Britain’s Emma Thomas spoke about the emotional journey to five-star for her former Pony Club champion The Buzz Factor after her Longines Luhmühlen Horse Trials dressage today (18 June).
Emma and 15-year-old “Buzz”, who is owned by Emma’s mother Rebecca Velarde, her brother Arthur Thomas, and Zoe Bardey, were second down the centre line and scored 38 to sit in seventh overnight. Although Emma has a number of five-star completions under her belt already, stepping Buzz up to five-star means the world to her.
“He’s a really special horse to me,” she told H&H. “I’ve had him for 10 years and won the Pony Club open championships with him eight years ago.
“He’s really made my entire career, so it’s so special to have him at a five-star. He is my best pal; he’s the friendliest, cuddliest creature, and he loves a big proper stage to show off.”
Emma, who studied biology at the Royal Veterinary College, said she didn’t originally plan to become a professional rider but it was Buzz that changed her mind.
“I got him with the hopes of maybe doing an intermediate at some point. We’ve come up the levels together, sort of the blind leading the blind, and it’s been the most incredible journey,” she said.
“He’s the most generous creature that I think has ever lived and he’s put up with a lot of learning mistakes. I graduated university a few years ago and he was suddenly at four-star, life was getting really exciting and I just decided to give it a go professionally. I really wouldn’t be here as a professional event rider without him.
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“I’ve got another horse as well, Icarus. I am really lucky that the first two horses I’ve produced have both gone up to top level. The pair of them have made my career, but especially Buzz. He was the first and had to put up with me as a teenager making lots of mistakes.”
Horse and rider returning from injury
Emma and Buzz were U25 national champions at Defender Bramham in 2024, but he sustained a field injury and needed some time off to recover.
“He had a bit of time coming back from that, and then he picked up another little injury at the beginning of last year, so he’s had almost a year and a half away from the sport,” said Emma.
“He’s come back in the best form of his life. It’s been really special.”
Emma Thomas has also been nursing an injury, having had an accident cross-country schooling a horse a few weeks ago – but she came up with an unusual way to ride her Luhmühlen Horse Trials dressage test to accommodate that.
“I injured my finger; it wasn’t serious but more annoying and it meant I didn’t have the prep for coming to Luhmühlen that I was hoping to have,” she said.
“In the test I was holding my reins upside down like a beginner. It worked out really well because I think I’m much softer holding the reins that way and it’s been really helpful riding like that the past few weeks. You’ve got to take silver linings from these things.”
Emma was “thrilled” with her test.
“He’s not a very conventional shape, so we have to work really hard to condition him and muscle him up over his top line correctly. I just thought he tried so hard, he really stayed with me,” she said.
“Two of his changes, or certainly one of them, was really fluffed which was annoying because they’re usually really good, but overall I was so thrilled with him. He can get a little bit excited in an atmosphere, but I thought he was fantastic.”
Emma is looking forward to tackling the cross-country on Saturday (20 June).
“I haven’t been here before and haven’t been over to Europe much, it’s very different. I got lost on my first course walk twice because I just didn’t have my bearings, it crosses over itself a few times,” she said.
“I think it’s a great track. The intensity actually happens after halfway, but there are questions in the beginning and there’s a section two thirds of the way around that’s really intense.
“It’s quite a small field, although it’s a real quality field. I think the course will cause silly run-outs, maybe more than people think, because of where on the track the questions are – some are quite near the end. But it’s great and I think if you go out there and get stuck in you’ll be rewarded, which is how you want to feel about cross-country.”
Emma Thomas: “I gave myself a little moment”
Buzz making his five-star debut carries an emotional tie for Emma and his owners.
“I gave myself a little moment before I went in today, just to make sure I was really appreciating how special it was that he was here,” said Emma.
“His owner Pippa Williams died at the beginning of March last year and I’d been based with her for near enough 10 years. He was her favourite horse too, so it’s just really special. Her daughter Zoe now owns him and there’s a very big emotional connection.
“I also used to train with Caroline Moore and she had a soft spot for him. I always think when I’m on him they’re both up there somewhere watching him.”
Since joining H&H in 2018, Becky has covered a broad range of equestrian news including welfare matters, veterinary studies, FEI Tribunal hearings and road safety campaigns. She has also interviewed top riders including Scott Brash, John Whitaker and Ian Stark, to name just a few. Becky’s reporting has taken her to Canada for Spruce Meadows and France for Pau five-star, as well as the Royal Highland and Blair Castle International Horse Trials closer to home. She was also a key part of the remote reporting team for the Tokyo Olympics and the Europeans.
