Sue Benson

Sue Benson has reached the top of the sport as both a competitor and course-designer - and now owns a world-class event horse. Niki Hinman meets her

- Niki Hinman

FIFTY years ago Sue Benson competed at her first Badminton. She went on to win three eventing European Championship medals and was second at Badminton in 1979. She designed the iconic 2012 London Olympic cross-country course. She has reached the peak both as a rider and as a course-designer – and is now channelling her passion for elite sport as an owner, although perhaps this has not come quite as naturally to her.

Sue bought a five-year-old called Falco from an Irish dealer in the backstreets of Basingstoke.

“The dealer trotted him out and he floated past me,” she explains. “It is the most I’ve ever spent on a horse, around £22,000. Now you’d be asked £60,000 for a five-year-old like him. David Doel came to see him with me and the plan was for me to do some dressage and him to jump him.

“It soon became apparent that David was too big for him. Falco and I won a lot at dressage – but he soon became very naughty when out hacking.” 

Now Falco is ridden by Tim Price, winning the CCI5* in Pau in 2021, and an individual and team bronze at the World Championships last year.

“It doesn’t get much better than that does it?” says Sue.

She admits being an owner, having been a top rider, can have its challenges.

“I do find it frustrating,” she says. “It’s not as straightforward as people think if one is as experienced as I am; sometimes I would like to give advice.

“I was also a bit naive about the whole being-an-owner thing when I asked Tim to take him on. I asked if I could come and compete dressage occasionally. But unsurprisingly he said no!