Mary King recently became an ambassador for Spinal Research and she visited The London International Horse Show at Olympia yesterday to promote the charity’s work.

In her interview below she explains why it is so important for riders to support the charity, the loss of her beloved Call Again Cavalier, her plans for the 2009 season and her hopes for London 2012.

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Cavi was a good friend and my partner — we went through so much together.

I don’t know exactly what happened on Sunday, and I haven’t seen the video yet, but we shot over the first corner at fence 12, and then drifted right at the second and took the red flag with us. I think that unbalanced him and made him put down on the fence behind.

He had a suspected broken femur and although we hadn’t had confirmation, he was in so much pain — whatever he had done was serious.

The owners were there — they always followed everything he did — and are absolutely devastated.

Cavi has always been saved for the “big, main events” so we were planning to have a bit of fun with him next year — which is why we were doing the Express Eventing competition.

We were thinking of retiring him at the end of next year, but even though he was 16, he was still so fluid, supple and going brilliantly it’s hard to know what would have happened.

Since the end of the season last month I’ve been doing the horses for myself, so it’s just been me and him. He was a magical horse to look after, he was polite and gentlemanly and a delight.

He was a little gem.

Call Again Cavalier

• 16.2hh 16-year-old bay gelding

• By Cavalier Royale out of My Woodlands Lady VII

• Owned by Eddie and Sue Davies and their daughter Janette Chinn

• Produced by Vicky Brake from a five-year-old, he was then sold to his current owners for Caroline Pratt to ride. Caroline had just one season with him before she was killed in a fall from another horse at Burghley 2004. Mary King was then asked to take on the ride

Career highlights:

2002 — four-star debut at Burghley, finishing 15th (Vicky Brake)

2004 — eighth British open championship at Gatcombe (Caroline Pratt)

2005 — third British open championship at Gatcombe; fourth Burghley (Mary King)

2006 — team silver medal World Equestrian Games at Aachen, Germany

2007 — first Chatsworth World Cup qualifier; first British open championship at Gatcombe; team gold and individual silver medals at European Championships at Pratoni del Vivaro, Italy

2008 — team bronze medal and individual 11th at Olympics in Hong Kong; eighth Pau four-star

This article was first published in Horse & Hound (4 December, ’08)

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Mary King has spoken exclusively to Horse & Hound of her “devastation” at losing Call Again Cavalier.

Mary lost her 2008 Olympic partner, Call Again Cavalier, on Sunday during the Express Eventing International Cup in Cardiff.

Yesterday, an emotional Mary told H&H: “Cavi had a suspected broken femur.

“Although we hadn’t had confirmation of a break, he was in so much pain, whatever he had done was serious.”

She said she and owners Eddie and Sue Davies and Janette Chinn decided the 16-year-old gelding should be put down immediately.

While organisers told waiting press in the post-event conference that the horse had gone away to be examined at a veterinary clinic — refusing to say which one — Mary King was telling anxious spectators above the stables that Cavi had been put down.

She told H&H: “There were lots of people hanging over the balcony overlooking the stables — they were worried, and so I told them.”

In this Thursday’s edition of H&H, Mary speaks exclusively of her love and admiration for a “special partner”.

Over the past three years, Call Again Cavalier and Mary won team silver at the World Equestrian Games in Aachen in 2006, the British open championship at Gatcombe, team gold and individual silver at the European Championships in Pratoni in 2007, and team bronze at the Olympic Games this year in Hong Kong.

The loss of the much-loved British team horse Call Again Cavalier has ignited debate over the future of the Express Eventing International Cup.

• For analysis, report and comment on Sunday’s Express Eventing International Cup, plus an interview with Mary King, buy this Thursday’s edition of Horse & Hound (4 December).

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Mary King lost her Olympic partner Call Again Cavalier on Sunday afternoon during the Express Eventing International Cup at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff.

The 16-year-old bay gelding fell late on the course after a wide, narrow corner fence called ‘The Duck Houses’. He was taken from the arena in a horse ambulance under the care of Express Eventing vet John Killingbeck.

Though organisers have not released any official statement, H&H understands that the horse broke his femur and was put down.

Mary King and Call Again Cavalier were the second last to go in a competition that had its ups and downs. The pair were on target to finish second to Oliver Townend. He fell at the second element of the Duck Houses, the 12th fence in a testing and up-to-height course.

Call Again Cavalier, owned by Eddie and Sue Davies and their daughter, Janette Chin, won the individual silver medal at the 2007 European Championships. The horse also took team bronze at the Hong Kong Olympics this summer.

View pictures of Call Again Cavalier’s career

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After the cross-country we were encouraged to have a quiet start on Tuesday morning because the final vets’ inspection wasn’t due to take place until 4pm that afternoon.

I spent Monday night out with family and friends celebrating our cross-country success, which was followed by a lie-in on Tuesday morning in order to be fresh for the late night show jumping phase.

I got to the stables at 9am. Cavvy was quiet, but happy in himself as well as relaxed. His legs also looked amazing, which was in no small part due to the great ground conditions at Beas River.

I returned to the Olympic village and relaxed by the pool for a couple of hours before returning to the stables at around mid-day to get ready for the vets’ inspection. Cavvy provided me with no concerns and trotted up beautifully.

The day turned out to be hot. From the relatively coolness of cross-country day, the sun was now beaming down on Sha Tin and so I was keen not to overdo Cavvy’s preparation.

Firstly I warmed him up in the air conditioned indoor school, and then took him outside when there were about four horses still to jump before me.

He started off quiet, but then got his spring back and I went into the arena pretty confident of a clear round. Imagine my disappointment then when Cavvy had two rails down.

He was jumping beautifully until the final line away from the collecting ring. He seemed to go a bit quiet and I don’t know if I hadn’t picked up the canter enough, but he didn’t get high enough over the last line of fences, which were the smallest on the course. He hit the first fence behind and then, to my horror, also had the final fence, an oxer over a water tray, down.

From not collecting any show jumping penalties since 2005 to having two down at such an important competition was massively disappointing for me. My initial concern was that I had let the team down, but my eight faults wouldn’t have changed the squad’s standings at all and even with a clear round from me we would still have ended up with the bronze.

I may have spoilt any chance of my own individual success, but I still went through to the final show jumping round over a shortened but slightly bigger course. In this round Cavvy had the second jump down, but from there on he jumped perfectly.

Had we secured a double clear I would have won individual bronze, but clearly I didn’t deserve it!

Getting on the podium to receive the team bronze medal was a very emotional moment. I felt very proud, but at the same time pretty disappointed that I wasn’t collecting an individual accolade too.

We’d had a variety of things go wrong for us as a team, including a change to the original line up of horses due to injury, so I think basically we’d done pretty well to come home with the bronze medal.

My whole experience of Hong Kong has been fantastic. Bar the Hong Kong Jockey Club, this is an unhorsey nation, but the people have gone out of their way to learn about the sport and enjoy it.

The facilities have been superb and the organisation fantastic and the whole competition has fired me to work towards London 2012, maybe with my younger horse, Imperial Cavalier.

I still haven’t won that gold medal, but who knows what will happen in four years time.

Signing off for now, Mary King

PS: Thank you all for your lovely messages. I’m sorry that I haven’t been able to respond to them all individually.

Olympic 2008 photo gallery

Mary King photo gallery

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I spent last night at the Olympic village and caught the 6.30am shuttle bus up to Beas River. Everything is amazingly well organised and the transport runs like clockwork.

Call Again Cavalier (Cavvy) had spent a good night, drinking well so we had no reason to be concerned about his fluid levels, which was a great relief.

As the cross-country began at 8am I was glued to the closed-circuit TV screens, which were sited in the big riders’ marquee. It was nerve-wracking watching my teammates go, and as the competition went on it became obvious that it would be impossible to get the time. The two brushes at the second to last were clearly the bogey fence and this is the one I had liked least during my course-walks.

Generally, though, the track looked to be riding well.

I went back to the stables half an hour before I was due to get on Cavvy. I put his boots on myself, something I always do at a major competition so that if something goes wrong I only have myself to blame.

I got on him 20 minutes before my allotted time. Usually I ride for half an hour beforehand, but bearing in mind the fact that it was a little more humid than we are used to at home I decided not to give him quite as long.

Thankfully the weather was amazing. God was clearly looking after the sport today as we woke up to a cloudy morning that was barely any hotter than a mild English day.

I took Cavvy into the big sand arena for an initial warm-up before going into the grassed area where there were three cross-country practice fences. I gave him a good spin to get him sharp and keyed up for the challenge ahead.

As we already had three team scores in the bag, mine was less imperative. I was given permission to go for an individual placing and advised to give the second last fence a crack.

We entered the start box at 11.21am and straight from the off were in a fast, forward rhythm. Cavvy is a relentless galloper. Although he’s not a full Thoroughbred and lacks that quick acceleration, he keeps going, plus I cut the corners as much as I dared. I honestly don’t think we could have gone any faster without being dangerous.

He gave me a great ride with no problems at all, although I was nervous approaching the double of brushes at the end. We jumped the much higher part of the hedge to ensure that he didn’t run out and as I knew he wasn’t going to stop I was strong with my right hand and sat upright, not giving him the option of going to the left.

Galloping through the finish was a huge relief. We hadn’t pulled off the fastest time, but we were now in fifth place and I was thrilled to bits as well as over the moon to have helped the team rise into the bronze medal position.

Cavvy had coped well with the test. His temperature was fine and he wasn’t at all dehydrated afterwards.

The cross-country course had been brilliant, and the whole competition had produced a great sight for the world to see, with a lot of good riding and relatively few tired horses at the end. And thanks to all our supporters in the UK for tuning in to watch at some ungodly hour.

Tonight I’m going to the Sheriton Hotel to spend some time with my family. I hope I’ll get a bit of a lie-in tomorrow as the trot-up isn’t until 4pm, and the plan is to live it up a little tonight as well.

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ON Saturday, the day after the first trot-up, I got up early as I was keen to watch the first session of dressage. Later on I worked Call Again Cavalier (Cavvy), but nothing too intense as he had gone so well the day before.

To keep him happy I took him for a canter around Penfold Park before heading out to Beas River and my third cross-country course-walk. By this stage the track was certainly beginning to seem shorter to me, I guess because I was becoming familiar with the site. But one thing that didn’t change was my view of the intensity of the track and the accuracy that would be needed to tackle it.

I spent the rest of the day with family and friends at their hotel. I also meet up with Paul Kingdon, who has been to every one of the five Olympics I have ridden at.

A car took us back to Sha Tin to watch the evening dressage. Part of me was left wishing that I had been one of those riding under the floodlights — the atmosphere was amazing.

I was up at 5.45am this morning, which gave me four hours to prepare Cavvy before our test at 9.41am. Firstly I took him into the indoor air conditioned school where I did some loosening exercises. After a break I worked him in one of the outdoor arenas where he became a little twitchy — he could sense that there was a big competition in the offing — and he started to make mistakes, including in the counter canter. This was probably a blessing in disguise, as it made me ride him properly once I got into the arena.

On entry I made sure that we trotted twice past the camera that had been spooking all the horses. This did the trick as although Cavvy looked at it during his test he stayed in his outline. Foremost in my mind throughout was remembering where to go and focusing on the movement ahead. Cavvy stayed settled and I was particularly pleased with his medium and extended trot work, although the first change didn’t go so well. I was concentrating on the counter canter and I hurried him into the change too much.

A fantastic cheer went up from a band of British supporters as I rode out of the arena. I felt relieved that we had done our best and earned a good score for Great Britain. Now I have another course-walk on the agenda followed by trying to get a good night’s sleep, but I have to say I can’t wait to get out there and ride the cross-country course.

Mary

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The day for Call Again Cavalier (Cavvy) to travel to Hong Kong came around incredibly quickly. When he had flown out to Pratoni last year he had became a little edgy, so I was concerned that the same might happen again and that he would lose weight. Fortunately that trial run was the best thing that could have happened as he was fine this time.

I saw him get on the plane at Stansted and then returned to Devon with my reserve horse Imperial Cavalier (Archie), said goodbye to my family and flew to Hong Kong the next day. Luckily it wasn’t too long before I saw the family again as they arrived yesterday along with a contingent of owners and friends.

The horses had an easy couple of days after they arrived and we have gradually picked up the work as the week progressed. I had, of course, heard horror stories about the conditions and I was prepared for the worst, but I found it to be not particularly humid, and sunny with a lovely breeze.

I rode Cavvy in the mornings and would then return to the hotel and sit by the pool or use the gym. It was a very relaxing time and just what was needed before all the action starts.

I saw the cross-country course for the first time yesterday. It was raining so I had to dress up in one of those clear plastic bags that doubles as a coat. It didn’t look particularly smart but was very effective.

The course looked intense and twisty and was strung in a narrow channel which some horses will find unnerving with the crowds so close either side. I walked the track again today, and will do so another couple of times before Monday.

In between work I have attended a number of functions, including meeting the mayor and the British Consul. I absolutely love Hong Kong. I’ve managed to go out in the evening a few times and have even watched a light show.

When I’m riding in Penfold Park it seems surreal being in this beautifully prepared park in the middle of the lovely big racecourse and surrounded by huge skyscrapers.

I feel very lucky to be here and also to have the help of Ferdi Eilberg, who trains me at home anyway.

I’m hugely looking forward to all the action starting and just hope I can do Cavvy justice. He could just win it if I do everything right.

Keep your fingers crossed.

Mary

Stay in touch with all the Olympic news as it happens on HorseandHound.co.uk and don’t miss H&H’s full report from the Olympic eventing in Hong Kong — on sale Friday 15 August.

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So here we are just days from setting off to Hong Kong and all the horses are feeling fit and well. They enjoyed their last gallop this morning and Cavvy is feeling great. There is no way he is going to let his younger half-brother deprive him of his Olympic chance.

Since we moved into quarantine last Tuesday things have been going very smoothly with the horses, although we only have very limited hacking available due to the strict quarantine rules. There is just one field that takes seven minutes to walk around and it gets rather tedious going round and round it. At least the horses can be turned out here, which they won’t in Hong Kong.

Ferdie Eilberg has visited us twice for dressage lessons. Last Thursday I was being a bit slack and wasn’t riding very well, so he really chased me to get the horses working properly. I needed that kick up the bum and in our lesson on Sunday the horses were working much better, softer and more through.

Last Friday we visited the heat chamber. I like the heat and I’ve been in the chamber before when we were preparing for the Atlanta Olympics. I went in with William Fox-Pitt and we both did 20min on the exercise bike wearing heart monitors and being assessed by our fitness trainer John Pitts. It’s amazing just how much you sweat. It is literally running off your chin and you end up wet through to your underwear. It’s very unflattering and it takes ages to get your body temperature back to normal.

On Friday evening Laura Bechtolsheimer’s parents very kindly hosted a very grand BBQ with Chinese and English food laid on to set the Olympic atmosphere. It was a lovely evening with a jazz band playing and my husband David and son Freddie came up to join the party. Then we all headed back to Devon together as the horses were having the next day off. I had a busy day back at home doing my final preparations and then it was straight back up to quarantine.

The horses will be kept ticking over now until they fly out on Wednesday from Stansted and our flight is on Thursday evening. My next diary will be from the Olympic village in Hong Kong. So fingers crossed all goes according to plan between now and then.

Mary

Read CountryLife.co.uk’s interview with Mary King

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So here we are at our quarantine base at the Unicorn Centre, near Stow-on-the-Wold in Glos. Call Again Cavalier (Cavvy) and Imperial Cavalier (Archie) have both settled into their new stables which are going to be home until we leave for the Games on 30 July.

Getting ready for quarantine has been a major task. My lorry is one of those being used to take the horses to the airport so it had to be scrubbed and disinfected inside and out to comply with the strict quarantine rules.

My head girl Bernie Shonk has been in charge of getting everything packed and ready for the Olympics. She has been fantastic. There is no going back home to pick something up once you are in quarantine so you have to make sure you take everything with you.

It’s quite a drive for us to the Unicorn Centre so I will be staying up here most of the time. We are in a hotel not far from the centre and every time we enter the quarantine area we have to change. There is only one entrance/exit and we have to take off our outside clothes and put on our quarantine clothes in a special room before we can go through to the stables.

Our preparations last week were briefly interrupted when the door bell rang at 5am and there was a lady from UK Sport requesting a routine dope test. So I had to spend a penny for her and that was that. It’s just one of those things you have to do.

We spent Friday and Saturday at Aston-le-Walls with four horses. Cavvy and Archie both did the Olympic advanced section, which was our last chance to ride the test at a competition before the Games.

Cavvy was a bit distracted by the novice cross-country, which he could see in the distance, and scored 30.7. When we halted on the centre line at the start of the test, his head went up like a periscope! But he jumped a lovely clear show jumping and we will keep fine tuning the dressage over the next couple of weeks.

Archie produced a very good dressage test to score 28.3, which I was very pleased with. Then he jumped clear show jumping and I ran him fairly fast across country to finish fifth. He is coming on really well.

Apache Sauce picked up his first advanced win for his owner Gill Jonas. He is a really consistent horse, always in the placings, but it’s lovely for Gill to have a win at last. And my home-bred mare, Kings Temptress, went beautifully across country to finish fourth for her owner Derek Baden. I was chuffed to bits with her as she is only eight and she was so smooth and easy. She will be going to Blenheim and Apache Sauce will be off to Burghley when I get back from Hong Kong.

But for now it’s time for me to focus on the boys. Now we are in quarantine I don’t really have that much to do — there is no cooking, cleaning or children and with just the two horses to ride, it’s nice to have a bit of a break!

Mary

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I am pleased to report that both of the boys are going really well at home at the moment, although Cavvy (Call Again Cavalier) tried to give me heart failure last Thursday.

I was working one of my other horses in the arena, which overlooks the paddocks, while Cavvy was enjoying some time out in the field with Apache Sauce, who is normally a nice quiet field companion.

Apache Sauce was happily grazing but Cavvy wanted to play and was being a real pest. He is so naughty. He kept bothering Apache Sauce until eventually he got really cheesed off and kicked Cavvy quite hard in the chest, right in front of me. To my horror I watched Cavvy limp away and I thought: ‘Oh no, my Olympic horse!’

Luckily I had the vet coming that afternoon so I got him to take a look. I was wondering if we should get the shoulder x-rayed just in case, but the vet said not to worry, it was just a bruised muscle. By the next day it looked fine so Cavvy had a couple of quieter days to get over it and is now being turned out on his own, next door to the others, to avoid any further injuries.

Apart from that they are both feeling good. I am continuing their work at home to get them into peak fitness before going into quarantine a week on Tuesday. Once in quarantine I will stay in a hotel near the Unicorn Centre for most of the time and just drive back to Devon when the horses have their day off. I’m also hoping to get away to watch my daughter Emily in her area inter-branch pony club competitions.

Before that we are off to Aston-le-Walls on Friday and Saturday. Cavvy will just do the dressage and show jumping, while Archie (Imperial Cavalier) will run across country as long as the ground is good. It will be our last chance to ride the Olympic dressage test before the Games and the show jumping will be a bit bigger than normal, which will help to keep us all on the ball.

Hope to see you there.

Mary

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What an exciting time we had at Barbury this weekend. All the top horses and riders were there and it was a great competition. When we arrived the ground was quite firm but we had rain overnight and the going was really good on the day.

Cavvy (Call Again Cavalier) did a beautiful dressage test except for a couple of quite obvious mistakes including striking off on the wrong canter lead, which was a bit embarrassing. We scored a two for that! And he got a bit tense in the halt and rein back, but he did some fantastic work in between which pulled our score up. He jumped a lovely clear show jumping and was an absolutely dream to ride across country to finish eighth.

I was pleased with Archie (Imperial Cavalier) too. He was very excited when we were warming up outside — I did wonder what was going to happen when we went into the arena — but he does tend to quieten down when he goes in. He did a good test with just a few little mistakes because he was a bit on edge. Then he show jumped well with just the bogey fence at the top of the arena down.

He was cruising round the cross-country when we had a slight misunderstanding at fence 22, the sunken road. I was having a beautiful ride — he really does give a magic feel — and I had quite loose reins. He jumped over the rail and down the step and drifted slightly off line. I didn’t really direct him and so he cantered straight past the skinny. He didn’t know he was meant to jump it. So we just cantered a circle and he popped straight over it. It was a bit of a silly run-out but we are still getting to know each other and hopefully it will sharpen us both up.

Both horses are entered for Aston-Le-Walls in two weeks time. I was planning to just dressage and show jump them, but I think I may run Archie cross-country. We are still getting to know each other and there is still a lot to learn. Both horses came through Barbury very well but Cavvy will just do the dressage and show jumping at Aston and I’ll use the Devon hills at home to keep his fitness up. Cavvy is definitely my first choice for Hong Kong, although Archie will go into quarantine at the Unicorn Trust as well, just in case.

Once we got back from Barbury we had to do a quick turnaround as my groom Bernie Shonk and I had to head up to the NEC Birmingham first thing on Monday morning for our kit fitting. Team GB really does think of everything when it comes to squad clothing. The only thing you have to take with you is your underwear! From the moment we leave for Hong Kong we will be clad in Adidas clothing all the way!

Fingers crossed everything goes to plan between now and then.

Mary

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William Fox-Pitt will be riding the 2007 Burghley winner Parkmore Ed at this summer’s Olympic Games.

Selectors have chosen Philip Adkins’ 15-year-old Parkmore Ed over William’s two other possible horses, Tamarillo and Ballincoola, following last weekend’s (4-6 July) Barbury Castle CIC***.

William finished the Wiltshire event with all three horses in the top five, with Parkmore Ed second, Ballincoola fourth and Tamarillo fifth.

Mary King will be riding Edwin and Sue Davies and Janette Chinn’s 16-year-old Call Again Cavalier.

William and Parkmore Ed and Mary and Call Again Cavalier join Tina Cook with Miners Frolic, Daisy Dick with Spring Along and Sharon Hunt with Tankers Town to make up the GBR Olympic three-day event team.

The Olympic horses will have one final outing at Aston-le-Walls on 18-19 July, although some horses may not run cross-country.

Reserve horses are Daisy’s Hope Street, William’s Ballincoola / Tamarillo and Mary’s Imperial Cavalier.

Reserve combinations are Georgie Davies and Fachoudette, Pippa Funnell and Ensign, Rodney Powell and Zinzan II, Oliver Townend and Coup De Coeur, Lucy Wiegersma and Shaabrak and Nicola Wilson and Opposition Buzz.

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