How/where did you find your competition horses?

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kit279

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Just curious really - I've been thinking about getting a young horse at some point and not really sure where to start looking. I'd be interested to hear where everybody else found theirs and what they compete in etc.

My 2 current horses are both ex-racehorses. I took my chestnut out of racing in Newmarket as I felt very sorry for him. I retrained him to play polo but he was too big really so I'm hoping he'll event next year. My grey horse was an ex-National Hunt horse, semi-abandoned in a field of polo ponies, and I thought he was a nice enough looking horse and bought him as a companion. He's turned out to be bold and scopey and is now eventing at PN level. Before that, all my polo ponies were either homebred or taken off the track and retrained, usually by my father.

So where did you find yours? Did you get them from dealers/sales/breeders/privately? Were they recommended to you or just happened to come along at the right time?
 
Lex - Gorsebridge 3 year-old sales 4 years ago.

Merry - Doncaster May sales 2 1/2 years ago.

I never have any money so all my horses have come from pretty humble places. Think that is part of the challenge anyway.
 
The Yorkshire post, one of the small adverts at the bottom. Although he probably isn't much of a 'competition' horse to some of you
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Woody I was riding out for a friend as I had nothing to ride&she had no time,, I'd always told her how much I liked him and then suddenly one day she offered him to me to buy.

Trevor also landed on my doorstep.

One I got from a stud as a 4 year old.

All the others have been exracehorses either through word of mouth, or from the sales.

Personally I think that the best buys you find are through word of mouth/being at the right place at the right time! I always sort of think that its the not-so-good horses that end up having to be advertised, which is not strictly true but still...
 
used to get them from ads in h&h or word of mouth but since about 2000 from a brill dealing yard in holland, never had a bad one off them out of about 10 that we've brought
 

Never had alot to money to buy any of my horses as someone else said I too enjoy the challenge!

PK - Stowe Fair (went on to win £500 BSJA)
Woody - Private sale word of mouth (Placing BE and £150 BSJA)
Nico we bred
Frankie - Clasified Ad in Trade it as a 5 year old, he has 13 BE points now and was def my best buy!
Tilla - Coloured Contacts unbroken, sold on broken and ridden away

I think word of mouth is the best option if possible, alternativly trawling the adds to try and find one that stands out to you.
 
Gadget - a dealer in Gloustershire only saw him loose jump etc and said id have him - wasnt even going to buy a horse !!!! he is now out competing 1.30m SJ !! ive had him nearly 3 years

Sara - went to belgium with a friend when she was looking and fell in love with her - my friend actually bought her first which really upset me but she couldnt ride her !!

sox - I bred him !!
 
Both mine were bought from their breeders in the depth of Wales
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, then I bought them off the man who brought them over to Gloucester straight away so he only had them both a day or so. My pony was just broken but totally nuts, and my horse was unbroken.

Both did BSJA successfully, and are doing well in their new homes (with my pony being reserve champ at the Mini Burghley Event pony
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)
 
Q - Went to Ireland for 2 days, Got taken around yards by an agent my friend knows, tried 12 horse & bought Q as a just broken (a few months) 4yo.

Spider - I wasn't intending to buy another but saw him advertised loose jumping on horsequest. Just broken (5 weeks) 4yo. I kept annoying friends by going on about him & was told to go & see him or shut up
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So drove to Dorset from Essex, fell in love with him & bought him.
 
Private breeders local to us (either in local newspaper or word of mouth).
Have no money to be able to buy experienced horses or those with "amazing" breeding.
Flynn - Local newspaper, failed SJ at 6, my first horse (so cheap!!!) now just done first 2**
Titus - Word of mouth of lady who lives 10 mins away. Unbroken 4YO full TB, about to go to some sales. Has done first novice this year and won BD and BSJA money and points!
Woody - Local newspaper. Unbroken 3YO. Qualified 4YO final this year.
 

Previous ponies whilst growing up...all private homes

Ben - Roger Ginley (does he still sell horses?) anyway he was wonderful horse.
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Tara - horse sales...some Mr Buck from Nottingham...basically a lying ****
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Troy - private, was a total sweet heart.
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Domino - gypsy (got thrown in with the tarmac drive
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) save option he was only 15 months old.
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dream family pony

Mackenzie - Someone I know who and have had lessons from, competition record...bit fatch zilch so far but were optimistic
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The last 5, off the top of my head:

Big Selle Francais thing - private ad H&H

Dun mare - given to me to hunt to prepare for huntsman to have following season, ended up buying her.

Carthorse - bought from an eventer in Cheshire, just backed, word of mouth

Another TB thing - bought from the same eventer in Cheshire, just backed (rang him to see if he had any youngsters)

Little TB mare - was given to me to compete by owner after she had a still-born foal and a very short career as a broodmare!

So only 20% advertised the conventional way I'm afraid!
 
My horse now - Summerhouse, we went showjuming one half term with my pony and met some people we knew, mentioned we were looking for a horse and they said they sister in law was selling hers - this was the weds - rang up that night, she was in h and h the thurs, we went t)o see her fri -before anyone else could (on valentines day
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) and brought her home monday (When i was in pain as I had a tooth taken out that day!)

14.2 - bought her off her breeder from an advert in western daily press, when she was almost 4 and had been broken for 6 months!) Was useless for ages, but now fab comp pony - shame mum wont let us sell her - seems mean having a comp pony and only hacking her twice a week!

12.2 - one of the people from pony club had a pony from their sister in law that her daughter didnt want (same family as we later got my horse from!) and we went to try her (we werent even looking for a pony!), had her on loan in time for pc camp and then persuaded them to let us buy her at the end of the summer!.
 
Try www.jmsportshorses.co.uk as I bought my wonderful 17.1 belgian WB from him in 2004 aged 7 then, for a song. He imported him for me. A good tip is that Jock will fly out (approx £40 return via easy jet) with you to meet his contact and you can try up to a dozen horses in a day to choose the ideal horse for you. I think he will arrange the vetting for you over there to. The transport via ferry was approx £180 from what I can remember and the horse will obviously come passported/health certificated. My horse's grandsire was out of Nimmerdor and also has Furioso, Joost and Consul bloodlines and is very handsome with brilliant paces. I was told that if I had bought him from Holland I would have paid about £3K-£3.5k for him as they are very cheap over there if you get them yourself and do all the work. As it was I paid an extra few hundred on top as you do when you buy from a middle man. Jock was not in the least pushy when I went to try him and was very relaxed and told me to come and ride him the following day - if he wasn't around just to tack him up and help myself! Jock has a new website now which doesn't appear to have many horses on but he is always jetting off abroad to bring back more imports so I would give him a ring and say Anne with Bailey recommends. I woudl also try Neil Hamer at Frankley International Horses as I have bought 3 horses from him and have been very pleased with all three.
 
I found Red advertised on Horsemart online so was a private sale, he had done basic riding club stuff, after 2years is now eventing at intro, aiming to move up to pre-novice midway through this coming season
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Catembi - v dodgy dealer, S Herts, who specialises in buying & selling problem horses - altho Cat was fantastic.
Adrian - dealer near Watford via Horsemart.
 
My sister and the person who helps her produce her horses found him through word of mouth from a family friend who deals and imports. They liked his temperament and he is beautifully bred. (Karandnskj (sp) who is a Darco stallion and Voltaire damsire) Whilst not competitive yet (only 4) if numpty rider ever gets her act together he will be. I jumped him for the first time last night and he felt like he could jump the moon! If anyone wants a recommendation in please PM me.
 
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