Peanut

From "dangerous, scary" to hedge-hopping brilliance, hunting has been the making of this unstable but very lovable equine character

- Octavia Pollock

WHO among us has not dreamt of taming a wild horse, creating an unbreakable bond? Sophie Edwards has done that with Peanut. He has changed her life and she has given him his.

Peanut, The Sandman, by the Funnells’ gold medalwinning stallion Billy Congo, was destined for showjumping greatness, but “made it very clear that neither his head nor heart was in it”.

“He did everything – buck, rear, nap, a deadly spin,” reveals Sophie

Peanut arrived at Sophie’s, aged five, and had her off three times in five minutes – he “absolutely buried me” and kept doing it. “I’d learn to sit the dance, then he’d change tactics.” It got to the point when he was “the most dangerous, the most scary horse I’d ever sat on”.

Professional eventer Anthony Clark tried him, but to no avail: “Competition horses need to be sharp, but Peanut was far too sharp!”

Then Peanut had Sophie off for the final time.

“I had the worst concussion ever. I couldn’t stand up for three weeks with seizures.”

Next, he broke Anthony’s ribs and teeth. “He was kicked off the yard and everyone told me to put him down. The vet thought there was something wrong in his head.”

Sophie had one more thing to try: hunting.