When Sam Ecroyd flew round Pau Horse Trials’ cross-country course at the end of last season, he was not only achieving the first clear inside the time that day, but also a personal first.

“It was my first time clear round a five-star – I’ve attempted three previously and been entered at a couple of others and through horse injury or mistakes, it hasn’t come off,” he says. “When you get those results at the top level having put in the hard work for a long time, it’s a real highlight.”

A medallist at pony, junior and young rider levels, Sam’s journey to this point has been punctuated by serious injury in 2021, when he had a rotational fall across country two fences from home in a novice class at Kelsall Hill.

“I was knocked out and had a bleed on my brain. I had 57 breaks on my skull and face and I didn’t ride at all that year,” he says. “It was the worst timing in that I had two horses entered for Badminton and was all gearing up for a five-star push after all those years of aiming to get there.

“I had had a strong youth career and was ready to take on that bigger level so it was a big setback systematically and physically. I ended up on the sidelines and it’s take a while to get back again.”

After his fall, Sam Ecroyd was initially nervous about coming back because the doctors were “rightly cautious”, saying it would be advisable for him not to ride again.

He explains: “I spoke to people who’d had more severe head injuries and everyone said not to rush back – they said, ‘You’ll feel fine, but you’re not.’ I did feel fine quite quickly, but I made the decision not to ride for a year. I had bad vision for a while and problems with co-ordination and balance. But I sat on my five-star horse three or four weeks after the accident, just to see if I could ride and I felt fine, so I was always holding on to that.

“Having a year gave me time to reflect on what happened and to get hungry again. It made coming back easier as I was desperate to get back on and get going, so I was quite lucky in that respect. And it helped I didn’t come back with a five-star horse so I could ease myself in again.”

The top horses Sam had had before his fall, Wodan III and Davinci III, had dropped out of his string through injury or retirement.

“I had a big gap back to three- and four-year-olds, so it’s been five years of hard work and early mornings, going round BE100s in the dark – so 2025 was my first year back with a string of four-star horses, so it’s really pleasing to get good results,” he says. “It’s a long journey for everybody: owners, rider, grooms.”

Sam Ecroyd’s top horses

Sam has had both his top horses from three-year-olds. Stewart and Vicki Irlam’s Boleybawn Lecrae (Patrick) was 10th at Bramham Horse Trials CCI4*-L last June as a 10-year-old, eighth and fifth in two CCI4*-Ss and then 17th at Pau.

Sam says: “He was an absolute terror as a young horse. He wasn’t particularly badly behaved, but he is a life enthusiast and everything he did was quite wild so it was trying to harness that into the correct direction. My back four molar teeth are smashed and broken because I was cantering him around the outdoor arena when he stopped and reared up and smacked me in the face, so that’s a reminder of him every day.”

The rider had just started to make progress with Patrick when he had his accident, so French rider Victor Burtin, who was riding for Oliver Townend at the time, took him on for six months.

“He helped cement those foundations and did a good job,” says Sam. “Patrick then missed half a season through injury as a seven-year-old which meant he was a bit behind time-wise, but actually being 18hh, that was the best thing for him. He’s caught up now – it’s amazing how a bit of patience early on can reward you later.

“He’s a delight to handle but quite a character to ride – all he wants to do is gallop flat out everywhere and he finds doing dressage a bit boring sometimes. But he’s always been a mega cross-country horse. He has unbelievable co-ordination and if you leave him alone and let him do his thing, he flies round.”

Sam will aim Patrick at either Badminton or Luhmühlen 2026, depending on how the spring season goes.

“It will be another educational year at five-star, trying to look after him and not hurt him, then I think he’s a horse to be competitive at that level,” he says. “I have ridden for his owners for nine or 10 years and the goal has always been to have a horse to go round the biggest shows. I think he’s capable of it.”

Sam will aim Julie and Michael Hall’s Mister Big Ears, who is the same age as Patrick and was third in the CCI4*-S at Scone Palace last August, at Luhmühlen.

“He’s cool, the best horse ever,” he smiles. “He’s a gritty little fighter. I was going to take him to Pau, but he ran hard at Scone and I thought I wouldn’t abuse the fact he’d had the decency to come out of it sound and well, so he could have a nice holiday and go again next year.”

Where is Sam Ecroyd based?

Sam is based in north Wales, on the Flintshire-Cheshire border, with his partner Emily King. Brazilian Olympian Carlos Parro and Rio Hall, a rider from the Isle of Man, are also based at the yard.

He says: “It is my family’s place and we’ve been here 40 years – it was a farm originally and has grown horsier and horsier. We are lucky to have a great base and we have about 40 horses on the place altogether.

“Emily and I are doing our best to try and run an equestrian business – as everyone knows it’s pretty hard work, so we just keep our heads down and try to keep going.”

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Pau is traditionally a five-star that entices debutants at the level. It falls right at the end of the European season, when horses have had plenty of events under their belt and the younger ones have more months of maturity and experience. At this year’s Pau Horse Trials, 16 first-timers tackled the cross-country track, nearly a third of the field.

Several of these debutants particularly impressed, with three of them among the total six clears inside the time. These first-timers may well become major players at future five-stars and championships.

The standout superstar was Sarah Bullimore’s home-bred Corimiro, who blitzed around at nine years old like a far more experienced campaigner to take the lead.

Horses to follow from Pau Horse Trials

Further down the order due to less dazzling dressage marks, two debutant eye-catchers both came from the Monart Sale in Ireland. This pair of Irish-bred 10-year-olds Boleybawn Lecrae, ridden by Sam Ecroyd, and Astier Nicolas’ ride Dirty Old Town cruised round inside the time to fly up the leaderboard at the conclusion of the Pau Horse Trials cross-country phase.

The 10th horse to leave the startbox, Boleybawn Lecrae was the first horse to make the 11min 6sec optimum time, by some 16sec. The Boleybawn Ectasy-sired gelding – owned by Stewart and Vicki Irlam — made the biggest climb up the rankings, from 37th to 12th, and clocked the fastest round of the day to stay on 34.5.

“He’s always been a really quick horse, though he was wild when he was young,” said Sam. “But I remember when I did my first BE100 on him he was so hyper-coordinated and focused, I thought, ‘this is a proper horse’. I’ve been lucky to have been supported by amazing owners, but I’ve not had the opportunity to ride a lot of proven top horses, so that feeling I had – I didn’t know if it was true or not.

“He has the ability to gallop, be organised, make any distance; he’s easy to ride. What makes him quick isn’t a fast gallop, it’s unbelievable trust in him that he’s going to sort his jump out. I can leave him alone and let him travel. The less you interfere, the better.

“I’ve had him since he was three from the Monart Sale,” Sam added. “The guy who was selling him said, ‘he’ll either go round Burghley or you’ll call me in two months and say you can’t get on it’ – those were the two options.”

“I knew he’d go five-star at six years old”

Dirty Old Town was foot-perfect round Pierre Michelet’s track to move up from 21st to fifth overnight (on the same score, 31.2, as compatriot Benjamin Massie on Filao De Perle), but the Irish Sport Horse hasn’t given Astier the easiest time this week.

“He’s a weird person but he’s very honest cross-country,” said the French rider. “He’s a cool horse, but always a little bit difficult, he can rear and buck, but I’ve learnt it’s not against me!

“That’s how he got loose when I was about to get on yesterday, and warmed up for 10 minutes on his own yesterday before I could catch him, ruining everybody’s warm-up. And another thing is if he has to pass a cross-country fence and he’s not supposed to jump it, he’s very unhappy. It’s like he has a disease that tells him, ‘I have to jump between white and red’. It’s a good problem to have.”

Astier knew the grey had five-star potential from a young age.

“I bought him at Monart when he was three, and by the time he was six, I thought he could be a five-star horse,” Astier said. “At seven, I would have bet on it, but I just had to wait and see.

“He was fast today without trying, just staying in a constant rhythm. He’s not a big horse, so he’s good with these twisty courses even if I don’t love it. He’d be a good horse on a rangy track too.”

Astier was aiming Dirty Old Town for Burghley as his first five-star, until the French selectors asked him to be reserve for the Europeans, where Astier won team bronze with Alertamalib’Or.

Another round that caught the eye over the Pau Horse Trials cross-country course was amateur rider Libby Seed on Heartbreaker Star Quality. Not only had she logged her personal best dressage score (30.4) by some margin at this level, but she clocked her fastest time at five-star.

“It’s the fastest I’ve ever gone,” said Libby, after adding 4.4 time-faults to lie in 14th place overnight. “I’ve been working on my speed for a long time – with the late Caroline Moore and Kylie Roddy. I’m a control freak and it takes a long time to get comfortable with going at these big fences at speed, and trusting that the bigger stride pattern is actually safer.

“We cruised round, she just went at her own speed. The fences kept coming nicely and I met them nearly all on a good stride.”

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Catherston Nutsafe, the superstar pony who won multiple medals and shone across disciplines, has died in retirement aged 30.

“Snoopy” was bred in 1995 by Catherston Stud, by Catherston Nightsafe and out of Catherston Dauntless. As a six-year-old, she joined the Baird family in Aberdeen, where she was produced by Harriet (now Harriet Allen), her sister Tabitha and their mum Catie.

“In the early days she was pretty sharp, and tried a lot of tricks! We did a lot of Pony Club, and in 2005 won the Urky Newton bursary for our cross-country round at the national championships,” Harriet told H&H.

“Another big highlight was taking her to Ballindenisk that year where we were second in the British Eventing pony trial.”

Snoopy also turned her hooves to showing, winning a working hunter final at Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) in 2006, following a spur-of-the-moment decision to enter her in a qualifying class.

“At the last minute we registered Snoopy for a class, and we won it. I didn’t know it was a qualifier, then my mum told me ‘You’ve qualified for HOYS!’” said Harriet.

“The plan had been to do a couple more working hunters before the final but we didn’t get round to it as we were busy with eventing, so we just went to HOYS – and we won.”

As it was Harriet’s last year on ponies, Snoopy went on to the McEwen family and became a prominent name on the pony eventing circuit. She was ridden by Tom in his final year on ponies, then by his sister Ella, then 14, who enjoyed much success in pony trials with her. Ella and Snoopy won team silver at the 2008 pony Europeans in Avenches, Switzerland, and were part of the silver medal-winning team at the 2009 Europeans at Moorsele, Belgium.

In 2010 Snoopy was sold to the Ecroyd family for 13-year-old Sam. The pair clocked up seven wins in their first season and won team gold at the pony Europeans at Bishop Burton. Snoopy then went on to continued success with Chelsea Pearce, and later Molly Faulkner.

“We took a long time to produce her so she understood everything, and it was amazing to watch her go on with all those riders and do what she did. She was a princess when she arrived with us, and was still a princess when she left but a bit more of a hardcore princess!” said Harriet.

“She just tried her heart out. She had a heart of gold and did everything for you that she possibly could. She loved her job and once she understood what the question was, that was it.”

Snoopy retired from eventing in 2016 and continued in showjumping with Molly Faulkner, before the late Kenneth Pritchard bought her for Kathleen Doyle in 2018.

“We did HOYS and Hickstead qualifiers, JC/JA classes, and took her to Home Pony shows. She took me to the top, she was such a great pony,” Kathleen told H&H.

“She would be quiet in the warm-up then at the gate waiting to go into the ring she’d be bouncing on the spot with excitement. She just loved it, she acted like a six-year-old.”

Snoopy retired sound from competition in 2020 aged 26, and continued to enjoy hacking. She died in her field from natural causes on 19 May aged 30.

“She was my best friend and we had so much fun together,” said Kathleen.

“She meant an awful lot to our family, especially because Ken passed not long after he bought her for me, she really was so special.”

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British event riders Emily King and Sam Ecroyd are swapping four legs for two to take on the TCS London Marathon this spring.

The pair are joined by head girl Sarah Morrilly, and all three are raising money for the Brain & Spine Foundation, which supports people affected by neurological problems.

“It’s something that Sam and I have wanted to do for a while – we’ve been talking about it for years and years,” Emily told H&H.

Olympic medallist Mary King, Emily’s mum, ran the London Marathon in 2021, which gave Emily the nudge to take the plunge for 2023.

“We were in the lorry, we do a lot of travelling all together, and I said ‘Let’s just do it and put our names down’. Then we were all accepted and thought, ‘Oh right, so this is happening!’” she said.

Emily added that she and Sam “are quite competitive”, so preparing for the marathon together has helped keep them motivated.

“We started training quite early over the winter, just so it wasn’t such a big shock when it came to the miles clocking up,” she said.

“We’re preparing for the eventing season, so we’ve been getting fit as the horses have been getting fit.”

All three are runners, and Sarah has done the Chester Half before, but this will be their biggest challenge yet.

One of Emily’s old school friends used to work for the charity, so Emily knew about the work it does and wanted “to give something back”.

She said the work the charity does is also a major motivating factor. Sam had a cross-country accident last year and sustained a bleed on the brain. Although he did not need the charity’s services, they were aware the support was available should he require it.

“The Brain & Spine Foundation is a fantastic charity. In our sport, injuries are scarily common. We thought it would be a very fitting charity to run for and to give something back to them. They aren’t thanked enough and are just incredible,” said Emily.

• View Emily, Sam and Sarah’s respective London Marathon (23 April) fundraising pages

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Tom McEwen has done the double at Land Rover Blair Castle Horse Trials as he took the crown in the CCI4*-L with Luna Mist and the CCI3*-L on Brookfield Cavalier Cruise.

Tom and nine-year-old Luna Mist produced one of only two jumping clears in the final showjumping phase, adding just 0.4 of a time-penalty to complete their weekend on 32.3. Oliver Townend produced the other clear round to finish second on eight-year-old Cooley Rosalent. Nini French and Time For Harry knocked the first part of the double at fence seven and had 2.4 time-penalties, but held on to third place and finished on 54.8.

Diane Johnson’s track was full of big square oxers and a treble combination at fence five, plus an oxer on three strides to a vertical and two strides to another upright, proved costly for many. Time was influential once again and while all the horses looked full of running, the tight rollbacks caused six of the 10 horse and rider combinations that came forward to the showjumping phase to have time-faults.

“As everyone can see, what a horse. She just popped round it – she made it look like nothing,” Tom told H&H after his win.

Tom said the course felt “quite easy” with Martin Belsham’s talented mare but he said it was a “proper track”.

“Although it was a small field in a four-star long, to me it’s no different to sort of a Bramham. You learn a lot about your horse and they built a proper decent, very much up-to-height showjumping track, so I found out she was unbelievable really,” he said.

Oliver, who was second in the CCI4*-S earlier in the day with As Is, had to settle for second on Paul Ridgeon’s Cooley Rosalent but he was thrilled with the mare.

“She’s a top class mare and she’s never felt as good, never felt as spectacular and she doesn’t know she’s not won the class,” Oliver told H&H.

“Most importantly she’s had a very good experience and proved to me she’s as good as I think she is in all three bits and she’ll have a very exciting future. This is just a good result, but no one will remember who was second at Blair – you won’t remember her for that. She’s as good as I’ve had in a mare and right up there with all the horses.”

Oliver said Cooley Rosalent will now enjoy a break and come out again next year.

“We’ll see how we go and maybe she’ll have a five-star at some point. It’s more important to keep her happy and good, but for me the performance this week means there is nothing to say she shouldn’t go to a five-star,” he said.

Blair Castle Horse Trials CCI3*-L

Earlier in the day Tom expertly piloted Brookfield Cavalier Cruise in the CCI3*-L showjumping to finish on his phenomenal 22.9 dressage – winning with two fences to spare.

“You’ve got to enjoy these moments and understand, without moving too quickly, what amazing horses and what amazing achievements both long horses have had. It’s phenomenal,” said Tom.

“They’re two different horses; Brookfield Cavalier Cruise [Fletcher] takes everything in his stride and Luna Mist [Luna] is a true gritty fighter. They’re both amazing but both very different. Luna has fight down to her core and Fletcher literally could take anything in his stride – I’m sure he could be a police horse or he could be winning Badminton. He’s the most fantastic natured horse and I’m very much looking forward to getting to know him more.

Alison Swinburn, John and Chloe Perry’s nine-year-old gelding has proved untouchable in his first ever three-star long.

“I thought the three-star was twisty and it sort of changed from a little bit smaller to very big and square so it was a good track,” said Tom.

Sam Ecroyd was second with his mother Penelope’s Withington and finished on 31. Wills Oakden was third with his wife Stephanie’s Cooley Pot Of Gold.

“I’ve always really enjoyed jumping here at Blair,” Sam told H&H. “I’ve had good rounds every time I’ve come. It feels like a big competition when you’re in there. They build it big but it’s very fair. I think the amount of clears to fault ratio that they had today was very good, it’s sort of what you’re after. It rode well, like a proper international track.”

Sam said the 11-year-old gelding has been a “tricky enough” horse to produce.

“He’s always had loads of ability. He’s perfectly behaved but it’s just been getting everything aligning in the right direction, his concentration with all his power and ability – he found it hard to control all that,” he said, adding Withington had done “basically nothing” for three years owing to Covid and then Sam being out of action last year as he recovered from a rotational fall in which he suffered multiple injuries.

“He’s probably one of my favourite horses I’ve ever ridden, not just the quality he has, but in his personality. He’s quite a funny fish. He’s great, I really love him and it’s just a pleasure to ride him. He’s really good in all three phases. My plan is to give him a really good break, bring him back in the winter and get him really fit and strong for a proper four-star campaign next year.”

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Tom McEwen heads the leaderboard of the Land Rover Blair Castle Horse Trials CCI3*-L with Brookfield Cavalier Cruise after posting an untouchable 22.9 dressage.

Tom threw down the gauntlet on Alison Swinburn and John and Chloe Perry’s nine-year-old gelding on the first day of dressage on Thursday (25 August) and no other combinations came within touching distance as the first phase concluded on Friday. Coral Hardman (nee Keen) is in provisional second with her own and Ginnie Welling’s nine-year-old gelding Impuls V on 26.6. Sam Ecroyd lies in third with his mother Penelope Ecroyd’s 11-year-old gelding Withingon on 28.6.

Brookfield Cavalier Cruise, known at home as Fletcher, produced a flowing confident test and the striking gelding commanded attention from the spectators.

“He’s a beautiful mover and has a beautiful way of going. He’s a stunning horse,” Tom told H&H.

“He was a good few marks ahead of everyone else, and deservedly so in my opinion. He was phenomenal; very correct, clear and accurate.”

Tom added the atmosphere at Blair Castle is already building.

“It’s amazing,” he said. “The past two days, apart from probably Badminton or Bramham, there’s not been this many people watching a dressage test all year really,” he said, adding having the one- and two-star dressage arenas either side of the three-star provided a great experience for the horses.

Tom will tackle the Scottish hills tomorrow (27 August) for the cross-country phase and said the ground is “beyond perfect”.

“I’m looking forward to cross-country tomorrow with Fletcher,” he said. “We were at Gatcombe Horse Trials on the hills, so hopefully the hills here will suit him. But it’s a good place to find out and it’s a good strong three-star track.

“We’re very excited to see green grass and good ground. It’s refreshing.”

Tom has four rides at Blair Castle Horse Trials; Brookfield Quality and Brookfield Benjamin Bounce are in 5th and 34th place respectively overnight in the CCI4*-S. He lies in second overnight in the CCI4*-L with his British intermediate champion Luna Mist.

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British rider Sam Ecroyd is in hospital with multiple injuries following a rotational fall.

Sam, 24, was riding the nine-year-old gelding Langford Take The Biscuit in an open novice section at Kelsall Hill on Sunday (25 April) when they fell on the cross-country.

He was airlifted to Aintree University Hospital with multiple fractures to his face and skull, and bleeding on the brain.

Sam, who has competed up to CCI5* and has won multiple international fixtures as well as medals at youth Europeans, thanked everyone for their support.

“Just now is the first time I have managed to sum up any strength to put anything on to paper,” he said on Tuesday (28 April) evening.

“I firstly would like to thank all the medical staff at Kelsall Hill and at Walton Hospital for their help, without whom I would not be alive.

“Next I would like to thank my beautiful girlfriend Emily King, who has been with me every step so far, also a huge thanks to my loving family, who have left me with a want for nothing.

“Lastly I want to thank all of you guys, the volume of messages I have received has been truly overwhelming and has brought me to tears. I am afraid I don’t have the physical strength to respond as I can only open my eyes for a few mins at a time. However I am improving all the time.

“I have received multiple fractures to my eye sockets, cheekbones, nose and jaw. I also have fractured my skull and had some bleeding on my brain. I will be receiving surgery on Thursday and that will hopefully spring me back into action.

“I have witnessed truly mind-bending pain and discomfort in a truly humbling life event. Every message I have received has eased some of that pain. I love you all and thank you again.”

Article continues below…

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An update from Emily on Monday (26 April), said Sam was “conscious and communicating well”.

“He is currently in the critical care unit in the Walton Centre being monitored by the top neurological specialists, so he is in the best hands possible,” she said.

“He was pretty chipper and very much with it when I visited him today… and apologises for scaring everyone!

“Many thanks to everyone for their good wishes and offers of help — he can’t reply to you all personally — but really appreciates all your concern.

“He would like to thank all the amazing medical team and officials at Kelsall, the ambulance and air ambulance staff and all here at Aintree and Walton, without whom he would not be feeling so upbeat.”

Horse & Hound magazine, out every Thursday, is packed with all the latest news and reports, as well as interviews, specials, nostalgia, vet and training advice. Find how you can enjoy the magazine delivered to your door every week, plus options to upgrade to access our H&H Plus online service which brings you breaking news as it happens as well as other benefits.

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Five-star event rider Sam Ecroyd (pictured) shares an exercise he uses to regain control on horses who have a tendency to get too strong

Event rider Sam Ecroyd was leading under-21 British rider in 2016 and 2017. He has finished second, third and sixth in the under-25 British championship and he hasn’t finished out of the top three at a national championship since he was 14. He runs a string of 15 event horses from his base on the Cheshire/Flintshire border.

Training the stars

Many other people had ridden Arco BB before I took him on at three-star level. He had been very strong across country, but I used this exercise often with him. Once he learned to go on a loose rein, he understood my aids.

Michael Jung taught me this exercise when I trained with him in Germany. I took a horse called Opera House who was strong across country and it transformed him. I use it in the school on all of my horses. Its beauty is in its simplicity and it translates so well from the school to a cross-country schooling course and then on to a competition.

Tackling the issue

1. Warm up in walk, trot and canter. During the canter, work on a loose contact and keep the reins close to your body — maintain the same rein length as if you would if you were doing dressage. At the same time, ensure that your horse’s neck is fully elongated.

2. Canter around the corner to the long side of the arena and, if your horse is relaxed, put your hand on his neck, lean forward and use your leg to make him accelerate. You should still have only the lightest rein contact.

3. When you are ready to slow down (before you reach the turn) sit back with your body, sit down in to the saddle and pull lightly and evenly on both reins. Avoid yanking on one and then the other. If you struggle to regain control, ride a small circle.

4. Repeat the exercise up to 10 times. Vary how soon you push your horse on and stop him so that he doesn’t anticipate it — he should wait for you to drop your hand. If he doesn’t, continue in a normal canter until he is listening to you. If he gets strong or stressy, return to walk, trot or normal canter and attempt the exercise again when he is calm.

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Consider this…

• It takes two to pull — your horse won’t pull if you don’t.
• Help him to relax by riding with a light contact.
• If you keep your horse on a tight rein and then ask him to slow down, his mouth will lack the sensitivity to respond.
• Use whatever bit suits your horse but, if it’s a pelham, don’t do the curb chain up so tight that when you pull he feels it’s a punishment.

For all the latest news analysis, competition reports, interviews, features and much more, don’t miss Horse & Hound magazine, on sale every Thursday.

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“Most people make a plan to run at Burghley well in advance, but that certainly hasn’t been the case for us,” says Sam Ecroyd, this year’s youngest competitor at the age of 21 at the Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials (29 August-2 September), which will also mark his first four-star attempt.

Sam will be riding Vicki Irlam’s Master Douglas, but the road to Burghley hasn’t been a particularly smooth one for the 12-year-old gelding.

“He’s actually only done five events since 2016,” explains Sam of the horse that he took over the ride on that year, after being produced to three-star by Helen Jones (née Waterhouse). “He had a little injury last year so only did one event in the spring. Then we fell at our first event back in the three-star at Belton this spring and went straight from there to Bramham’s CCI3* under-25 where we finished third, which just shows what a good horse he is — it was a brave move.”

Post-Bramham was the first time the idea of going to Burghley came about, and after a double clear in the CIC3* at Burgham, an entry to the four-star was placed.

“We started to get excited and then realised we needed one more qualifying result in a CIC3*,” says Sam, who is based in Cheshire. “So we had to stop ourselves getting excited and pinned everything on a good result at Hartpury in the CIC3*.”

Happily Sam and ‘Ringo’ jumped another good double clear and so it was full-steam ahead.

Interestingly Ringo doesn’t live on Sam’s yard; instead he is stabled with Ewart Woolley and David Meyrick, a 30min drive away.

“Ewart and David do all of Ringo’s hacking and fitness work and I go and school and jump him in-between,” explains Sam, who has worked particularly hard on improving this horse’s flatwork. “He has been difficult in the first phase in the past — he struggled to control his body and when he threw his toys out of the pram he would stick his head between his legs and grind to a halt. We’ve played around with a lot of bits and have settled on a bendy rubber snaffle which doesn’t offend him— he does a much better test now.”

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Blyth Tait walks the 2018 Burghley Horse Trials cross-country course

Former double Burghley winner Blyth Tait walks the cross-country course for this year's event, giving his views in videos of

Sam says that he has watched the Burghley cross-country course preview once: “but I tried to not take too much notice!”

“My hope is to go and win, but that’s not my expectation,” he says very matter-of-factly. “My main aim is to go there and not make a fool of myself.

“Ringo is a lovely horse to have around — he’s sensitive and alert, but a real gent. He’s unique and special and I wouldn’t want to be tackling my first four-star on any other horse.”

Read Blyth Tait’s thoughts on every fence on the cross-country course, plus ratings and his overall impressions, in this week’s Horse & Hound magazine (dated 30 August). Full Burghley form guide also included in this issue, with vital stats and H&H’s expert assessment of every combination competing.

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

Eventer Emily King is looking forward to her move to Cheshire, to base her operation with her boyfriend, fellow event rider Sam Ecroyd.

Since making the decision to ride professionally, Emily has been based with her mother, top rider Mary King, in their Devon yard, but she is due to make the “big leap” this summer.

“He’s got a business up there so I’m setting up at his yard,” she told H&H. “I’m going to be taking on the northern circuit!”

And although Emily said the change will be a big one for her, she explained that she and Mary have always done “everything separately” with their horses in Devon, despite the fact they share the same yard, so it will not be as much of a difference as some might have thought.

“The only real change is that we won’t be travelling together to competitions any more,” she said. “Everything will be the same at home and we’ll still be at all the same events. It’ll be a different location, but everything else very similar!”

Emily said the aim is to make the move towards the end of July.

Continued below…

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Sam, 21, has enjoyed international success up to three-star level, including riding on teams for Britain.

He was on the gold medal-winning team at the 2010 pony European Championships, following this up with team bronze and individual silver the following year.

Emily cited the move as one of the reasons the previous owner of Langford Take the Biscuit had to sell the six-year-old gelding, which sparked Emily’s successful crowdfunding campaign. Donors contributed the £40,000 necessary to buy the horse to allow Emily to keep the ride.

For all the latest news analysis, competition reports, interviews, features and much more, don’t miss Horse & Hound magazine, on sale every Thursday.

In this week’s edition, out on 24 May, don’t miss our “cob special”, including how to find the perfect cob, meet champion cob Our Cashel Blue and more.

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Tullaher Sunrise, the mount of British rider Sam Ecroyd, needed to score a personal best in the dressage at the young rider European eventing championships in Millstreet, Ireland today (21 July) to take the lead, and that is just what he did.

“He’s never done a test like it,” said 20-year-old Sam of ‘Carlow’, a nine-year-old owned by Sam’s mother, Penny, who scored 35.7 (76.18%). “He’s good at dressage, but the team both at home and at these championships have put so much work into him to make the marginal gains we needed to produce a mark like that, and we couldn’t have done it without them.”

The last few riders to go in the first phase were snapping at Sam’s heels, but none could quite get in front of him.

Third-placed Frenchman, Victor Levecque, looked like he could take a commanding lead over Sam, but four small mistakes dropped him and his horse, RNH MC Ustinov, down to a score of 38.3.

Hannah Knüppel and Carismo 22, of Germany, again came close to Sam, but had to settle for second at this stage of the competition on a score of 36.

Ireland’s Susie Berry, who is based in England with Piggy French, produced a very consistent test on Morswood to slot into fourth place on 38.4.

The next best-placed Brit is fellow team rider Alex Kennedy, who is currently lying in sixth riding Lissangle Cavaletto B, on a score of 41.3. British individual rider, Lizzie Baugh, is 26th on 47.7 riding Quarry Man, while team member Katie Bleloch is 28th on 48.3 riding Bulano. Final team rider, Felicity Collins, did a good job on a tense-looking RSH Contendor to score 52.7, but was understandably disappointed with her mark which leaves her in 38th. The final individual rider for Britain is Libby Seed and Philanderer, who sit in 35th on 52.2.

France lead the team competition on 121, some 4.1 penalties clear of second-placed Germany, with Britain closely behind in bronze medal position on a score of 125.3. Ireland are in fifth on 136.2, behind the Netherlands.

Weather conditions were poor all day, with torrential rain falling throughout the afternoon session of dressage, which could play a huge part in the cross-country tomorrow.

Sam Ecroyd said: “It’s a proper championship cross-country track, and it won’t be a dressage competition, particularly with the weather we’ve had today and the impact it could have on the ground. When I walked the course this morning, I thought it could take more rain, but we’ve had an awful lot of it, so we will have to wait and see.”

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‘I was in floods of tears’: British rider in gold after first phase at junior European championships

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The young rider cross-country follows on from the junior competition and will start at 2pm.

Keep up-to-date with all the action from the championships at horseandhound.co.uk, plus don’t miss the full report in Horse & Hound magazine, out on 27 July

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

An 18-year-old event rider who appeared on ITV’s Take Me Out has said he will not be seeing his date again.

Chester-based junior team rider Sam Ecroyd starred on the show for the second time on Saturday (16 January).

Sam was filmed on his date to the “Isle of Fernando’s” with Joanna.

“You never know I could get a cheeky kiss at the end of it,” he said as he awaited Joanna’s arrival.

The pair enjoyed a romantic meal before being taken out on a boat to swim with turtles.

Sam was slated by Joanna for his choice of jewellery and eventually removed the necklace he was wearing.

Despite this, 26-year-old Joanna told Sam she would like to see him again and that their eight-year age gap was not a problem.

“I have always dated younger guys,” she said.

However, Sam later confessed on camera that he did not plan to see Joanna again.

“I don’t at all want to go on a second date,” he said.

In the previous episode (9 January) Sam made a dramatic entrance to the Take Me Out studio in a blue suit, moon walking to Roy Orbison’s Pretty Woman.

He went on to reveal that he has a passion for fishing, once ate 64 corner yogurts in one week, and showers in his socks.

Sam was left with eight girls to whittle down before he eventually chose Joanna.

“It was an amusing experience and I’m glad I did it,” Sam told H&H following the show.

“Maybe I am a little bit young to be going on a show like this, but I enjoyed it none the less.

“I wasn’t sure what reaction me being an eventer would make, but it seemed to go down quite well.”

Sam added that the distance between him and Joanna contributed to his choice not to go on a second date.

“We all know how much time the horses take up so I think I would struggle to make regular trips down to London,” he said.

Sam has won four European medals including team gold and has been based with Alex Hua Tian, Irish show jumper Billy Twomey and most recently World champion Michael Jung.

He currently has six event horses he is competing as well as youngsters he is bringing on.

“I am ambitious and lucky enough to have a team of wonderful horses,” he said.

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

British event rider Sam Ecroyd appeared on ITV’s dating show Take Me Out last week (9 January).

The 18-year-old junior team rider from Chester made a dramatic entrance in a blue suit, moon walking to Roy Orbison’s Pretty Woman.

Sam impressed the ladies with his equestrian sporting achievements and eventually chose Joanna as his date to the “Isle of Fernando’s”.

“I’m nervous — I’ve never seen so many girls in one room,” Sam joked on the show.

He went on to reveal that he has a passion for fishing, once ate 64 corner yogurts in one week, and showers in his socks.

“When I go to competitions I don’t like putting my feet in the dirty showers,” he said.

Despite revealing his unusual habits and presenter Paddy McGuinness referring to him as a showjumper, Sam kept his cool.

He was left with eight girls to whittle down before he eventually chose Joanna.

“I’m really pleased that I’ve got a date and I’ve even got my special socks for her to take to Fernando’s,” he added.

Speaking to H&H after the show, Sam said that he didn’t mind being called a showjumper.

“I wasn’t at all annoyed as I’m sure all event riders are aware of the struggle of explaining eventing to an outsider,” he said. “Paddy acknowledged that I was a horse rider so for me that was close enough.

“I did eat that much yoghurt — I was training for two weeks at Judy Harvey’s and I stayed in my caravan. I’m not the best cook so the yoghurts were an easy option. When I got home I was a little worse for wear!”

Equestrian achievements

Sam has won four European medals including team gold and has been based with Alex Hua Tian, Billy Twomey and most recently Michael Jung.

He currently has six event horses he is competing as well as youngsters he is bringing on.

“I am ambitious and lucky enough to have a team of wonderful horses,” he said.

Sam will be appearing for a second time on Take Me Out today (16 January) at 8pm, where his date with Joanna will be shown.

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

They’re not just good for their age group, they’re brilliant across the board. And although we’re really happy for them, it does make us feel pretty inadequate. All we had done by the time we turned 19 was pass a few exams and won the bending race 12 years ago on the last day of Pony Club camp. Here’s why you should be keeping an eye on these guys as they head to the horsey stratosphere…

Eventing

Alex Kennedy

Age: 18

Alex was a member of the bronze medal-winning team at this year’s junior European championships with her faithful partner Chocolate Domino. She also managed individual seventh place at these championships. Alex, based with top up-and-coming event rider Millie Dumas and her family, has an almost faultless cross-country record over the past two years and she was recently described by the chairman of the British junior selectors Darrell Scaife as “outstanding in every phase.”

Sam Ecroyd

Age: 18

Aged just 13 Sam won a team gold medal at the 2010 pony European eventing championships. He has since gone on to win two team bronze medals and individual silver at both pony and junior European championships. Sam doesn’t have a weak phase and has already completed two advanced classes. He has an eviable string of horses and the future looks bright for him.

Sophie Beaty

Age: 19

Sophie has been a stalwart for the British youth teams since 2010 where she was a team gold medalist and individual fourth at the pony European Championships. In 2011 she won a team silver medal at the pony Europeans, while in 2013 she was a member of the junior quad before upgrading to young riders, where she was a squad member in 2014 and an individual silver medalist in 2015. She has already jumped around three CIC3*’s and was 11th in the CCI3* under-25 class at Bramham this year. Look out for her at a four-star in 2016.

Continued below…

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Dressage

Holly Kerslake

Age: 11

Yes, this girl is just 11-years-old and she is already tipped for the top. Trained by none other than Charlotte Dujardin, Holly is already winning at British Dressage medium level with her ponies and recently competed in her first international pony competition at Hickstead.

Rose Hugh-Smith

Age: 16

A former team bronze medal winner at the pony European championships, Rose who trains with Gareth Hughes, was second reserve for this year’s junior European Championships. Already winning at advanced medium level BD, we are certain that Rose will be one to look for on the youth teams in years to come.

Showjumping

Jessica Mendoza

Age: 19

Jessica needs little introduction, bursting onto the senior stage this year as a member of the British European showjumping championship squad. She won gold medals at pony and junior European level and has since gone on to win at huge shows across the globe including the Gucci Masters in Paris (December 2014). She has multiple HOYS, Hickstead and Olympia wins to her name and is surely set to remain at the top of her game for many years to come.

Harry Charles

Age: 16

Son of Team GB showjumping Olympic gold medalist Peter Charles, Harry was bred for his job. He won individual silver and team bronze at this year’s junior European showjumping championships. He is regularly jumping in two-star competitions and he won the leading pony showjumper of the year title at HOYS in 2014. Peter needs to watch his back!

Jodie Hall McAteer

Age: 15

Jodie, who is in the enviable position of having the ride on Jessica Mendoza’s former pony multi-European medalist Tixylix, won team gold and individual silver at the 2015 pony European championships. She has also enjoyed success with horses, placing in a couple of two-star classes at the London Global Champions Tour earlier this year.

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

New pony national champion Sam Ecroyd heads the shortlist for this year’s British pony eventing team.

Sam won the Charles Owen British pony championship at Brand Hall last weekend and has his winning partner, Catherston Nutsafe, on the list, as well as Three Wells Breeze, ninth at Brand Hall.

Nine riders have been shortlisted for the European Championships at Bishop Burton, Yorks (29 July-1 August).

Those shortlisted will attend a training weekend on the 26-27 June after which the squad and reserves will be announced. Those selected will have a final run at Shipton Moyne, Glos (6-7 July), in the open novice before the Europeans.

Chairman of pony selectors Ginnie Keen said: “We have many good combinations in contention this year which makes it difficult to select the squad straight after Brand Hall. The decision to select after the training weekend will allow us to have assessed all the ponies so we can ensure we have the strongest possible squad to take to Bishop Burton.”

Alfie Bradstock is the only shortlisted rider with championship experience — he rode at last year’s Europeans as an individual with his shortlisted pony this time, Montezuma II — but several of the ponies have medals to their names.

Sam Ecroyd’s ride Catherston Nutsafe was a double team silver medallist with Ella McEwen (2008 and 2009), Pumba Goess-Saurau’s Killacoran Blue was a team silver medallist with Eliza Stoddart (2008) and Grace Walker’s Noble Springbok has individual bronze (2005, Laura Collett), silver (2006, Libbey Soley) and gold medals (2007, Libby Soley), as well as three team medals, on his record.

Britain has an excellent record in the pony Europeans, winning a team medal every year since 2005, and will be looking to keep this up on home soil in 2010.

Full shortlist:

• Sophie Beaty, 14, with her own Done And Dusted VI
• Alfie Bradstock, 16, with Louise Hamilton’s Montezuma II
• Sam Ecroyd, 13, with Penelope Ecroyd’s Catherston Nutsafe and Three Wells Breeze
• Pumba Goess-Saurau, 13, with Susie Goess-Saurau’s Killacoran Blue
• Phillipa Hill, 14, with her own A Touch Of Spice
• Sophie How, 15, with her own The Sky Master
• Harry Humfrey, 15, with his own Tantany Torch
• Emily Jane Ryder, 15, with her own Mr Moon
• Grace Walker, 13, with her own Noble Springbok

Full report from the Charles Owen British pony championship at Brand Hall in H&H out today, 10 June.

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now