One of Great Britain’s brightest young stars Harry Charles is building a strong team of horses from his Hampshire stables and the mare Aralyn Blue is a very exciting prospect for this year, having recently finished runner-up in her first five-star grand prix at Saint Tropez. We went behind the stable door with his very exciting mare to find out from her groom Georgia Elwood what “Lynny” is like to look after.
ARALYN BLUE, 11yo Slovenian-bred mare by Chacco-Blue out of Apienne (Ludwig AS)
Rider: Harry Charles
Owner: Ann Thompson
Stable name: Lynny (or Dragon…)
About Aralyn Blue: a low-mileage former ride of Cian O’Connor who was bred in Slovenia and jumped in the world young horse championships as a six-year-old. Harry took the reins in 2020 and the pair stepped up to five-star level at the end of last year, most recently soaring into the runner-up spot in the mare’s first five-star grand prix at Saint Tropez.
Groom Georgia Elwood says: “She’s a unique character! She’s very grumpy, but she’s affectionate towards me, probably because I’m with her the most. I try to leave her alone as much as possible just because when you’re around her too much, that’s when she gets grumpy. She’s just an independent sort of horse. I think I’m a bit more tolerant and I just tend to ignore everything she does which seems to be the way forward with her – just to love her the best regardless. But actually she has such a big heart – it’s what makes her all the better when she starts jumping.
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Georgia Elwood with Harry Charles’s Aralyn Blue
(Image credit: creditUnknown)
“She’s come out of her shell since she arrived – she’d never let you clip her, but now she absolutely loves it and she has a little toy for when she goes to shows which she plays with a lot whereas she wouldn’t even go near it at the beginning. She goes in the field with Stardust pretty much every day, just to keep her head sane.
“As soon as the lorry starts, she knows what’s happening and if she’s not on the truck you definitely know about it – the stable walls know as well! But actually at a show she’s better to look after – she’s still grumpy, but she tends to relax a bit when she’s out and about. I love watching her in the ring because she has such an amazing jump but my videos must be terrible because I’m trying to jump every fence with her!
“Finishing second in one of the big classes in Madrid last year really stood out for me because it was her first five-star and she excelled herself, especially for such a big mare – she’s a good 17hh – in those smaller rings. Harry really understands her, they have such a good relationship. She’s class and I hope she lives up to it.”
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Jennifer is passionate at showjumping and her role as H&H’s showjumping editor has taken her around the world reporting from shows and interviewing riders, connections and those involved behind the scenes. Since joining H&H from BBC Sport in 2005, she has written on every subject across the equestrian sphere — from turnout rugs to stable management — and has interviewed gold medallists, world champions and winners galore. She also has first-hand experience of working in the equestrian industry as a riding instructor and yard manager.
