House-produced colored pony Catch Me If You Can is ready to make his debut on the Royal Global Horse Display (RIHS) subsequent month after qualifying for the small conventional/local/cob ultimate.
Lesley Bunker-Nixon’s Catch Me If You Can (Harry) is a seven-year-old conventional who stands at 13hh. He’s ridden through Lesley’s buddy Helen Butcher and the pair produce him from house.
The gelding used to be purchased in 2019 as a three-year-old. Whilst he were sponsored, Lesley and Helen gave him numerous time to mature and develop on.
“He used to be very immature and so we left him till the next 12 months, within the hope that lets get him out to a few in-hand displays,” says Helen, who works as a supply driving force. “Then again, Covid hit and put paid to that concept.”
In early 2021, Helen underwent a hip alternative that put her out of motion for a number of months.
“We requested a pal to return and do a little bit of labor with Harry but it surely quickly become obvious that one thing wasn’t proper with him; he wouldn’t move ahead and wasn’t playing his task,” Helen continues. “He ended up on the vets for scoping and he used to be recognized with grade 4 abdomen ulcers. He used to be handled with injections for a number of months and he used to be simplest allowed to do very gentle paintings, so competing him below saddle needed to take a again seat once more.
“In 2022, after a rainy iciness, Harry used to be introduced again into paintings, however together with his loss of ridden enjoy he used to be nonetheless simplest ready to do a few newbie native displays on the finish of the season,” Helen provides. “The beginning of 2023 used to be additionally very rainy, that means his ridden paintings used to be once more very intermittent. We overlooked all of the early displays because of being not able to journey at the rainy flooring, however in any case were given out on the finish of April to an area display and some other display in Might.”
Helen and Harry attended one RIHS qualifier this time period, held at Rutland County, as she explains: “We went without a expectancies as this used to be simplest his 5th ever display under-saddle. To our pride he stood 2d to an skilled pony, which gave us the qualification!
“We litter alongside on a shoestring finances without a amenities, no area, electrical energy, hacking and even water, which is a mammoth process when bathing and seeking to preserving a furry colored blank. Harry is proven from the sphere and we attempt to make the most efficient of what we’ve were given.
“Lesley and I are each in our 60s and we’re nonetheless running full-time. We’re proud to have completed our qualification in opposition to all odds.”
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Credit score: Peter Nixon
Credit score: Trevor Meeks
Credit score: Long term
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