Henrietta Knight is best known for training Best Mate to three consecutive Cheltenham Gold Cups before she retired in 2012 — however, she also has a passion for Connemara ponies. We visit her at her picturesque West Lockinge Farm to find out about her Connemara operation. Don't miss the full feature with Henrietta in this week's native pony special issue of Horse & Hound magazine (29 September)
Meet H&H cover star, Castle Fuchsia
Henrietta with her 12-year-old Connemara broodmare, Castle Fuchsia, who is in foal to Contepomi Cashel
A field of Connemara youngsters
The Connemara stud
The yard at West Lockinge Farm where Henrietta's Connemara ponies are stabled.
Celina — the Connemara foal
Henrietta feeds this year's foal Lockinge Celina, who is out of her broodmare Sweet Charity — the mare was gifted to Henrietta on her 60th birthday ten years ago.
The racehorse gallops
It is unlikely Henrietta's Connemaras will be gracing these gallops but they are used by the racehorses visiting West Lockinge Farm for pre-training
The beautiful house at West Lockinge Farm
The stunning house at West Lockinge Farm is where Henrietta lives — her home for 30 years and where she lived with her late husband Terry Biddlecombe.
Where Best Mate lived…
The main yard at West Lockinge Farm is where Henrietta's most famous racehorse, Best Mate, was stabled — she trained him from this yard to win the 2002, 2003, 2004 Cheltenham Gold Cups.
At home with Henrietta…
Henrietta's home is adorned with racing photos, newspaper cuttings and books — she is an author herself and was a teacher before taking up the reins to train racehorses.
