The equestrian world can be tough and competitive and critical.
But it can also be the most supportive, kindest, most wonderful place, as demonstrated perfectly at Lincolnshire County Show this week.
Farrier and breeder Matthew Strawson stepped in to save the day on 18 June, when Gillian Black, whom he had never met, fainted before her class. Not only did he take her two-year-old Irish Draught Fuerty Supremacy into his in-hand class, and won, he then took him into the championship, for which Matthew’s own mare and foal had also qualified.
“River” stood champion, and Gillian told H&H she wanted to share the story to give Matthew the credit he is due.
“I’ll always be grateful to him,” she said. “I thought ‘God, would anybody else have done that? And then I thought, that doesn’t matter, because he did, didn’t he? He didn’t have to do it but it was a lovely, lovely thing to do.”
Gillian said she thinks it was the heat on Wednesday (18 June) that caused her to faint; the temperature was recorded somewhere on the showground at 31C. She had shown River in one class that morning and was fine.
“I was standing at the side of the ring and said to my friend ‘I don’t feel well’, next minute I fainted and was on the floor,” she said. “My next class came up really fast and I could hear people saying ‘Is there anyone who could take this horse in as she’s fainted’.”
Matthew, of Brook House Farm Irish Draught stud, came to the rescue, and brought River to Gillian after they had won their class, by which time she was recovering in a chair.
“He said ‘We’ve got a problem now’,” she said. “He said ‘You’re in the championship and so are my mare and foal; we’re in together!’”
Matthew’s Melrose Girl and her foal Raymond had also qualified, and of course Matthew could not lead them and River in the championship.
“River is 17hh, powerful and strong, and has only been castrated five weeks,” Gillian said. “I still felt dithery and my legs were like jelly, I couldn’t do it. He said ‘You’ve got to take him in, he might win this championship, he’s absolutely amazing’. I just couldn’t, so he said ‘Right. I’ll take him in’.”
There was time to get organised and by the time of the championship, Gillian felt well enough to lead the foal, while Matthew took River.
“He took the champion, and we got called in with the mare and foal too,” she said. “It’s just a lovely, lovely story. If this doesn’t show good, true showmanship from another competitor, helping somebody else out when their own horses were in the same class, I don’t know what does.”
The three posed for pictures afterwards by the ring, and River caused amusement by reaching up to nuzzle Matthew’s face.
“Everyone started laughing, saying ‘He likes him’,” she said. “I messaged when I got home to say it was such a kind thing to do. I couldn’t thank him enough. He said he was happy to help and it was really well deserved; he’s beautiful.”
The pair have since found out they had connected on social media; Gillian runs Irish Draught groups and had shared the Strawsons’ stallions, but neither knew who the other was at the time.
Matthew told H&H his family shows for pleasure and a hobby.
“Anyone would have done it in my shoes,” he said. “I just saw this lovely horse and people saying he needed someone to show him, and said ‘I’ll do it’!
“He was absolutely beautiful, a lovely big old boy, and I was chatting to him the whole way round, and he was really responsive. And we must have done all right as the judge loved him. I thought he was going to win.”
Matthew said the Irish Draught community is a very friendly and supportive one.
“It was a pleasure to do it,” he added. “He was a lovely horse to run with.”
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