The 15.1hh winning machine is a devil in the stable but, since learning to handle his head-shaking, has become one of this country’s most consistent performers. Jennifer Donald meets the brilliant veteran with a can-do attitude
“My mum, Liane Smith, was looking at yearlings at Nijhof stud, Netherlands, and came across this little four-year-old who she didn’t think was anything special but would
“The first week he was here, I fell off him every single day. He used to canter up the school, drop his shoulder, and then gallop back towards the stables. He will still do it some days – he’s certainly quite a character. People think he’s ‘sweet little Wellington’, but he’s evil in the stable – you can’t kiss or cuddle him.
“He has small man syndrome and believes that he is the boss of the yard – if you don’t turn him out first, he rears and bucks round his stable. But he puts all that into every performance in the ring and that’s what makes him special.
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Credit: www.moisesbasallote.com
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The teenage girl on a pony that conquered the world stage has become the stuff of showjumping legend. Penny Richardson
H&H showjumping editor
Jennifer is passionate at showjumping and her role as H&H’s showjumping editor has taken her around the world reporting from shows and interviewing riders, connections and those involved behind the scenes. Since joining H&H from BBC Sport in 2005, she has written on every subject across the equestrian sphere — from turnout rugs to stable management — and has interviewed gold medallists, world champions and winners galore. She also has first-hand experience of working in the equestrian industry as a riding instructor and yard manager.
