Equestrian Life Magazine February 2018 Edition

veteran life
Claire Hazeldine’s
Taking the Biscuit
As told to Equestrian Life
Taking the Biscuit, or the
Patchy Pony, was bought
by my Father as a Xmas
gift for Mum as a foal in
1999. After a turbulent few years
and many days hunting, at the
grand age of around 14, Patch
finally started to grow up and
has never looked back. In 2015,
aged 16, Patch was the Senior
Showing and Dressage Ltd Reserve
Coloured Champion; in 2016, she
was National Dressage Prelim
Champion at the same show.
How could we beat that? Patch
had her own ideas. Being the
ultimate all-rounder, in 2017,
Patch won not one, but two
leagues at British Show Jumping
Club and gained us a ticket to the
BS Awards Ceremony to collect
our prizes. Then, at the Veteran
Horse Society Championships,
she was Strictly Dressage to Music
Champion, completing a routine
that moved one judge to tears.
At the same show, she won her
Veteran Performance class, won
her Coloured class, was 2nd in the
Veteran Working Hunter and then,
to top it all off, was Performance
Champion and Reserve Working
Hunter Champion in the evening
performance. What a show that
was! This pony really is one in a
million.
Myself and my family,
affectionately known as Team
Taylor (please do check us out
and give us a like on Facebook!)
are constantly surprised by
what this plucky little pony can
turn her hooves to. She can do
dressage, often gaining 70+%
scores, affiliated show jumping,
showing, working hunter and
her very favourite thing to do is
follow a bloodhound pack – she’s
incredible out hunting, goes all
day and throws her heart and soul
over anything we come across.
Very sadly, my Father passed away
suddenly in 2016, just a week
after proudly watching us take
the Dressage Championship. How
proud he was, and he lives on in
this super little pony.
Everything we do with Patch is a
team effort at Team Taylor – Mum
is top supporter, coffee fetcher,
pony holder and worrier (“those
fences look big Claire…”) Sarah,
my sister, best friend and partner
in crime is top groom, navigator
and morale booster. We are hoping
that 2018 will bring great things for
Team Taylor. We have other horses
on the road, but in Patch’s world,
she’s the most important on the
yard. This year, we will continue to
contest the VHS showing classes
with the aim being the Supreme
Patch has
one or two
rather unique
tricks up her
sleeve – she
will often get
down and
have a roll,
or indeed,
a sit down,
whenever
the mood
takes her
Final in September, and of course
another crack at the Dressage to
Music classes…Sarah has costume
ideas already! We are also going
to have a go at My Quest, a very
new concept to us but one that
I’m sure Patch will excel in. I
would previously have written
off a veteran horse until my pony
became one, but, now 19 years
old, she gets better and better, and
often…naughtier. Patch has one
or two rather unique tricks up her
sleeve – she will often get down
and have a roll, or indeed, a sit
down, whenever the mood takes
her, whether I’m on board or not.
She once did this in a dressage test,
which luckily was caught on film!
This wonderful little pony has given
us everything and I cannot wait
to see what more we can get up to
together. One thing is for sure, she
owes us nothing.
Nicola Clarey has a 25 year old mare who has
competed in showjumping, dressage, working
Hunter and showing
They have had her since she was a foal but after being kicked and having a bit of
floating bone in her stifle 18 months ago and then last year being diagnosed with
osteoarthritis in both hips and having to be retired from ridden work at Christmas
do to back problems, she is now sound and hopefully they are aiming to get her
back into the veteran in hand ring this season.
Commented Nicola “She is a very special mare who my late Uncle bred”.
56 February 2018 Equestrian Life