At 15 years old, Carl believes his European-ride Fame is hitting his stride. After helping Britain secure team silver in Crozet, Carl reflected on just how far the stallion has come – and how much he means to him.
“He’s been such a brilliant competition horse this year,” Carl says. “He’s become extremely consistent. If this is the last championship horse I ride, then I’ve been very lucky to have had him.”
But it wasn’t always straightforward. Fame, owned by Carl’s longtime friend Fiona Bigwood and her daughter Mette Dahl, was once far more tense and unpredictable.
Carl made the decision to strip back Fame’s programme in the build-up to the Europeans, giving him a winter of hacking, stretching and lunging – with almost no schooling.
The result? A much more relaxed horse between the boards.
“We’ve worked so long on relaxation,” Carl says. “He’s the most relaxed horse in the stable, in the field, hacking – and now that’s coming into his work. I think last winter has chilled him out completely.”
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Carl admits he’s had to work hard to get Fame’s neck where he wants it, calling it his biggest challenge in the test. “But by the final day at Crozet, I managed it. And every test, he improved.”
“I would describe him as the most fun horse I’ve ever ridden – he just goes and goes,” Carl adds. “He might not have the biggest walk or the easiest shape, but that doesn’t stop me enjoying every ride.”
Carl Hester on what comes next
But with Fame’s future still uncertain, Carl’s own plans are also up in the air.
“We’ll see what happens with Fame now because Fiona again, kindly, allowed me to have until this year. But the plan was for me to finish with him this year,” he revealed. “There are a couple of other offers on the table, but I haven’t made any decisions.
“It is hard to stay motivated as you get older, but I still love riding – so that’s not the issue. But I’ve lost five friends in the last few weeks – and that really makes you reflect.
“I’m not quite sure how much longer I will run the yard for here. It’s a big thing around your neck running a place like this.”
For now, though, there are no firm plans.
“I’m just going to enjoy the summer we’ve had, how well the Europeans went, and get back to a winter of training. Things carry on pretty much as normal – but I’ve learned never to say anything in concrete.”
Whether or not he competes again at a major championship, Carl’s influence – as a rider, trainer, and figurehead – isn’t going anywhere. But if this summer was his swan song on the European stage, it was certainly a good one.
To hear more from Carl on his partnership with Fame, the future of British dressage, and why Utopia and Valegro are “like two old ponies now”, listen to episode 169 of The Horse & Hound Podcast here, or search “The Horse & Hound Podcast” in your favourite podcast app.
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Oscar joined Horse & Hound in October 2023 and is the magazine’s dressage editor and sports manager, overseeing coverage of equestrian sport. After studying equine science at Myerscough College, he spent four years working for leading dressage rider Emile Faurie, competing at the 2015 National Dressage Championships and travelling with the yard to CDIs including Aachen and Saumur. He holds a master’s degree in Literature from York St John University (2021).
