‘We turned down £5m for him – I love him with all my heart’: meet the superstar shining at HOYS
Leo Lamb riding GMAIL, winners of the Events Through a Lens Talent Seekers inc. 7 Year Old Championship during the Horse of the Year Show held at the NEC in Birmingham in UK between 4 -8 th October 2023
(Image credit: Peter Nixon)
When a prospective buyer came to view Gmail, his rider and owner were both in tears at the thought of losing him.
But despite the interest, and a £5m offer, the superstar seven-year-old and Leo Lamb are still together, and still in top form.
“He can be a monkey,” said Leo of Gmail, whose speed was unhindered by a few exuberant bucks on course. “But he’s a dude.”
The Cornet Obolensky gelding has had a superb summer; he and Leo jumped at the WBFSH Jumping World Breeding Championship for Young Horses in September, then went on to Valkenswaard for the WBFSH Jumping Global Champions Trophy, where they won a seven-year-old qualifier, and helped the Anglo European Studbook team to silver.
“When he hits one, he’s ready for action; he means business!” Leo said. “It’s my first time here, and his. I think so much of this horse, and know what he’s capable of, so do do it here, in front of the British public and on a stage like this – I’m over the moon.”
Leo said he and his mother Carron, the renowned breeder, producer and rider who owns Gmail, have “had a lot of offers” for the horse.
“All the top people want to buy him but we want to keep hold of him,” he said, confirming that he and Carron had turned down a £5m offer.
“I think Mum was like ‘We should sell this horse’; it’s hard to turn those offers down but she knows how hard it is to find superstars like him. She’s been doing this 50 years and he’s probably the best she’s ever had.”
Leo said Gmail was castrated at five, “as he was so cheeky”, and he was then competed by Thomas Dovkants, who “got a good tune out of him”, as he progressed to being “one of the most famous horses coming up”, Leo said.
“He’s lovely; the kindest horse in the stable,” he added. “One person came to try him and I cried, and Mum did, and I’ve never got upset about a horse before. It’s lucky they didn’t come up with the money, I love him with all my heart.”
And this horse, who Leo believes will be featuring on British teams next year, will be gunning for another title this evening.
“I didn’t want to go crazy [in the Talent Seekers] with the Foxhunter final coming up,” he said. “I’ll go for the win tomorrow.”
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