Equestrian Life May 2018 Issue
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eader profiles<br />
every time she got the wrong lead I’d<br />
bring her back to trot again and not<br />
make her keep cantering unless she<br />
was on the correct lead. Placing a pole<br />
in the corner helped her strike off on<br />
the correct lead.<br />
What would you ultimately like to<br />
achieve together?<br />
Our goal is to do some more<br />
unaffiliated jumping and get her more<br />
confident and go up through the<br />
classes. We may also take her to more<br />
inhand classes this summer too, just to<br />
give her variety.<br />
Holly gets excited when other horses<br />
are up close so we have hired schools<br />
and had friends come with their horses<br />
to get her used to it.<br />
Holly has stared going to progressive<br />
pole lessons to get her out with other<br />
horses and also it’s been very good to<br />
keep her brain working, she loves her<br />
pole lessons. We started doing some<br />
jumping and have found that she<br />
really enjoys it. She is a very clever<br />
and careful little horse. She’s been out<br />
to three unaffiliated show-jumping<br />
competitions, the first one we went<br />
to we did 60cm and she got double<br />
clear, the warm up was the main bit<br />
of learning for her as there was more<br />
than seven horses at one time and<br />
she took it all in her stride, the 2nd<br />
competition we got another double<br />
clear and came 1st and we did our<br />
first 70cm and she rode a lovely more<br />
forward canter and was flying she<br />
was so keen, we got yet again another<br />
double clear. For Holly having been a<br />
flat racer she really has shown great<br />
scope and potential.<br />
Where are you based and is riding a<br />
profession or a hobby?<br />
I’m based in Aberdeenshire and riding<br />
is a hobby for me I’ve been riding<br />
since I was 4 , 21 now , have done<br />
everything from pony club, eventing,<br />
showjumping, BSJA<br />
What would be your advice to<br />
anyone considering purchasing an<br />
Ex-Racehorse?<br />
Don’t go into buying a ex racer lightly.<br />
Think about what they’ve been taught<br />
to do and remember that. All Holly<br />
knew was speed, and that’s a very hard<br />
thing to get over. It’s taken a lot of<br />
hard work, patience and understanding<br />
to get her to where she is now. We<br />
now have the bond there and trust<br />
but took a long time to get it. As long<br />
as you put the time and effort in and<br />
not be afraid to ask for help then<br />
there’s nothing stopping you. I feel so<br />
proud of Holly and where we are now,<br />
every day, week, month we achieve<br />
something and it may be little things<br />
but it feels like such an achievement.<br />
JADE THOMPSON<br />
Twenty-nine year old, Jade Thompson works<br />
full time at Shaw and Co Solicitors, an equine<br />
law specialist based in Newcastle and is due to<br />
qualify as a chartered legal executive this year.<br />
After sadly losing her best horse to colic last<br />
October, this season will be a different one that<br />
she had thought, with two horses on DIY livery.<br />
A seven-year old chestnut mare by Ricardo Z<br />
called She’s Gold (Annie) and a 4 year old 14.2hh<br />
homebred called Ultraviolet (Prince).<br />
Annie was bought last summer, unseen and<br />
untried and with lots of work to do. She was<br />
lightly competed last season and was Novice<br />
champion and Grand Prix open champion WHP<br />
at Equifest 2017 as well as completing one BE 90.<br />
Jade is aiming to qualify for the Badminton grass<br />
roots final and progress to jumping RIHS/HOYS<br />
workers.<br />
Ultraviolet is by Castle Gizmo and out of Jade’s<br />
previous Intermediate WH, Sweet Violet who was<br />
Supreme WHP at the BSPS champs in 2007. He<br />
was very successfully shown in hand last season<br />
and will be shown lightly this year.<br />
56 <strong>May</strong> <strong>2018</strong> <strong>Equestrian</strong> <strong>Life</strong>