Am I likely to find a competition rider (eventer) for this horse

JanetGeorge

JanetGeorge

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Shropshire/Worcs. borders
www.horseandhound.co.uk
Due to a change in staffing, I no longer have a 'competition' rider on my staff - and I'm FAR too old!! But I have a rather super event prospect who NEEDS to be eventing: and I can't afford to send him away on competition livery!

He is NOT for sale! For various reasons, he is very 'special'!

Details: He's 10 - but very low mileage. 17hh. Has competed once (unaffiliated) and came 2nd (finished on dressage score). He's well-educated and a super jumper. He's bred for the job (by an Int. Grade A by Quidam deRevel out of an Errigal Flight mare.) He's as honest as they come.

My ideal 'solution' would be to find a decent rider - local to me - who would come over and ride him a couple of times a week - and take him to parties! I'd pay a reasonable amount of travel/expenses and entry fees. We'd do the rest of the work with him.

He's not necessarily a 'professional' ride - he's uncomplicated as long as you don't 'fiddle' with his mouth - he HATES fiddlers! He does have the potential to go to at least 3* - so I'd need to find a rider with the experience to take him there.

What do you think my chances are (and if you know of someone suitable who might be interested, please PM me - I'm Shropshire/Worcestershire borders - 3 miles from Hillocks Farm.
 
I'm sure you would find someone to take you up on that offer, sounds like a good offer, and a fab horse :)

Not really close enough for me though sadly! :)
 
emmyc said:
What spec does the rider need :)
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Well, in an IDEAL world I'd be looking for someone who has competed to at least 2* (it'd be a shame if he got to Novice and the rider bottled out :D)

But the most important thing is that the rider is capable and INTELLIGENT! This horse means an awful lot to me - I adore him - and while accidents can happen, I'd probably MURDER a rider who in any way abused him or put him 'at risk'!

And the rider must be an 'educated' rider - not a 'seat of the pants' rider. This horse is totally genuine and honest, but he doesn't suffer fools at all!:rolleyes:
 
Purely out of curiosity and not meant to be negative in anyway, ('cause I known nothing about bringing horses, let alone eventers), based on one unaffiliated outing, what indicators are there to suggest he's capable of 3*? I know there will lots and lots of work being done behind the scenes, so in the interests of my own learning, what are the indicators to know the potential future of a horse and to what level?
 
kerilli said:
a friend of mine is near Knighton, how far is that from you? she's produced to 2*, and is a very thinking, educated rider. he sounds lovely, i wish i was close enough!
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About 36 miles (depending which side of Knighton she is.)

Purely out of curiosity and not meant to be negative in anyway, ('cause I known nothing about bringing horses, let alone eventers), based on one unaffiliated outing, what indicators are there to suggest he's capable of 3*?
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Mmm - it's hard to wrap it all up - but:

His dressage is very good - and established well beyond the level he'd start eventing at. He would be a very good prospect for pure dressage too - excellent paces and VERY trainable.

His jumping is fantastic - we've only had him over about 4'6" - but the ease with which he does it suggests straight show jumping to a high level is WELL within his capabilities (and of course he's bred to be a top show jumper!)

He's bold and clever across country with a big stride that eats up the ground, but easy to bring back for tricky combo fences. The rider who has been schooling him for the past 18 months has competed to 3*, and produced a number of young horses to 1* and 2* - and HE is convinced the horse is a Badminton horse!

But it's a bit more than the above - he is totally a 'class act'! :D
 
JanetGeorge said:
Mmm - it's hard to wrap it all up - but:

His dressage is very good - and established well beyond the level he'd start eventing at. He would be a very good prospect for pure dressage too - excellent paces and VERY trainable.

His jumping is fantastic - we've only had him over about 4'6" - but the ease with which he does it suggests straight show jumping to a high level is WELL within his capabilities (and of course he's bred to be a top show jumper!)

He's bold and clever across country with a big stride that eats up the ground, but easy to bring back for tricky combo fences. The rider who has been schooling him for the past 18 months has competed to 3*, and produced a number of young horses to 1* and 2* - and HE is convinced the horse is a Badminton horse!

But it's a bit more than the above - he is totally a 'class act'! :D
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Thank you! He sounds wonderful and would have thought you'd find someone to take him on for you when you put the above in your 'advert'. As Dingl suggests, what about the person schooling him now?
 
I don't think you'd have a problem finding someone, he sounds like a really good horse :D My friend (unfortunately way too far north for you!) has some horses on her yard but also events some for people who live nearby and have their own yards - they keep the horse fit and everything, and she goes over a few times a week to school them and then competes them - think she just gets paid per ride but I'm not sure how much it is, but it is definately less than competition livery. Would that sort of arrangement be a suitable option for you?
 
mrs george why are you wanting him to event in preference to s.jumping? i'm only asking because he's by quidam, who does have some tb blood but is a specialist sj and i don't know how much thoroughbred his mom has, and i understand that you are saying he's good at the dressage bit too, but why not try sjumping first?
 
I would jump at the chance, but again too far away as am in Somerset. However I would be prepared to offer a very special reduced livery rate for a suitable special horse! I run my own yard and have taken two horses to CCI*** level but more recently have focused on bring on horses for sale so have not evented so much, although planing to change that next year with 2/3 lovely horses to event. If you think you would consider sending him away and meeting up at competitions pm me! website www.southwesteventing.com
 
tristar said:
mrs george why are you wanting him to event in preference to s.jumping? i'm only asking because he's by quidam, who does have some tb blood but is a specialist sj and i don't know how much thoroughbred his mom has, and i understand that you are saying he's good at the dressage bit too, but why not try sjumping first?
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He's not actually by Quidam deRevel but by Lombardo (who was an Int. Grade A and out of a mare by Farn). The dam was by Errigal Flight (who was almost pure ID - by King of Diamonds out of an AID mare) out of a TB mare.

I'm sure he would make a good show jumper - although he's not a horse I would want to be whizzing around against the clock trying to get him up through the grades. I suppose my feelings on him as a potential showjumper are coloured by a horse very similar in type (although not NEARLY as well mannered and an ex-racer) that I originally bought to event in Australia MANY years ago. HE wasn't suitable as an eventer - his brain couldn't cope with dressage and he treated a xc-course like a hurdle race - so we took him showjumping. But we had to jump him in Open Top Score Stakes and Puissance to upgrade him - he just wasn't a whizz around a little course against the clock type of horse! But this one IS an Eventer. If I can't find the right rider for him to event then I might have a play at dressage with him - I don't suppose he'll care if he doesn't get to Badminton - but it just seems a waste of a horse that could do it!
 
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IncaCola said:
I would jump at the chance, but again too far away as am in Somerset. However I would be prepared to offer a very special reduced livery rate for a suitable special horse! I run my own yard and have taken two horses to CCI*** level but more recently have focused on bring on horses for sale so have not evented so much, although planing to change that next year with 2/3 lovely horses to event. If you think you would consider sending him away and meeting up at competitions pm me! website www.southwesteventing.com
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Ive just had a look at your website and its a small world a friend of mine Sue used to ride one of your horses Mally :)
 
kerilli said:
a friend of mine is near Knighton, how far is that from you? she's produced to 2*, and is a very thinking, educated rider. he sounds lovely, i wish i was close enough!
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I can vouch for the rider Kerilli is suggesting, she used to train me and is amazing!!!!!
 
Bearskin said:
He sounds lovely. Why has he done so little?
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I bought him from Ireland as a 4 year old. He arrived skin & bone, covered in weather scald. It took 6 months to build him up and then we backed him. 6 months later he did a check ligament pratting about in a wet field!:( 6 months of rehabilitation and we started again. My rider of the time was very keen - but had a couple of others to ride that were more 'immediate'. Then he left. I played with him - schooled him on the flat a bit - but lacked time (and far too old and decrepit to compete.) But I couldn't sell him - he's one of the sweetest horses I've ever known. Then next rider arrived and he schooled him on and gave him his first outing last year.

He should have started competing in the spring, but we weren't 100% happy with his movement behind - so he had physio to get him right - he was ready to go again - then rider threw all his toys out of the pram last week!
 
Dingle, do you mean MallyJenks aka Red? Fantastic horse if a little quirky to say the least but springs in his feet! i actually rode him around Aston le Walls Intermediate the day after first sitting on him, those were the days.....
 
IncaCola said:
I would jump at the chance, but again too far away as am in Somerset. However I would be prepared to offer a very special reduced livery rate for a suitable special horse! [/url]
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I think you'd be a very suitable rider for him Isobel, but I really am SO daft about this horse I just couldn't let him go away! Put it this way - I have more than 70 horses here - most of them mine - and I delivered about half of them; but Sky is No. 1 - and the one I cuddle and feed fruit pastilles to 7 days a week! He's my goofy big teddy bear!:D
 
JanetGeorge said:
I think you'd be a very suitable rider for him Isobel, but I really am SO daft about this horse I just couldn't let him go away! Put it this way - I have more than 70 horses here - most of them mine - and I delivered about half of them; but Sky is No. 1 - and the one I cuddle and feed fruit pastilles to 7 days a week! He's my goofy big teddy bear!:D
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You big softie :). I really hope you find someone - such a shame Rosie lives the other side of the country as she'd love such a fabulous opportunity.
 
Totally understand that and I really hope you find someone local. As others have said amazing oppotunity and it sounds like you will provide absolutely fabulous back up. 70 horses wow, you must be some kind of super woman! i do know a guy with connections in your area and will mention it to him in case he knows of anyone.
 
What about Alice Pearson? She's based at Bredenbury. I've seen her out and about at Bromyard with her youngsters and she seems to do a nice job with them. I know she takes horses to school and compete but she might be interested in coming over to yours?
 
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