Tales from Stoneleigh: the horse who started ridden work at 11 — ‘I never thought he would get this far’
(Image credit: credits-unknown)
One horse competing at the LeMieux National Dressage Championships at Stoneleigh (14-17 September) this week hasn’t had a conventional journey to this level.
Mi Amigo, a 17.2hh 15-year-old, owned and ridden by Sara-Jane Lanning, didn’t start proper ridden work until he was 11.
“A lady called Zoe Viner was on a yard where I teach,” explains Sara-Jane. “She had undergone a back operation and was struggling with ‘Zoa’ as he’s so big. I watched him trot across the diagonal and immediately knew I wanted him. Two days later he was mine.”
Sara-Jane, who is a judge and trainer based in Hampshire, explains that Zoa is quite a character.
“He spent six years of his life doing what he wanted in the field and was occasionally ridden being hacked out, so he was quite opinionated. He’s big and powerful and I took a chance on him.”
But thankfully that gamble has paid off and just a year later the pair won the novice gold freestyle championships at Hartpury and also took the opportunity to compete in freestyle competition in the main arena at Royal Windsor this year. Zoa has also stepped up to prix st georges and recently won at this level on 72%.
Sara-Jane and Zoa competed in the advanced medium gold championship this week where they scored 68.16%.
Continued below…
Tales from Stoneleigh: ‘I’m riding with a broken leg’
Tales from Stoneleigh: ‘I drank some sloe gin and bought him for £361.05’
Tales from Stoneleigh: ‘I went onto Google and typed in ‘work for an MP’’
TOPICS
