‘He was almost conceived here!’ – Tiger Mail emulates his popular plucky dam at Burghley
Phoebe Buckley and Tiger Mail in the Burghley dressage phase
(Image credit: Peter Nixon)
It is an emotional return for Phoebe Buckley, who is back at the Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials after 12 years away. She is riding Tiger Mail, the son of her former top horse Little Tiger. Back in 2008, the 15hh grey finished 16th and best mare, the prize for which was an embryo transfer at Twemlows. The result was Tiger Mail, now a 12-year-old, by Jaguar Mail.
“It sounds corny, but having Tiger Mail is beyond my wildest dreams,” says Phoebe. “It hardly happens that any horse gets to Burghley, but having had his mum and ridden her here, it just doesn’t happen. She last came here in 2010, the year he was born – he was pretty much conceived here!”
Phoebe Buckley: ‘He’s a needy bloke’
Phoebe describes her ride as the polar opposite to his dam.
“She was quite cool and calm, a proper strong independent woman, whereas he’s more of a needy bloke,” she says. “He’d tell you he loved you on the first date, then need his mum there for the second one. I feel sorry for him, everyone says, ‘if he’s half as good as his mum…’ – I say, ‘shhh, stop comparing them!’
“He was never naturally brave as a young horse, even at BE100, but he always had his ears pricked and would be reassured by a pat. As we’ve gone up the levels, he’s gained the self-belief to realise it isn’t that hard. He’s now a fantastic cross-country horse, so honest and genuine.”
Phoebe voiced her appreciation for the patience of Val Gingell, who owned Little Tiger and now owns her son, and “allows us both to make mistakes and learn from them”.
“It’s been all about giving him time,” she says. “She said, ‘do 15 novices if you need to. I don’t need him winning a novice, I want him at Burghley when he’s 12’. And here he is at Burghley when he’s 12. And now she’s saying, ‘We’ve made it here, so you don’t need to wear a watch, just go as fast as you can and come home safe.’”
“The course is really clever, big but not ridiculous. I think you’re going to need a really genuine horse, you can’t swing out or take an easy round route. I think it’s a brilliant Burghley.”
You may also enjoy reading…
‘I was on eggshells, but they didn’t crack’ – Piggy March grabs Burghley dressage lead
‘My horse’s flight was cancelled five times’: tortuous trip to Burghley ends in smart test
Would you jump these? Take a virtual walk around the 2022 Burghley Horse Trials cross-country course
Subscribe to Horse & Hound magazine today – and enjoy unlimited website access all year round
TOPICS
