I’m trying to get to know him a bit now; he’s done a couple of Intermediates and a CIC**. We came to Portugal to do a one- star and then the second weekend the CCI** in order to get to know each other a little better. One of his previous owners, Carol Gee (of Fernhill Sport Horses), was also in Barroca and I think she was pleased to see his name up on the board,” she exclaims. “HHS Cooley is full
Irish with Clover Hill lines,” she continues. “He’s an awesome horse; I’ve had him nearly two years now and found him again through Richard Sheane who has an incredible eye for a good horse. I bought him when he’d only done two pre-novices. He finished sixth in a CIC** and won a CIC* last year. He gets better all the time—he has incredible heart and loves his job. He is good at everything he does and tries so hard.” Back home in England,
Liz has a few more top- class horses tucked away in the stables. Newmarket Malt is an 18-hand Irish Sport Horse by Malt Striker who has competed in numerous two-star competitions and an Advanced with Liz. She also says that she has a very special young Holsteiner/ Irish cross, Cooley Master Courage (by Courage, a show jumper), again found through Richard Sheane.
“I also have a really, really cool young horse,
Benaughlin Little Hero, by Hermes du Reve, a Selle Français show jumping sire based in Ireland. He was also from Richard from Cooley Sport Horses. He was originally a project to sell on but he’s become a fantastic jumper. He leaves a huge smile on my face every time I take him out of the box. We won three events last year and I’m hoping he’ll do a one-star this year and then I’ll see if I’ll keep him or sell him on. He’s a little pocket rocket and a cheeky monkey as well—naughty but in a nice way!” Viscount Oscar, owned by Sally Long, is full Irish
Thoroughbred, by a horse called Oscar who was a famous National Hunt racehorse. “I’ve ridden him for about a year
Top: Liz riding HHS Cooley at the Wellington Intermediate. Bottom: Liz and Endymion Entrechat in the Aldon CCI*.
and he’s a typical quirky racehorse type: gobby (fussy) and tricky and a little funny on the flat, but he loves his job with a big heart. He’s 17.1 and he really does gallop, so he’s fun cross-country but tricky in show jumping. He did a good job in Portugal though, so I think I’m cracking him.” “Red Letter Day is my old campaigner and we have had a lot of fun and experiences together over the last eight years. We did our first CCI*** together in 2005 and have done many more since then. He is possibly the bravest cross- country horse that I have ever ridden, which also make him a little bit hard to manage in the other phases, but he really has taught me a lot through the years. Sadly, soundness has always been his struggle, so for that reason we never challenged a CCI****. At 16 years old he still loves his job, so I am trying to keep him going for as long as he is happy in the sport.” Finally, Liz also rides a Welsh Cob
cross, Endymion Entrechat, owned by Catherine Mann. “He has a ton of attitude and he only operates if he likes you,” she says. “I’ve put people on him and he’ll stop at a cross-rail, but I can run him down to a 1.30 meter oxer and he’ll jump it like nothing. We led start to finish in a CCI* last year—it was so emotional, I was crying and his owner was crying—and he’s doing his first event of the year soon,” Liz recounts.
“I think a lot of
Irish horses have Warmblood in them
for the movement and the jump—I find I’ve always liked the Irish horses because they have a lot of heart and are generally a little less spooky and braver than other breeds,” she says. “I’ve rarely ridden something that isn’t at least part Irish and I seem to get on well with them.”
D ual C eers ar
Looking to the future, Liz says that her really big goal is to compete at the Olympic Games in Rio. “I think I have two horses that are hopefully capable of that,” she says. “I suppose it’s a matter of working hard and a bit of luck. I’m aiming Cooley for the Young Horse CIC*** at Blenheim by
16 May/June 2013
JP Event Photography
JP Event Photography
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