Former international showjumper dies

Fresh Direct Parcival, Tim Stockdale’s 2002 World Equestrian Games ride, has died at the age of 22 (10 May). He passed away peacefully in his owners Colin and Ann Garratt’s field.

“I wish we could all choose to go like that,” said Tim. “It was a sunny day and ‘Percy’ lay down to sleep in his favourite spot and never woke up. They only realised something wasn’t right when he didn’t get up when it started raining.”

Tim described the grey as “a wonderful horse, the sort you only get once in a lifetime”.

“He gave me a lot of firsts — first big grand prix, first grand prix win at Horse of the Year Show, first Nations cup and first World Championships,” he said. “He was a pleasure to ride and had unbelievable scope. I’ve never ridden a horse with so much power, yet he was soft and beautiful to ride.

“He was a tall horse — 17.2hh — yet supple and gentle — never boisterous.”

Tim bought him for the Garratts as a 6-year-old from David McPherson in 1998.

“I told Ann to watch him in the collecting ring at Royal Windsor and it was love at first sight,” he said. “The Garratts have had serious offers for him, but they never considered selling him. They said they would be happy if he made the Foxhunters final at Wembley, and look how special he has been.”

Parcival’s career came to a premature end in 2003, aged 11, after he injured a stifle jumping in the Nations Cup in St Gallen. He spent his retirement at the Garratts.

Martha Terry

H&H features editor

Martha is an experienced journalist who is mad-keen on dogs of all shapes and sizes. After growing up with assorted liver and white springer spaniels, she enjoyed 14 years with two rescue dogs, one a street dog from Gambia who was abandoned at three weeks old. Now, her constant companion, whether by her feet at her desk or walking cross-country courses, is Fidget, an extremely energetic and habitually muddy black and white springer. Martha has written on topics as diverse as a top horse’s clone to the best GPS trackers for dogs, as well as equestrian and rural matters for Country Life, The Field, The Times, The Spectator and The Telegraph alongside Horse & Hound.