Harry says: “I never thought she’d be a five-star horse. She’s a very good jumper, but at the lower levels, she wasn’t that scopey. She felt limited, but she’s definitely not limited now.
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“The other thing was that when you wanted her to move up on a distance to a fence, she would take a quicker turnover of footfall and get there faster, but she wouldn’t lengthen her stride so she would still be off the fence. That’s something she’s learned through running in a relaxed, slow way.”
Harry Meade and Cavalier Crystal at Badminton 2025.
(Image credit: Nico Morgan)
Superstition
Age: 16
Owners: Mandy Gray and Harry
Breeding: by Satisfaction FRH out of a mare by Cordalame
Best five-star results: fifth at Kentucky Three-Day Event in 2021; seventh at Maryland 5 Star in 2021 and 2022; 12th at Burghley 2024; sixth at Badminton 2025
Harry says: “Lucy Jackson produced him and did a really lovely job. I have ridden him since 2019.
“He’s a horse that gets a little bit stressed at competitions, it’s not a really fun, positive experience for him. He finds the atmosphere slightly intimidating and threatening, and so I have to very much be there to support him and to hold his hand and give him confidence.
“So I took a view after Burghley 2024 that I felt confident in our ability to prepare him and in his long-term experience, so I decided I wasn’t going to enter him at an event prior to Badminton. I didn’t take him to any events of any kind, but did all the work at home, and that kept him in a very secure mindset. He was very confident and comfortable in his surroundings.
“I was interested to see whether that would affect him in any of the phases at Badminton, but for dressage, where he can sometimes freeze in the atmosphere, he was by far the most confident he’s been, and cross-country, he wasn’t remotely rusty. It was an interesting approach and I had no guarantee it would work, but I felt that it was worth doing, and with hindsight, I’m very glad I did.”
Harry Meade and Superstition at Badminton 2025.
(Image credit: Nico Morgan)
Et Hop Du Matz
Age: 11
Owners: Mandy Gray and Harry
Breeding: by Nouma D’Auzay out of a mare by Easy Star
Best five-star result: third at Kentucky in 2025
Harry says: “I said a couple years ago, I think he’s the best horse no one’s ever heard of, but I hoped he would come into his element at the top level. Across country, he leaves the start box with a resting heart rate, a completely resting brain and he is relaxed the whole way around. He can read everything, he’s got time and it’s all slow motion.”
Harry Meade pilots Et Hop Du Matz to a podium finish at Kentucky 2025.
(Image credit: Amy Dragoo)
Grafennacht
Age: 13
Owner: Amanda Gould
Breeding: by Birkhof’s Grafenstolz out of a mare by Narew
Best five-star results: 14th at Badminton 2023; second at Maryland 2023; 13th at Badminton 2024 (all with William Fox-Pitt); fourth at Kentucky 2025 (with Harry)
Harry says: “She’s a super-game horse with a massive heart. She wouldn’t be the most athletic, scopey sort that could fiddle if she was slightly wrong on a fence and she doesn’t like adding a stride, but she’s uncomplicated in her mind.”
Harry Meade and Grafennacht at Kentucky 2025.
(Image credit: Amy Dragoo)
Annagmore Valoner
Age: 13
Owners: Dinah and Stephen Posford and their daughter Juliet Carter
Breeding: by Coroner out of a mare by Black Walter
Best five-star result: fourth Burghley 2024
Harry says: “‘Annie’ was sent to me by her former rider Sam Griffiths and her owners collectively, when Sam gave up eventing. My first impressions were that I loved her as a stamp and an athlete. Sam said she was very over-sensitive and that made her quite difficult, but I’d rather be sitting on something that oozes athleticism, but needs managing, than something that is rather limited.
“It’s a case of trying to understand each horse and the motivation behind them being difficult – some horses are difficult because they find something conformationally difficult or they’re lazy. That’s not the case with her – she’s a very kind person and a desperate overachiever, who gets herself worried and is over-sensitive and hot.
“There isn’t an ounce of malice in her, so it was about understanding that and really holding her hand to get the best out of her, rather than misinterpreting her behaviour as trying to be difficult. Hopefully by supporting her, we’ve given her confidence so she’s mentally in a happy place now.”
Harry Meade and Annaghmore Valoner at Burghley 2024. Credit Peter Nixon
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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.
