HUMANS shape the lives of horses. Yet horses, too, guide the lives of people towards triumph, enlightenment and, sometimes, tragedy. No animal has been more influential outside its own realm than the racehorse, workhorse or equine messenger in popular entertainment.
In a new book—Nicky Henderson: My Life in 12 Horses—the author Kate Johnson describes in intimate detail one of the great National Hunt trainers and his relationship with some of his sport’s finest champions. Jockeys, stable staff, owners and friends reveal the interactions that turn horses into winners. At the heart of the tale beats Mr Henderson's intuitive understanding of the animals in his care and what it takes to make them want to race. A horse can’t talk, but he gives you a signal and signs a horseman can read that other people can’t, jockey Eddie Ahern tells Miss Johnson. Mr Henderson is a master of this psychology.
However, in the stories of transformational horses, some break free of their human controllers and convey a bigger message about Nature, war, friendship, love and loss. For that reason, Black Beauty, The Pie and Joey (the War Horse’) are included in this list of 12 horses that changed lives, society or mass opinion. They are a distinguished dozen.
See You Then
The Cheltenham Festival-winner factory that is Mr Henderson’s Lambourn yard opened for business with a horse whose box people entered with trepidation. He’d grab you and while you were turning to get out of his way, he’d kick you!’ Mr Henderson writes.
See You Then was anti-social—but, once he left his box, his domineering nature had another use. In 1985, he was the first of the trainer’s 72 Festival winners in later years and is one of only five horses to win three Champion Hurdles. Mr Henderson calls him the horse who put me on the Cheltenham map’.
Denne historien er fra January 24, 2024-utgaven av Country Life UK.
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Denne historien er fra January 24, 2024-utgaven av Country Life UK.
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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Kitchen garden cook - Apples
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The original Mr Rochester
Three classic houses in North Yorkshire have come to the market; the owner of one inspired Charlotte Brontë to write Jane Eyre
Get it write
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'Sloes hath ben my food'
A possible paint for the Picts and a definite culprit in tea fraud, the cheek-suckingly sour sloe's spiritual home is indisputably in gin, says John Wright
Souvenirs of greatness
FOR many years, some large boxes have been stored and forgotten in the dark recesses of the garage. Unpacked last week, the contents turned out to be pots: some, perhaps, nearing a century old—dense terracotta, of interesting provenance.
Plants for plants' sake
The garden at Hergest Croft, Herefordshire The home of Edward Banks The Banks family is synonymous with an extraordinary collection of trees and shrubs, many of which are presents from distinguished friends, garnered over two centuries. Be prepared to be amazed, says Charles Quest-Ritson
Capturing the castle
Seventy years after Christian Dior’s last fashion show in Scotland, the brand returned under creative director Maria Grazia Chiuri for a celebratory event honouring local craftsmanship, the beauty of the land and the Auld Alliance, explains Kim Parker
Nature's own cathedral
Our tallest native tree 'most lovely of all', the stately beech creates a shaded environment that few plants can survive. John Lewis-Stempel ventures into the enchanted woods
All that money could buy
A new book explores the lost riches of London's grand houses. Its author, Steven Brindle, looks at the residences of plutocrats built by the nouveaux riches of the late-Victorian and Edwardian ages
In with the old
Diamonds are meant to sparkle in candlelight, but many now gather dust in jewellery boxes. To wear them today, we may need to reimagine them, as Hetty Lintell discovers with her grandmother's jewellery
