The gelding, who is now 22, was the long-time partner of Sam Griffiths. During his career, Happy’s achievements included eleven starts at CCI4* and pots on the Australian team at the London 2012 Olympics and the 2010 World Equestrian Games. He bowed out from the sport at Burghley in 2018. Happy is still owned by Sam, Dinah Posford and Juliet Donald.
Happy made his Windsor debut with show rider Sarah Gwilliam. Since his retirement three years ago, he’s been living with Frances ‘Mouse’ Berry, who looked after him when he was competing at top level.
“Mouse, who I’ve known for years, knows Happy inside out,” said Sarah. “One day she called me and said that as he was loving his work and looked too good to be sitting in the field, that we should show him as a veteran.”
In 2019, Happy won at Frome show but due to lockdown his veteran campaign was cut short.
“We missed a few of the early SSADL qualifiers, but I was delighted to take him to Windsor and stand second in a strong ridden class,” added Sarah, who wonhere with Sar Cassidy-Hill’s Imperial Ruby in the Retraining of Racehorses ranks.
“His owners, Juliet and Dinah, were there to support him. He’s very well schooled thanks to Sam’s work and he loved the occasion. He rises to it and a show like Windsor is right up his street. He could hear the applause coming from the main arena and he was looking around thinking ‘is that for me’.”
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Mouse rides and cares for Happy on a daily basis and Sarah visits him for show preparation a few times a month:
“When he got home Mouse said he was on a high,” added Sarah. “You wouldn’t think he’s 22; he’s just incredible. I feel very lucky to be able to ride a horse like him.”
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Former H&H showing editor and deputy features editor
Born and raised in the Lake District, Alex has grown up on the showing scene. She has qualified and competed ponies at the Royal International, Horse of the Year Show and Olympia and has first-hand knowledge of the current issues in the showing world as well as the horses, ponies and riders who compete in the sport. Alex joined H&H in January 2018 as showing editor, cementing its place as the leading equestrian publication for both showing reports and current showing news in the UK. She moved on in October 2024 to pursue other opportunities, but continues to write for us on a freelance basis.
