British eventer makes winning return after 15 years in America
Last Saturday’s BE90 Jumping and Style (JAS) class at West Wilts saw a homecoming BE win for Emma Winter, who has spent the past 15 years living and competing in America.
Emma and her Canadian husband Mike, who rode at the Olympics in Athens and Hong Kong, were based near Atlanta. But they moved to Britain last August and have rented a yard in Chedworth, near Cirencester.
“After the Games in Hong Kong Mike said he wanted to compete with a more international field all the time,” explained Emma, 36. “We also wanted to bring our children [Amelia, eight, and Lilly, one] here.”
Emma and Mike had a big business in the States — Wayfarer Eventing — with around 18 horses and 30 students, but plan to keep their UK operation smaller and focus on producing quality horses.
They brought two horses over with them — Unsteelable, 11th in the CCI** at Weston last autumn with Mike — and Emma’s now retired four-star horse Mahogany Chief, with whom she completed Burghley in 2005.
They have bought some youngsters from Ireland, and Dutch five-year-old Arlando — with whom Emma won with JAS class — and have nine horses in their yard now.
Three of Emma and Mike’s pupils from the USA — twins of 17 and another girl of 16 — came to Britain with them and are at school here, while keeping their horses on the Winters’ yard.
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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.