Ride of my life: Johnny O’Shea
Johnny O’Shea recalls his best ride on North Sands, known as High School
The first time I ever rode North Sands (or High School as she was known) was out cubbing in the autumn of 1966.
On that first morning I couldn’t hold one side ofher. Half way through that season she finally started to settle and drop the bit. After that I would let her have her head, give her a kick and she would jump anything – the bigger the better.
The best day I had on her was towards the end of the 1970/71 season. We met at Saighton Grange on 13 February right in the middle of our best hunting country. Back then it was a sea of grass and you could jump anywhere if you were brave enough.
Hounds found in the spinney by Platt’s Rough. We did two circuits round Saighton, jumped the drain – the most famous hedgeline in Cheshire – twice, before the fox straightened his neck, crossed the main Chester-Whitchurch road and ran along the railway, past the Brock Holes by the River Gowy, before being brought down in the shadow of Beeston Castle.
It was a 10mile point and easily 16 as hounds ran without a check in just over an hour.
We jumped some of the biggest fences I have ever crossed, as well as some trappy little places – apparently an innocuous little hedge and ditch brought down a good few, but nothing was too much for High School that day.
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There were not many in at the finish. It had been wet, so the ground conditions were fairly mucky, and it found out a lot of the horses, but High School just kept running and jumping.
You cannot beat Thoroughbred blood – even at the end of 16 miles without a check she would take me to the last fence just as she had the first of the run with her ears pricked. I can honestly say that she never took a bad step all day.
When she finally finished hunting, I bought her myself and bred from her. Prince Charles bought and hunted her first foal – a colt by a horse of Eric Cousin’s that was favourite for the Ebor.
Of her other offspring, one bred a point-to-point winner for Gemma Dewhurst, who still has the line. It is nice to know her descendants are still going strong out with the Cheshires.
| Don’t miss this week’s Horse & Hound (26 September) where Tim Fairburn talks about his ‘ride of a lifetime’ atthe Horse of the Year Show on Scotch the Rumours.Click here to subscribe and enjoy Horse & Hound deliveredto your door every week. |
Read more ride of your life insights:
- Ride of my life: Richard Hunnisett
- Ride of my life: Sir Anthony Austin
- Ride of my life: Biddy Wingfield Digby
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