Who is/was your hero?

Female: Pippa Funnel, she is always generous to a fault to her horses, and rides very sensitively. Also Mary King, I'm not a million miles away from her and she's always managed to maintain being just a "normal" person without getting too big for her boots (ehmn, shame about the daughter.....). Saw her out hacking once when my youngster was at a yard being brought on in the area! She wasn't at all sniffy, was just a normal person out hacking with the dog!

Male: Tim Stockdale, bless him, he was always generous to his horses and even when things went wrong in the ring he still remained positive. Also it just HAS to be Nick Skelton, he's from my generation and we just all sat and bawled when he won that Olympic medal didn't we.
 
Carl Hester - I have also been to his yard for a demo morning and he is just such a nice person and down to earth, treats all his horses and other animals with kindness and gets amazing results.

Horse - I always had a thing for Kauto Star, he just shone out to me.
 
Haa! All the old names coming up; easy to guess everyone's age ain't it?? :)

(Edited), may I add HM The Queen. She apparently knows the stud-book and breeding of her horses better than anyone else on the planet, and I shall never forget her poise and downright gutsy-ness when she was riding at the Trooping of the Colour that time and someone started shooting. The way she reassured her horse and carried on regardless spoke volumes of the sort of tough lady she really is! Wishing I could remember the name of the horse, it was gifted to her by the Canadian Mounted Police.

Now she's in her 90's I have only admiration for her continuing to ride, if I'm still managing to get a leg across when I'm anything like her age I shall be damn proud of myself! She is truly incredible, but I DO wish she would wear a hard hat!!
 
Rider/person: Eddie Macken (and Boomerang particularly). Such incredibly soft hands!
And Elisa Wallace for the beautiful way she works with Mustangs.

Horse: Absent or Verdades.

Will probably add more as I think of them though, there's a lot 🤣
 
When I was a teen I imagined my fat, green poo stained but grey in some bits, bolshy welsh cob (all 13hh of him) was Milton. I had posters all over my room.

I also imagined one day the Whitakers would somehow see me riding and claim me as their long lost daughter (too much Jilly Cooper)

Also in my same fantasy world Master Craftsman would one day find his way to my (very low budget) livery yard and want to be mine forever. :D
 
All of my 'Boys' (every single one of them), Raffles, Dominic (the best riding school ponies ever), Clarky (the gentle giant who gave me back my confidence) Red Rum, Milton, Ryan's Son, Party Politics, and Hovis.

Michael & John Whitaker, Ginger McCain, AP McCoy, Lyn Russell, Katie Jerram Hunnable, Pippa Funnell
 
Michael mac, Nick skelton and Lesley Mcnaught

They all competed at my local club many many years ago and it was awesome watching them whilst I was in lead rein 😊
 
As a child, Nick Skelton, Carl Hester, Mark Todd and Mary King. That's still true now, to be honest! Although I have added some... CDJ, and Anja Berun come to mind immediately but there may be others.

Favourite horses are Classic Briolinca, Arko III (talented and so beautiful!) and Valegro. I do love a horse with a good trot and a pretty face!
 
Pippa ❤ I'm a huge fan girl. Tears were shed when she won the grand slam!

I love how particular and conscientious she is. A friend is friends with Pippa's then head girl and she confirmed all my preconceived ideas were right; Pippa is that nice and extremely hard working.

I also had a huge soft spot for Lucinda Fredericks and Headley Britannia. I have burghley 2006 on dvd and it gets me in the feels every time.

Years ago (94?) there was a big show jumping show in Glasgow. I was a pony mad 11yr old but very shy. I hung about the walkway for the arena with the others hoping for an autograph from the Whitakers. They both walked past us all and it devastated me (down came the Milton posters from H&P) but William Funnell and it was either Tim Stockdale or Nick Skelton spent ages signing everyone's programme and chatting. 25yrs later and that memory still stays with me
 
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