell some horses to fund her Badminton campaign, leaving her pride and joy in the top-class care of David Doel and his team. It was of course a wrench, but she is endlessly grateful to the Doels for looking after him.
Denne historien er fra May 04, 2023-utgaven av Horse & Hound.
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Denne historien er fra May 04, 2023-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
