Who is your ultimate horsey hero? (indulgent, as it's Christmas!)

kerilli

kerilli

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My absolute ultimate horsey hero is Mark Todd, and this is why:

Many years ago ('93 iirc) I was doing our second Intermediate on my good mare. She was silly brave xc, used to take strides out all over the place like Murphy... including in a double in the sj once (she bounced it, and left it all standing!) I'd walked the course, and there was 1 combination I had no idea how to ride safely on her, it had 2 different options (it was a road crossing with a rail on both sides, either a bounce or a stride distance on either side, depending on where you rode it.) I was worried sick that she'd try to take it all on in one, or something mental. Going to the xc start, still fretting about it, I saw Toddy hacking back from xc, just finished. Summoning my courage, i asked him if he'd let me know how he'd jumped that particular fence. To my eternal gratitude, he pulled up, and very very kindly spent about 5 mins talking me through it, asking how she jumped, how I was going to ride it, giving lots of advice, saying how and where other combinations had jumped it, etc etc. A wealth of patience and information. He even asked if there were any other fences I was concerned about, and talked me through them all.
Of course, with all that great advice ringing in my ears, we jumped round perfectly.
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So, not only the best horseman (or woman) I have ever seen, but immensely patient and kind to a total stranger, too.
Just before he retired, I was lucky enough to be at a few events he was competing at, and I wasn't the only one who stopped warming up in the dressage just to sit and watch the absolute master at work!
The story about how he got Charisma back always makes me adore him even more, of course...
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So, as it's Christmas, i'd like to raise a big glass to Toddy, sadly missed over here, hope life's being great to you and yours.

Who is your ultimate horsey hero, and why?
 
Would agree 100% with Mark Todd without a doubt. Also have alot of admiration for Daisy Dick as she always seems to be the underdog, but is an amazing horsewoman, and also Zara just for being Zara andcoping with all the media attention etc that she has to, yet still always having a smile on her face and having a fantastic prtnership with TT.
 
Mark Rashid. For the way he quietly yet so very effectively solves issues without any gadgets, aids, gimmicks or anything else. Good old fashioned horsemanship and incredibly attuned to horses, he really does notice the smallest try.
 
teehee, glad i'm not the only one to worship Toddy. i asked for his autograph when i was about 13, before he was really famous - he looked really surprised. back when the Olympic Final Trial used to be at Castle Ashby... does anyone remember that?
 
I used to have posters of Mark Todd on my wall too when I was a teenager but I am now converted to Carl Hester. It astounds me the way he can get so much out of the most complicated horses, his incredible position and the way he is so good at explaining how he is work to improve a horse in lessons & clinics
 
Kerelli what a fantastic story!
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One of the gentlemen at work who is in his 80's, used to live at Toddy's base in Hampshire, has spent many afternoons recounting his memories about Toddy- they are so amusing! He was a great fan of his as well, and that is from a non-horsey person.

I agree that Todd was amazing, no-one went cross country like he did in that unique style that made it all look completly effortless
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I was lucky enough to be mates with a friend of his, so got to chat to him a bit. Both he and Carolyn are so so nice. We all sat around chatting and drinking after an event once, i was having such an amazing time that I totally forgot I had to drive horsebox 4 hours home. Oops, had to stable over as was totally tipsy! such a responsible horse owner...
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I like Mark Todd because he seems down to earth. I have to say the one rider who really has me in awe is Rodrigo Pessoa, I think just because he seems to ride any horse so effortlessly and allows them to be themselves (like the way he lets Baloubet Du Roet buck all the time). He gets them to the jump perfectly and then lets them do the rest. But I do respect any of the top-level event riders purely for how brave they are!
 
I agree toddy is mine aswell, but still have soft spot for Nick Skelton

Toddy
just best all round horseman and in my eyes, who else could ride around badders xc with one stirrup

Nick S
just awesome SJ and then to get back to top flight SJ after his broken neck
 
Totally agree about Rodrigo and Carl, both master horsemen, and amazing at getting the best out of very tricky ones! Mark Rashid - very interesting, i've heard nothing but good things about him.
just remembered another Toddy story - he stabled over at another friend's yard once, after he'd won his first Olympic gold, and was down on the yard at 6am to help muck out... the yard grooms absolutely couldn't believe it!
 
kick_On, sorry, I can't agree about Nick Skelton! back when he was with Ted Edgar, they had a mechanical bucking bronco they took to some shows and fairs. I went up and asked for Nick's autograph (iirc I was about 7 or 8, this was in the 70s), and, bearing in mind that he didn't even have any horses there, so being too busy wasn't an excuse, he told me to "F*** off!"
I can laugh now, but I was totally gutted at the time!
 
My friend and trainer. She has had a typical up and down eventing career (hi light being shortlisted for olympics in the 90's low losing her fab mare who bred over 20 amazing welton horses)
She is so normal but a wonderful lady who everytime look at her pictures at badminton and burley can do nothing but admire her. She is friendly with top riders of today but never name drops boast etc.

She is great and has been an inspiration to me and my riding, always positive. She has some great horses coming up and I hope they go as far as we think they will!!!

And of course helps me carry on to get the best out of mine dispite my terrible riding!!
 
Have to agree totally with Toddy. I think that another young male eventer may end up like him (Harry Meade)??
I also have great respect for Lucinda Green.

Show Jumping has to be David Broom 1st his sense of humour is the best & Geoff Billington as he just keeps going & no BS about himself.
 
I agree with Toddy and David Broome but would also like to suggest Harvey Smith.

I was competing at Hickstad on a very capable but tricky pony. He saw him stop with me in a class and later that day we were both warming up at the same time. He came over and said he had seen him stop and offered his advice. I doubt many people would rate his interpersonal skills but thanks to him we were 2nd in the next class!
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This was at the height of his career and yet he offered to help an unknown.
 
Totally agree with Mark Todd goes without saying. But my personal favourite is Lucinda Green because she's such an inspiration and definitely one of the most natural cross country riders of all time!
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Toddy for all his 3day magic and again for proving that he can train racehorses to the highest of standards in NZ aswell, Ian Stark a true legend, incredible horseman, and a gentleman. Sue Wheeler nee Falkner who rode and competed event Just a Monarch. Other names on the "old school" list are Col Guy Wathen, and Col Dougie Stewart, (Rosie Stewarts Grandfather).

And of the new school generation, WFP, MK, and Pippa, all 3 riders truely incredible.
Micky Fitzgerald, and Norman Williamson have to have a mention for their bravery and skills in NH Racing.

These are all fameous people within their own rights - but to me three people are my ULTIMATE heros.

1. my great aunt, for being one of the 1st ladies to 3Day event as a "brit abroad" her skills with youngsters has been invaluable to me.
2. the young lady who trains me and my horse, I admire her grit hard work and total dedication - I am hopeing that this year she wont be balloted out of the most prestigious **** on earth as two clears at Burghley and Luhmuhlen surely earns her a place with her own horse? (I know its a random system!)
3. My Mother, for being there for all the highs, and lows and teaching me that everytime you fall off you jolly well get back on. and that its not all about the glory!!! for waiting for hours at pony club rallies etc, taking me round fences out hunting that i was "too wet" to jump. For putting me on her P2Per when I was 13 and saying - YES you can jump big fences at speed because you dont have time to worry about the size of them, for pretending to be interested in Dressage when I started eventing, for putting up endless grids and fixing poles everytime I knocked one, and for being utterly selfless, incredible, and the best role model, I only hope I can do the same one day if ever I have children. Thanks Mum!!
 
I agree that Mark Todd was just amazing, but mine would have to be Mary King. She seems to have a very well-rounded approach to it all: she's incrediby competitive but always with consideration for the horse; she can produce horses from scratch and also do a good job on those with weaknesses; she comes across as being very humble and is always able to smile, even when things have gone wrong; and she still has huge enthusiasm and energy, which must take some doing after so long! I think she is a great ambassador for the sport and sets a good example to the younger generation.
 
train_robber, i am so jealous of you, having a mum like that! my mum's brilliant, and i love her to bits, but she seems to be determined to know less and less about horses with every passing year... the last time she helped me at an event (mid-week, so partner and friends couldn't make it) she tried to take the horse's boots off before the show-jumping...!
agree with comments about Mary King, probably the nicest eventer around, up against incredibly stiff competition! she is just wonderful in every way.
JanTilly, what a great story about Harvey Smith, lucky you!
 
I agree about Harvey Smith - I was lucky enough to meet him a few times, and he is totally down to earth, and really funny. Also Peter Charles - just the most amazing rider to watch (especially his hands) and helped me out a few times with my horses. Also sold me a really good horse for not a lot of money! and he's a very good payer (quite important in this line of work!).
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In racing I would rate Stan Mellor - the first jump jockey to ride 1000 winners - who once complimented me on my ability to ride a mechanical horse
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and was very helpful when I was p-to-p-ing - but above all my all time favourite would be John Francombe - the man is a genious on horseback, he can ride anything.
 
Mu ultimate has to be Lucinda Green for being one ofthe best cross-country riders ever and still being a class act 40 years on!

Also admire Mary King as she too takes a lot of time to help out less experienced competitors. I wnet to Bleheim to groom for a friend who was doing her first 3***. My friend was anxious somebody walked the course and she asked Mary who we were parked next to. Mary went out of her way to help and showed an interest in my friend for the rest of the week. A truly lovely person.

Personally I don't doubt Nick Skelton is a fab rider but agree that he has no people skills and is so rude! So not top of my list!

Markus Ehning for me for SJ. He appears to just sit there and do nothing yet jumps classic rounds over and over again.
 
For me it has to be Bar Hammond, nobody has ever heard of her these days but she is a fantastic rider and had achieved so much with very ordinary horses.

She has been round Badminton 9 times, coming 2nd at Little Badminton one year.
She was in the World Championship team twice and in the European Champs once for eventing. She had a bad fall and broke her pelvis so gave up eventing and did dressage.
She has represented GB in 1 World and 2 European Champs for Dressage too and she was in the 1988 Seoul Olympic team with her horse Krist which came to her as unrideable.

I worked for her for 2 years and I learnt so much. I got my love of dressage from her and even though it was 10 years ago I worked there I ride in the exact same way as she taught me.
Shame she's barking mad.....!
 
Having been to a Chris Bartle demonstration recently I was highly impressed by his methods. I am also a great fan of Richard Maxwell. However my greatest horsey hero has to be my farrier, Jim Ferrie!
 
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I agree that Mark Todd was just amazing, but mine would have to be Mary King. She seems to have a very well-rounded approach to it all: she's incrediby competitive but always with consideration for the horse; she can produce horses from scratch and also do a good job on those with weaknesses; she comes across as being very humble and is always able to smile, even when things have gone wrong; and she still has huge enthusiasm and energy, which must take some doing after so long! I think she is a great ambassador for the sport and sets a good example to the younger generation.

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yup - completely agree...
 
Mark Todd, for me. Someone who could ride at the very top levels of two disciplines. Very charming and down to earth, the one time I met him, and happy to spend time with his fans. Without a doubt, the best horseman that I have ever seen, and I was very sad to find that he had retired when I returned to the world of horses.

Runner up has to be John Whitaker. I have always liked his quiet style with some very different types of horses, and although he was very busy and surrounded by people when I met him at Hickstead one year, made sure that he gave every single person some attention.

Isabelle
 
Mark Todd for all the aforementioned reasons.

Ginny Elliott, for the fact that she never left any stone unturned in her preparation. In my opinion she is the closest to a copybook archtypal rider you could get. She was in a league of her own and her horses perhaps the most brilliant ever on the circuit. For the latter reason, I also admire Dot Willis, who ran her yard. Her utter compassion and understanding of horses, particularly youngesters, is infectious.

Lucinda Green for her flair and bravery. I often read her autobiography, and she is the most modest and inspirational rider possible.

Nowadays, it would have to be Mary King. I've been lucky enough to visit her yard a few times. It's inspirational that she is able to bring horses out of an old delipated yard, yet can beat the likes of William Fox Pitt, who has a multi multi million pound setup. She has no money and unhorsey parents, yet has been at the top of the sport 20+ years. Above all else, she keeps smiling.
 
Lucinda was my childhood heroine.

Parked next to her at Arena UK last year. Her and Lissa were so friendly and chatty, helping my daughter and giving her support and encouragement all the way.
 
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