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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>

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