Young British rider Tom Woodward has retired Low Moor Lucky, the horse who gave him his first international win and first start at five-star, at the age of 19.
Tom admitted he had been putting off making the announcement, but decided to release the news to coincide with the five-year anniversary of the pair’s first international win, at Cornbury in the young rider CCI3*-S in 2021.
“We have to listen to him – he went to Bramham Horse Trials for the under-25 national championships in the hope he’d go on to under-25 World Championships at Millstreet and tied up after the showjumping,” said Tom, 24.
“We always said this year we weren’t sure whether we’d carry on eventing him at all, but he came out of the winter so well and felt so good and fresh in the spring we thought, ‘He wants to keep doing his job’.
“We said pre-Bramham if he was not selected for the under-25 worlds we’d finish at Bramham and when he tied up, it felt like him telling me he’s a bit old.”
Tom said he also thought about what the horse has done for him.
“He’s given me so much more than we ever imagined and I don’t want to push him for any more. He’s done Bramham multiple times, Blenheim multiple times, went to Badminton – ok it wasn’t the fairly tale but we followed on to win the under-25 national title that year,” said Tom, who pulled up Lucky across country at Mars Badminton Horse Trials 2025 after some jumping faults, following a super dressage test.
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“He’s done pretty much every big event and I didn’t want to push him for more when I owe him everything and he owes me nothing.”
Tom Woodward celebrates after taking the lead in the dressage at Badminton 2025. The pair were sixth at the end of this phase
(Image credit: Peter Nixon)
Low Moor Lucky retired: a cheap purchase
Low Moor Lucky was bred by Richard Dennis, a family friend of the Woodwards. Given to Cherry Coward, he was at her yard when Tom and his mother went to try another horse. He wasn’t really for sale, but they offered Tom the chance to sit on him to give him a feel of another horse as he was just moving off ponies. Tom loved him, so they said to make an offer for him.
The family ended up buying Lucky and another horse also bred by Richard, in one deal. He wasn’t expensive as he hadn’t done brilliantly in his early career – he was only backed aged nine “and was called Lucky because he was a nutcase as a young horse and was nearly disposed of”.
With Tom, he won twice at CCI3*-S, at Cornbury 2021 and Somerford 2022, was under-25 national champion at Bramham in 2025, started on a Nations Cup team and finished eight four-stars (including finishing 13th at Blenheim Horse Trials CCI4*-L in 2024), giving the young rider hugely valuable experience.
“Make sure you put in how much I love him,” said Tom. “He’s been wicked and I don’t quite know what eventing is going to be like without him. He’s been my whole career and been amazing.
“He was never meant to be as good as he turned out. He was bought for us to learn the ropes together and has gone way further than we ever imagined.
“I have learnt everything I know from him – patience, resilience, to enjoy the good times. He has been that stalwart horse for me at this point in my career.
“I wish I could just knock a few years off him, now I know a bit more from what I’ve done with him and others. If I could use the knowledge with him a bit longer I think I’d have a world-class horse.”
“I have learnt everything I know from him – patience, resilience, to enjoy the good times”
Tom Woodward on Low Moor Lucky
Tom added that Lucky has been a dream to ride and train, with “the most wonderful attitude”.
He said: “He has an incredible work ethic. He wants to work with you, always has, and also from a competition point of view, I’ve always said he wants to win as much as I do. He is a very shy horse, not cuddly, and likes to keep himself to himself. He used to be headshy and still hates being clipped.
“He has his cheeky, quirky side, after his early years when he was a bit feral, but he’s an amazing horse to have around and part of the family. He’s quite introverted and happy to suit himself – he doesn’t love getting patted over the stable door – but out competing he would turn into a different beast, with a big flashy trot and scopey jump. He lit up in the ring.”
Tom Woodward and Low Moor Lucky jump clear across country in the CCI4*-S at Thoresby 2025
(Image credit: Peter Nixon)
Low More Lucky may have been retired from competition, but he is still in work and enjoying life. Tom’s father, former amateur jockey David Woodward, has been hacking him out and his younger sister Milly rides him. He may do some low-level eventing with Milly next year.
“He is just enjoying life and after everything he’s given me and my family, we will make sure he has best retirement we can give him,” said Tom.
“He’s living out and is happy. He’s always been really bad to catch and he’s still giving us the runaround – the other day he wouldn’t let us catch him to go on a hack so he stayed in the field another couple of days!”
Pippa is a true eventing geek and has been H&H’s eventing editor since 2005. She has first-hand experience of competing up to British Eventing intermediate and international CCI2*-L level, and has worked in the industry on a top event yard. Pippa enjoys nothing more than immersing herself in the sport at the highest level, reporting from the five-stars and international championships, including the Olympics.
