Dressage rider Matt Hicks has paid tribute to the grand prix horse with an enormous persona who taught him “such a lot”.
Sheepcote Walnut, owned by means of Ali and Terry Hill, has died in retirement elderly 23. He loved a long occupation with Matt, competing at nationwide grand prix till he was once 20, earlier than spending his twilight years – firmly in fee – on the Glad Horse Retirement house.
“He was once such a lot a laugh to journey,” Matt instructed H&H. “We didn’t win a lot of rugs and sashes, however I learnt such a lot from him, about coaching horses and serving to other people with difficult horses.”
Matt had simply moved to Alton and had now not met Ali when he gained a decision from her, asking if he may lend a hand her with Walnut.
“She mentioned: ‘I’ve were given this in reality tough horse – he is going alongside and each and every every now and then, he simply vegetation himself and received’t transfer. Do you need to have a pass at driving him?” mentioned Matt.
“I instructed her to convey him over, that he may keep for a couple of weeks and we’d see how we were given on.
“He was once very difficult! He knew what he favored and if he didn’t perceive one thing, he simply used to down equipment and wait till as a rider, you labored out some way of serving to him to realize it.
“He was once a large, chunky, in reality robust horse. He had his problems – he had a locking stifle we needed to organize, and he didn’t have an excellent hind leg. Each point I were given to, I mentioned to Ali, ’that is more than likely going to be it’. Then he were given to grand prix. And if truth be told, Inter II and grand prix had been his maximum a hit ranges.”
Walnut contested his ultimate season as a 20-year-old in 2021 and in his veteran years, gave his proprietor the enjoyment of driving the high-level actions at house.
He was once at all times a personality. Matt recalled tales of Walnut’s antics – escaping whilst coming off the lorry at a display, ditching his rider out hacking and galloping house, reputedly striking concepts into his box partners’ heads about now not being stuck. However his connections cherished him for who he was once, handled him as a person and labored along with his quirks.
“When we were given to understand him, he taught us such a lot,” mentioned Matt. “I needed to take into accounts and analyse the whole lot I did. And when he did slam the brakes on, you knew you needed to ask him otherwise.
“He was once in reality clever and fully ran the backyard. He was once an excessively, very particular horse.”
Matt cited driving their grand prix freestyle check as amongst his favorite reminiscences with Walnut, along side journeys in another country, and looking to get throughout the horse’s thoughts right through coaching.
He added that Walnut “opened such a lot of doorways”, from introducing him to running shoes, to the Hills, who are actually nice buddies and personal a number of others with him, and for what he taught him about coaching and control.
After Walnut retired from ridden paintings, Matt and the Hills determined {that a} retirement house would go well with him very best. He joined Glad Horse Retirement within the Brecon Beacons in July 2022, temporarily settling into the herd and not dropping his cheeky sense of humour.
“I simply used to like driving him, on a daily basis,” mentioned Matt. “We had nice instances with him. The whole lot we did was once an enjoy, however at all times tutorial and at all times in reality nice a laugh.
“I used to be very fortunate that his house owners in reality understood him. They in reality were given him, I feel it was once as a result of Ali used to journey him. There was once by no means any drive or unhappiness, we had been at all times simply in reality proud of what he completed.
“There have been issues he shouldn’t were ready to have carried out, however he did them. Running shoes weren’t incorrect once they mentioned he wouldn’t do them, however he in reality did be informed and did them to the most efficient of his talent. We simply discovered some way.”
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