Everything Horse magazine Magazine, October 2014 | Page 37

5 MINUTES WITH ...
How did your eventing career start?
I started when I learnt to ride at fouryears-old, when we got a companion
pony for my mum’s horse from Charity
HAPPA. A partnership with a cheeky
little dun pony, known as Rabbit,
brought my first bit of success, winning
at most the local shows and including
a bigger win at the first ridden
championships at Ponies UK.

Park where we have a state
of the art indoor stable
block for all the horses
along with some of the
best facilities in the country, including a fantastic
cross-country course and
10 arenas which is fantastic
for our dressage and jumping training.

From there at the age of 12, I saw an
article in a magazine about eventing
and decided that was what I wanted
to do, although I never thought at the
time I would make a career out of it.
I started competing for the northern
team in JRN classes and was as a
member of Lancashire’s Holcombe
Hunt Pony Club managing to qualify
for the Pony Club Championships in all
three phases; the first to do so for the
club in 25 years.

Team Hobday have two full
time grooms; Martin Hayes,
who travels to events with
me, and Rachel Moran who runs the
yard organising and preparing the
horses ready for the shows. There
are also two part time grooms, Celia
Royds and Rachel Slater who man the
yard and travel away to events with
me. As we move to Somerford Park
we will be looking for more ambitious
people to join the team.

When I left school I actually trained
to be plumber, but soon decided it
wasn’t for me and went back to what I
loved most… the horses. I managed to
get a job at 17, as a working pupil for
Cheshire based Hannah Bate, and then
went on to work for William Funnell.
I gained valuable experience in the
world of show jumping as well as the
invaluable knowledge from William›s
wife; Pippa Funnell.  

My parents are both very supportive
too and provide lots of help at home
and at shows providing excellent
hospitality to owners and sponsors.

After that I had a couple of other riding
jobs before setting up on my own and
have worked my way up through the
ranks in the eventing world.
Where are you based?
We have recently moved to Somerford

Tell us about the horses you
compete…
Guna B Good, or Fletcher as he
is known at home is a four star
horse that will be campaigning
for Badminton and Burghley this
season. He came to me with not the
best form and it took us a while to
figure each other out, I realised that
I would have to take him through
combinations much slower and
wider on the cross-country course.
He has been round Burghley twice,
Bramham and Pau and is now well and
truly part of the family.
Mulrys Error completed his
first Bramham in 2013 and I am hoping
to take him up to four star. He is by far
the best bread winner on yard, coming
up through the ranks from one-star
level he has won the most money so
far. Being Clydesdale X TB, he is one of
the most unusual looking eventers on
the yard but with the heart of a lion,
one of the best!
Eight-year-old bay gelding, Ramilo,
owned by Jan and David Foster of
Grub’s and myself, has also moved
up this season and is now aiming for
the CIC*** events and the Nations

October 2014 • Issue 13 • Everything Horse UK Magazine

Cup series. There are also quite a few
youngsters that will be starting out
this season which will be an exciting
time, as well as a lot of top class young
horses for sale through Shadow Sports
Horse.
One of the new youngsters is fouryear-old Shadow Skyfall (Ernie) who is
also jointly owned by Jan and David,
and myself. He was bought from
Ireland and was quite sharp and cold
backed to begin with, but now in work,
he is a very exciting prospect for the
future with three lovely paces to work
with and a big bold jump. I am hoping
to give him plenty of experience and
confidence this season to get his
competition career started.
What has been the highlight of your
career so far?
There have been so many moments,
meeting and greeting top riders and
learning from the very best in the
sport, along with competing at several
European Championships. Winning
the U21 National Championships is
definitely one and then going on to
be selected for the World Class Start
Programme, but winning team gold
and an individual bronze medal was an
amazing feeling, one I want to repeat!
What are your ambitions?
To win everything! Making it to the top
of the sport is what drives me on, and I
like to prove people wrong when they
say things can›t be done.
I also hope to continue to build a very
successful business through Shadow
Sport Horses and to be competing at
the very top level against the best.
For more information contact Grub’s
visit www.work-lite.com

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