your equine hero when you were growing up

Milton, I think I had every poster of him in existence and cut out all the photos from Horse and Pony magazine (the old one, before it went rubbish!) and I cried for days when he died :o

Also really like Abbervail Dream, Cruising and Cruiseline (or have I made that one up?!)

Apparently I liked my showjumping as a kid which is odd as I have no time for it now.

In my later years I switched allegience to Pippa Funnell and Supreme Rock and Mary King and King William. I have all their books and computer games. :o
 
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Any of Pat Smythe's horses but particularly Tosca, she tried so hard for her; the same goes for Stroller, fantastic pony. Used to love The Rock too.
Nizefella, the original kick back horse; I was lucky enough to look after him in his retirement which fulfilled my Dad's dream when he met him and Wilf; he had followed them for years at White City and Haringey and meeting 'celebs' like those didn't happen to the likes of us.
Boomerang, such a class horse and rider too; magic to watch.
Of eventers, Charisma and Murphy Himself but now it's Lenamore who's won my heart because you can see how much he is enjoying himself.
 
Tigre, by a mile. I wanted to be like Caroline Bradley, I had no interest in Eventing. What she had with that horse was super special. They could have won Golds left right and centre. I still can't forgive them for taking the ride away from her, and the next rider didn't get on with him at all, came off him at Olympia (or similar), dragged the bridle off over his head, looked furious and tried to stuff the bridle back on the wrong way round (this is going back a long time though, my memory might be faulty). Poor Tigre. Poor Caroline. R.I.P. together now.
 
Maesfen said:
Any of Pat Smythe's horses but particularly Tosca, she tried so hard for her; the same goes for Stroller, fantastic pony. Used to love The Rock too.
Nizefella, the original kick back horse; I was lucky enough to look after him in his retirement which fulfilled my Dad's dream when he met him and Wilf; he had followed them for years at White City and Haringey and meeting 'celebs' like those didn't happen to the likes of us.
Boomerang, such a class horse and rider too; magic to watch.
Of eventers, Charisma and Murphy Himself but now it's Lenamore who's won my heart because you can see how much he is enjoying himself.
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How nice that someone has mentioned Nizefella - before my time and I never met Wilf but I knew Mary White, Wilfs widow very well she only died a couple of years ago.

When Wilf was installed in the the hall of fame Mary went to the reception and I asked her if Wilf would have been pleased - her answer was no - he would have been mad that the horse had not been honoured before him.

The following year a couple of weeks after Mary died Nizefella was included.
 
Red Rum - my number 1 fav, I never tire of watching him racing at Aintree.
Desert Orchid. he was in my era!
I love watching and listening to stories about Stroller - never saw him mind as it was just before my time.
Murphy Himself .. simply awesume!

Slightly more recently I loved watching 'Bridget'??? Geoff Billington's 'cart' x mare ??
 
Katt said:
I can't believe no one has mentioned Charisma yet!!!!!

He was one of my favourites. And Milton of course!

I remember the posters of the famous horses on the back of Horse Sense Magazine..... the ones of Priceless, Get Smart, Aldaniti, Ryan's Son stick in my memory most, but I pretty much loved anything on four legs and didn't really have favourites.
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Oh yes. charisma was a special horse! Add him to my list too.
 
King William
King Boris
Bits and Pieces
Get Smart
Glenburnie
Murphy Himself - there hasn't been another horse like his to grace this earth!

In more recent years: Call Again Cavalier, Theodore O'Connor, Over to You, Opposition Buzz, Imperial Cavalier, Mistral Hojris, Moorlands Totilas

Mary was my hero as a child and still is :)
 
cronkmooar said:
How nice that someone has mentioned Nizefella - before my time and I never met Wilf but I knew Mary White, Wilfs widow very well she only died a couple of years ago.

When Wilf was installed in the the hall of fame Mary went to the reception and I asked her if Wilf would have been pleased - her answer was no - he would have been mad that the horse had not been honoured before him.

The following year a couple of weeks after Mary died Nizefella was included.
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How interesting as I worked for both Wilf and Mary back in the 70's; at the time she was doing very well with her young show hunters and Wilf would still ride out with me. I last saw her just after she had returned from the Isle of Man, some years back now; I hadn't heard she had died though.

Yes, that would be a typical Wilf reaction, he was always very modest about himself but adored the old horse and always gave him the credit. I was horrified when I found their old Olympic rugs stuck up in the loft almost fading away so I brought them downstairs and asked if they could be used, it seemed a criminal waste of all that history just rotting away; he agreed and from then on, 'Fella had his old Olympic rug on if he needed it and I swear he preened himself; what memories he must have had.
When it was Wilf's memorial service I was quite upset that nobody from the BSJA, let alone his fellow riders even bothered to turn up; it seemed very shabby treatment for one that had done so much for British showjumping as without that pairing, we'd never have had any medals at all.
 
Maesfen said:
How interesting as I worked for both Wilf and Mary back in the 70's; at the time she was doing very well with her young show hunters and Wilf would still ride out with me. I last saw her just after she had returned from the Isle of Man, some years back now; I hadn't heard she had died though.

Yes, that would be a typical Wilf reaction, he was always very modest about himself but adored the old horse and always gave him the credit. I was horrified when I found their old Olympic rugs stuck up in the loft almost fading away so I brought them downstairs and asked if they could be used, it seemed a criminal waste of all that history just rotting away; he agreed and from then on, 'Fella had his old Olympic rug on if he needed it and I swear he preened himself; what memories he must have had.
When it was Wilf's memorial service I was quite upset that nobody from the BSJA, let alone his fellow riders even bothered to turn up; it seemed very shabby treatment for one that had done so much for British showjumping as without that pairing, we'd never have had any medals at all.
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sent you a PM
 
Matty Brown
Chainbridge
Anglezarke
Psalm
anything Ted Edgar rode..it was ALWAYS "interesting" LOL

I also LOVED Jungle Bunny

racing

The Dickler
Night Nurse
Captain Christy
Anything trained by Fred Winter
and who could forget Anaglogues Daughter
 
I was a huge Milton fan - back when he was a Henderson too!
My bedroom was plastered in him and had all the videos (actually still do! :o) and books etc.
Another favourite was Granuche, another JW horse I think.
Also one ridden by Franke Blutack (yes, thats what we called him), chestnut mare with a name beginning with W I think - gorgeous! Wei..something.
Loved Charisma, Stroller, Ryan's Son of course (just old enough to remember him!), King William.
Many others I had a soft spot for!
 
Thanks for putting in Rex the Robber, I could only remember the Rex bit but wanted to put him in. When i was about 10 I got both the Alwin & Paul S's autographs (if only I could spell their surname) in the collecting ring at HOYS (we had sort of wondered in, someone held the door open and we followed!)

On the race horse front, Pendil - the way he used to stand off his fences.

Too young to remember Arkle but love seeing photos of him.
 
Milton all the way. I got to meet him many times as the pony club that I used to compete with used the indoor school to do mounted games. I have a photo of me(age 9) stood with him resting his head on top of mine. Very special horse and a very talented rider.
 
Geegeesarah said:
Milton all the way. I got to meet him many times as the pony club that I used to compete with used the indoor school to do mounted games. I have a photo of me(age 9) stood with him resting his head on top of mine. Very special horse and a very talented rider.
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Can you post the photo you have? I always wanted to meet him and desert orchid but milton was my fave by a long shot xx
 
More votes for

Milton
Ryans son
Charisma
Murphy Himself

We are definately showing our ages here:D

How is it just thinking about them brings a lump to the throat and a tear to the eye!
 
What a lovely thread. It's bringing back lots of memories. Stroller for me first of all, then Psalm & April Love, not forgetting Tigre & Xanthos. I knew very little about eventing when I was a horsey child, but when I got into it as a (young) teenager it was in the era of Goodwill and Great Ovation.
 
Definately Ryan's Son and Milton, and I always had a real soft spot for Sefton and the racehorse Aldaniti - although only 12 I remember being in tears when him and Bob Champion won the National.
 
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