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life
Giving a masterclass
in success
Twice-Olympian showjumper Geoff Billington came to the
Island in February to teach a series of master classes at
Brickfields Horse Country
IF the young rider is slightly nervous her
horse is more so. After circling the ring
he hesitantly hops over the first couple of
fences – but utterly refuses to take the solid
planks.
It is a show jumping master class at
Brickfields Horse Country, and the master
is twice-Olympian Geoff Billington. He
has spent the morning watching, coaxing
and giving tips to riders who may secretly
hope to achieve something like his success,
and he now wades in with some firm
encouragement. After a few more false
starts the horse obviously realises Geoff
knows what he’s talking about, and
completes the round.
“It’s a close call,” says Geoff Billington,
over his lunch break. “When a horse refuses
to jump you have to decide whether he’s
plain scared or just taking the mickey. If he’s
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messing you about you give him a tap on
the bum – but if he’s nervous you have to
coax him, remove one of the bars to make
the fence smaller and gently build up his
confidence.”
Doesn’t anything scare Geoff about riding?
“No,” he says quickly. Adding, with a
twinkle, “Well, if you’ve got a five foot fence
and the horse can only jump 4 ft 6, then you
start to worry.”
Geoff’s affinity with horses has developed
over thirty years, both in coaching young
riders and in holding his place – apart
from a lean spell – at the top of the sport.
He was born in Lancashire, and his broad
Accrington accent has never been lost, it’s
rawness unexpected in a world of red jackets
and gymkhanas. You can’t help recalling
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the uppercrust commentary when show
jumping was a regular feature on peak
time television, when the term “jump orf”
became universal parlance.
“My parents weren’t anything to do with
horses,” he says. “I went to the local riding
school when I was nine years old, and found
I had an affinity with horses.”
He doesn’t react