While losing a stirrup at the second fence of a Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) working hunter qualifier would have meant curtains for many of us, one rider not only stayed secure in the saddle but jumped a stylish clear round.
The pilot in question was 23-year-old William Pittendrigh, a working hunter specialist from Northumberland, who was jumping at the 2022 Great Yorkshire Show with his own gelding Silver Lough (Scully).
William and his seasoned ride Scully, a former Royal International Horse Show (RIHS), Royal Windsor and HOYS winner as a working hunter, entered the famous White Rose ring at the Great Yorkshire Show ready for a crack at the typically up-to-height hunting-style track in front of a packed grandstand ground.
After clearing the first two fences with ease, William’s stirrup unexpectedly dropped. The stirrup was left hanging by Scully’s side until fence nine, when it fell off.
Final post from the Great Yorkshire Show Here’s Scully’s jumping round where my stirrup came off the clip after fence two.Never had such a big cheer from the crowd! I will check my tack next time ?
Posted by William Pittendrigh Equestrian on Wednesday, July 13, 2022
William, seemingly undeterred by the tack malfunction, kept his cool, steering Scully round the 12-fence track, staying balanced in the saddle and maintaining rhythm the whole way around.
After he’d cleared the final fence, the crowd erupted into a cheer.
“The metal pin had come out and once I’d landed fence two my foot suddenly dropped,” says William, who finished second in the class. “It was still attached but I knew something wasn’t right. I jumped round the track without my foot in the stirrup before it came off completely.
“Scully was fine and wasn’t bothered in the slightest. Thankfully, I was able to stay pretty balanced. The cheer at the end was amazing; I’ve never been applauded like that before.”
William said that while the course was sizable, the flowing route meant he was able to ride forward with just one stirrup.
“It wasn’t too twisty and so I could keep Scully travelling,” he confirms.
After William and Scully were placed in second, chaos ensued in the prize giving, resulting in Scully being kicked by another horse. While he trotted up unlevel after the class, the following day he was checked by the vets and was sound.
“It’s something I hope never happens again, but I’m so pleased he’s OK and was given the all clear by the vets the following day,” says William.
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A snapped stirrup or rein is the stuff of nightmares — check out these instances when it happened to some
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