was horrendous, but his temperament was good.” After a year or so of training, the pair was
eventually selected for the junior British team, but even this success didn’t really satisfy Hannah, who was desperate for a horse of her own. Judy Harvey eventually found one for her in Holland and Hannah’s parents, Robert and Pauline, agreed to pay. “Fernando was a seven-year old, 15.3hh
ex-show jumper and I loved him as soon as I saw him, but Dad wasn’t so keen,” says Hannah. “It was the first time that my parents were going to spend what was for them a lot of money and it was nerve- wracking. “We brought Fernando home and he
wasn’t easy. He spent the first year on his back legs rearing. He was a really feisty, little horse, but I just loved him and we went on to have an amazing partnership.
able to repay a large chunk of the money far sooner than she had expected. “It was one of my most memorable moments,” she recalls. “I was invited back to do the Brightwells Challenge and won – it was amazing. I handed the cheque straight to my friend and the feeling was unbelievable.” Noblessee went on to be an extremely
successful horse, winning the Prix St George Young Horse Championships as a nine-year- old. “But I always felt a bit sorry for Nobby,” admits Hannah. “He was on the back foot right from the beginning because he had to live up to Ferdy. We never had that same, close relationship, but he was a good horse and he taught me a lot.” Hannah’s current horse, Vanita – selected
for the World Class Potential Squad and jointly owned by Heather and Barry Truelove – has gone a long way to help fill the void left by Fernando. She has high hopes for him and they are currently competing at Prix St George with plans for Grand Prix next year. “We bought him from Brightwells when I was pregnant with Molly,” says Hannah. “He’s not been easy, but I absolutely adore him. He is a horse that will not tolerate confusion. Some horses, like riding school horses, can cope with it but, if I was teaching him how to do a half-pass and put my leg on, he would freak out because he would not know what I wanted. “He has only been rideable for the past two years – he used
“He wasn’t trained, but I took him up to
Prix St George and, in 2000, we were long- listed for the Olympics. I was doing squad training and Judy introduced me to Carl Hester, who’s a total legend. I went to his yard every month for lessons and only gave up when the travelling and traffic made it unworkable.” The wonderful partnership that Hannah
shared with Fernando was tragically cut short when he suffered a terrible injury and had to be put down. “He had an operation to help, but it went wrong,” explains Hannah, sadly. “Ferdy was my best friend and the loss was unbearable. After the surgery, he came home and we turned him out in the field, but a horse like that does not enjoy that kind of life. He had a massive leg full of scar tissue and was on a lot of ‘bute for the pain. I had to make that difficult decision and it killed me.” Trying to come to terms with her loss while looking for another horse was never going to be easy, but Hannah eventually bought one – four-year-old Noblesse – at the Brightwells sales, with money lent by a friend who said she could pay it back over the years.
Hannah was extremely grateful and
determined to settle up the loan as soon as she could but, much to her delight, she was
to have his tongue hanging out and would dash from one end of the school to the other. He has been a massive challenge. We went to a show last weekend and he was a bit hot and nervous, but he didn’t blow up. He made mistakes in the test because he is green, he squealed and I knew he wanted to let rip, but he didn’t and he listened to me.”
Hannah’s
perseverance with Vanita has certainly paid off and she was delighted when he came 10th out of 33 in a recent competition. “It’s a long time since I have had a horse I am so excited about and he is up there with the best of them,” she says. “Vinnie makes me
feel like a top-class rider and he knows that.
www.equestrianlifemagazine.co.uk 45
I’ve not felt like that for a long time and it’s important – that’s what gets me out of bed in the morning and gives me confidence in myself.”
Hannah is sponsored by
Dengie Horse Feeds and always uses the brand’s high-fibre feeds to keep
Hannah feeds Dengie
her horses and ponies in great condition. Vanita’s diet is made up of Alfa-A Oil, Alfa- Beet and Alfa-A Balancer. If you would like further information on Dengie feeds, log on to
www.dengie.com or for advice from its friendly feed helpline, telephone 0845 345 5115.
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